Injectable 3D Vaccines With Programmable Particles Anticipated for Future Epidemics

In recent years, vaccines have meshed with the world of nanobot medicine. Particles the size of nanometers - approximately 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. They are programmable, spontaneously assembling and can permeate every area of the body, including a placenta. Previously, Brandon Turbeville reported on Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation work with developing "on demand" nano vaccines using genetically engineered proteins.

That's one thing - now it's possible to produce the effect of nano medicine with larger objects. That is, a non-surgical, injectable and spontaneously assembling structure.

Enter: a constant 3-D vaccine in the form of a lump of particles injected below the skin. One that would manipulate cells, as well as release biological and chemical drug components. They have already been trialed on mice.

Those at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) are in the process of developing just that. Their report, "Injectable, spontaneously assembling, inorganic scaffolds modulate immune cells in vivo and increase vaccine efficacy," appears inNature Biotechnology.

Senior author David Mooney, Ph.D. says:

We can create 3D structures using minimally invasive delivery to enrich and activate a host's immune cells to target and attack harmful cells in vivo.

Co-lead author Jaeyun Kim, Ph.D. said:

Nano-sized mesoporous silica particles have already been established as useful for manipulating individual cells from the inside, but this is the first time that larger particles, in the micron-sized range, are used to create a 3D in vivo scaffold that can recruit and attract tens of millions of immune cells,

A press release explains:

Tiny biodegradable rod-like structures made from silica, known as mesoporous silica rods (MSRs), can be loaded with biological and chemical drug components and then delivered by needle just underneath the skin. The rods spontaneously assemble at the vaccination site to form a three-dimensional scaffold, like pouring a box of matchsticks into a pile on a table. The porous spaces in the stack of MSRs are large enough to recruit and fill up with dendritic cells, which are "surveillance" cells that monitor the body and trigger an immune response when a harmful presence is detected. 

Synthesized in the lab, the MSRs are built with small holes, known as nanopores, inside. The nanopores can be filled with specific cytokines, oligonucleotides, large protein antigens, or any variety of drugs of interest to allow a vast number of possible combinations to treat a range of infections.

Once the 3D scaffold has recruited dendritic cells from the body, the drugs contained in the MSRs are released, which trips their "surveillance" trigger and initiates an immune response. The activated dendritic cells leave the scaffold and travel to the lymph nodes, where they raise alarm and direct the body's immune system to attack specific cells, such as cancerous cells. At the site of the injection, the MSRs biodegrade and dissolve naturally within a few months.

They hope to also manipulate the immune system "by tuning the surface properties and pore size of the MSRs, and therefore controlling the introduction and release of various proteins and drugs." They say that the vaccines are easily and rapidly manufactured so that they could potentially "be widely available very quickly in the face of an emerging infectious disease."

Mooney said, "We anticipate 3D vaccines could be broadly useful for many settings, and their injectable nature would also make them easy to administer both inside and outside a clinic."

Of course, for every new development - for every new medical marvel - there is mention of finally curing "common worldwide killers like HIV and Ebola, as well as cancer," as Wyss Institute Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. says. Adding, "These injectable 3D vaccines offer a minimally invasive and scalable way to deliver therapies that work by mimicking the body's own powerful immune-response in diseases that have previously been able to skirt immune detection."

Billions are spent on technology such as the above that bedazzles the hipster scientism techies and flickers flames of hope for those suffering in desperation while they wait for cures. Although future profits are anticipated, solutions like these are presented as "charitable" contributions. Meanwhile, the underlying factors of illness - economic impoverishment, poor nutrition, chemical exposures, and unrest are yet to be explored with meaningful, viable solutions.

Injectable 3D Vaccines With Programmable Particles Anticipated for Future Epidemics

8:34 AM #vaccines, and food freedom, Natural health news, wellness tips

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: is an old Nexus better than a new iPhone?

here may be a new Nexus in town, the rather gargantuan Nexus 6, but the Nexus 5 is still being sold alongside its larger brother by Google, so Google at least consider the Nexus 5 to still be a current device. With the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop, new life has been breathed into last year's Google phone too, so let's see how Apple's benchmark device compares to the similarly-sized Android reference device in our Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6 comparison.

Which phone is better, Nexus 5 or iPhone 6? 

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: Design and Build Quality

The Nexus 5 is still my favorite Nexus design yet. It's a clean slab of glass and rubberized plastic with telltale curves on the top and bottom edge. The sides of the Nexus 5 are slightly angled for a better grip and the ceramic volume and power buttons (located on the left and right sides respectively) are nicely clicky. The camera lens on the back protrudes slightly and the SIM tray lives on the right just under the power button. The top edge features a headphone port and pinhole mic and the bottom edge has a central USB 2.0 charging port flanked by twin speaker grills (although only one is a speaker – the other is a mic).

The Nexus 5 and iPhone 6 couldn't be more different in terms of design.

The iPhone 6 is a cold, smooth block of slippery metal. This iPhone takes all the sharp angles off previous iPhone designs, leaving curved corners, rounded edges and strips of plastic for the antennas like we have on the HTC One (M7). The camera lens on the iPhone 6 also protrudes but is much smaller than that on the Nexus 5. The iPhone 6 is also incredibly thin at just 6.9 mm. The volume buttons and silent switch are located on the left hand side and the power button makes its way down the right hand side along with the SIM tray. The bottom hosts the speaker grill, lightning and headphone port and a pinhole mic. The top of the iPhone 6 is completely clean.

The iPhone 6 is a lot thinner than the Nexus 5.

Despite looking incredibly well-machined, the new iPhones have suffered from some bad publicity over their aluminum internal framework, which has caused some rather public iPhone 6 bend tests and widespread assumptions that will all fold clean in half in your pocket. While it is a legitimate concern, it is unlikely the numbers of bent iPhones are ever going to impact more than an unlucky few. Having said that, I’ve never heard of a bent Nexus 5 at all. The main difference here is between the best feeling plastic around and the slipperiest metal around.

View from underneath of the Nexus 5 and the iPhone 6.

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: Display

The Nexus 5 has a 4.95-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) with a pixel density of 445 pixels per inch. The Nexus 5 display has relatively small bezels on the side, with a larger bottom bezel and slightly smaller one up top, which also houses some sensors, the front facing camera and the slightly recessed earpiece. All buttons are on-screen. The display itself is not the brightest, but it's bright enough and has stable viewing angles and crisp, clear whites, although my Nexus 5 is a little warm. Contrast is ok, but blacks are nowhere near as deep as you'd find on an OLED display.

IPhone 6 vs Nexus 5 display

The iPhone 6 may not have anywhere near the pixel density of the Nexus 5, with just 326 ppi on a 1,334 x 750 pixel IPS LCD display. It’s technically a Retina display, but that is simply a marketing term invented by Apple to describe any screen around the magical 330 pixels per inch mark outlined by Steve Jobs as theperfect resolution for the human eye. Needless to say, basically every display found on any Android phone these days is a Retina display by Apple’s standards and more and more are now 2Retina (or double the pixel density of iPhones). Still, the brightness of the Apple display is exceptional and while the clarity isn’t there in comparison, it does a very good job in terms of contrast and color. The bezels on the iPhone 6 are small for an iPhone and the upper bezel contains a front-facing camera and earpiece with the TouchID button on the bottom bezel.

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: Special Features

The iPhone 6 has the excellent TouchID finger sensor located in the physical button and it works a treat. In all the Android variations of the finger scanner, the best I've come across is Huawei's awesome Ascend Mate 7, but the iPhone sensor is still the benchmark against which all other scanners are judged. The button must be pressed once to activate it and the scan happens very quickly, accurately and intuitively.

The iPhone 6 comes with a fingerprint sensor, while the Nexus 5 does not.

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: Software

I won't get into the many differences between iOS and Android – we've got a nice lengthy iOS 8 vs Android 5.0 Lollipop comparison you can read up on if you want a full break down, but I will mention a few key software features on each operating system. The strength of a Nexus device is stock Android, and the Nexus 5 benefits greatly from running pure Android 5.0 Lollipop. The OS is very stable and snappy, with a flat, card-based UI full of bright bold colors and lots of animations, all contained under the umbrella of Material Design: Google's new design language for Android 5.0 and beyond.

iOS 8 is a different kettle of fish entirely, even if Lollipop has been frequently described as the iOS version of Android. Where Android has an app drawer with all your app icons hidden away, leaving you with clean home screens or widgets as you prefer, iOS 8 keeps all app icons on endless home screens. Both operating systems let you cluster apps into folders and both have a notifications drop down and quick settings area. Take a look at the comparison screenshots to see the major visual difference
iOS 8 vs Android 5.0 Lollipop

As far as software goes, the Nexus 5 is entirely Google-centric, with the core group of redesigned Google apps like Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Google+, Hangouts, Google Camera, Google Photos, Chrome, the full suite of Google Play apps (Play Store, Games, Books, Newsstand, Music, Movies), the new Sheets, Slides and Docs and all the awesome power of Google Now integration and voice commands. Because the Nexus 5 runs stock Android, it receives near-instantaneous updates from Google when new firmware is available, much like the iPhone. Most updates are now handled on a per-app basis through the Play Store, and security patches come every six weeks courtesy of regular Google Play Services updates.

Lollipop introduces a Battery Saver mode, priority interruptions, lock screen notifications, personal unlocking (via Trusted Faces, Trusted Places or Trusted Devices), multiple user accounts, screen pinning and Tap & Pay functionality (which can also be used for Tap & Go during setup to rapidly migrate the contents of one device to a new one. Multitasking is improved through a  new card-based stack of recent apps and Chrome browser tabs and Google-powered searching throughout the device. Lollipop also introduces the new Android Runtime for pre-compilation of apps (ahead of time) to ensure better responsiveness and massive improvements to high-end graphics.

The iPhone 6 running iOS 8 has some software punch of its own too: some great camera features, super stable and smooth operating system, its own App Store and the fantastic iTunes, a full suite of Apple apps to handle anything you could ever wish to do on an iPhone, cloud syncing, family sharing, audio messaging, fitness integration in anticipation of the Apple Watch release in the very near future, cross-device syncing, Spotlight (much like Google’s integrated Search functionality in Android) and big improvements to the keyboard. Oh, and now there’s third party keyboards and widgets too.

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: Performance

The Nexus 5 has always been blazing fast, from when it appeared running Android 4.4 KitKat to now with the Lollipop update on board. The Nexus 5 specs include a quad-core Snapdragon 800 clocked at 2.3 GHz and 2 GB of RAM with Adreno 330 GPU. The Nexus 5 runs Lollipop almost as fast as the brand new Nexus 9 (which is packing the lightning fast Tegra K1 chip). It's near impossible to slow the Nexus 5 down, and with Lollipop on deck, it's a beautiful showcase of how smooth and fast Android can be.

No one has ever complained that an iPhone is sloppy or unstable and the iPhone 6 is no different. In fact, it’s the fastest, smoothest and most stable iPhone I’ve ever used, although I find the “throttled“ fluidity to be mildly frustrating when I compare it to the balls-to-the-wall speed of a Nexus, although that unbridled speed does produce some glitches and stutters, so it comes at a cost. The iPhone 6’s A8 chipset with dual ARM v8-based Cyclones ticking away at 1.4 GHz may not sound as beefy as the Nexus, but Apple know a thing or two about smoothness, you have to give them that. The iPhone 6 comes with just 1 GB of RAM but there‘s a quad-core PowerVR GX6450 GPU making things happen graphically.

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: Camera

The 8 MP Nexus 5 camera has come a long way since launch: back then it was almost unusable, then some TLC from Google got it to a point where in good conditions it shoots as well as the iPhone. Sadly, perfect conditions aren't always available and the Nexus 5 falls down a little under poor lighting and with moving subjects. Auto-focus is still too slow for my tastes too. The shift from the old camera app to the excellent Google Camera and the new camera API that was introduced with Lollipop have done wonders for the Nexus 5 camera and it's as good as it has ever been: no one would have ever known it was possible back in 2013.

The Nexus 5 and iPhone 6 camera sensors.

There really is no competition here. While the Nexus 5 is capable of some pretty spectacular shots, it can’t compete with the iPhone 6’s camera, even when it is only shooting at an equivalent 8 MP. Up front the iPhone 6 has a slightly lower resolution 1.2 MP FaceTime camera which only a fool would say is worse than the Nexus 5’s selfie shooter. The iPhone 6 camera may not be perfect, and it isn’t as big an improvement as I would have expected, but the iPhone produces consistently better results than the Nexus 5 across a wider range of settings and conditions. Where the camera has always been the Achilles‘ heel of a Nexus, it has always been the crown of an iPhone.

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: Battery

The Nexus 5 battery is pretty meagre at just 2,300 mAh. The battery optimizations introduced in Android 5.0 are wonderful though and the life span of a single charge has been extended by roughly 90 minutes by default. Adding the Battery Saver function to the mix lets you dramatically extend the final 5% or 15% of battery by shutting down various background processes and all but the very most important features until you get to a wall socket. I can now easily breeze through a full day or regular usage where I used to struggle a little to make it to bedtime on a single charge. The Nexus 5 also supports native Qi wireless charging.

Android phones with the latest update, Android 5.0 Lollipop, get a Battery Saver function.

Batteries are one point where Apple still doesn’t get it. Sure, a super thin and light phone is great, but the jokes about iPhone owners being wall huggers are well justified. I have lots of friends with iPhones and they are always either looking for an outlet or telling me that their phone is dead, and my experiences have been no better. That 1,810 mAh battery may not have a crazy display to power, and Apple does a good job of optimizing things to not require so much juice, but even with all that the iPhone 6 battery is pretty hopeless. If you manage to get a solid day out of it you should call the papers. And then all of my friends so you can tell them how you did it.

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: Release Date and Price

The Nexus 5 release date was October 31st, 2013. The Nexus 5 price came in two flavors: depending on the size of internal storage. The 16 GB Nexus 5 was 349 USD and the 32 GB version cost 399 USD. The iPhone 6 price comes in three storage-dependent options: 126 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB for 199 USD, 299 USD and 399 USD (on a two-year contract). You don't even want to know what an iPhone 6 costs outright - but it's almost double the cost of the equivalent Nexus 5...

Final Verdict

Some parts are impossible to compare: your preference for design and operating system are part of your DNA and my preferences are unlikely to convince you otherwise. Some parts are objectively better in the iPhone 6: camera, TouchID and perhaps performance. Some are about equal on both devices: battery, software and looks. And some are better in the Nexus 5: price, advanced features and display. If these two devices were the same price, I would probably pick the iPhone 6 over the Nexus 5 mostly due to the camera performance, but considering the iPhone 6 costs nearly double the price of the Nexus 5, it's a pretty clear Android victory for me. While the iPhone may be better in some departments, it's nowhere near that much better.

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 6: is an old Nexus better than a new iPhone?

6:29 AM #comparephone, #iphone6, #nexus5, #nexusvsiphone

Lollipop 5.0.1update for Nexus is coming to fix the bugs

Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update might be boasting some pretty neat features on paper, but several reports on Google product forums have made it clear that the update is infested with several bugs and issues. Google has just started to release Android 5.0.1, a bug fix update, that hopes to resolve the issues that some Nexus 5 users are having.

Nexus 5 Lollipop bugs to be fixed by Android 5.0.1 update

We’ve been talking pretty extensively about bugs, glitches, and issues that Android 5.0 Lollipop has brought to a lot of Nexus 5 users. Multiple people are reporting a significant reduction in the battery life of their smartphone or tablet. Others have experienced a decrease in the performance of their device. Some Nexus 7 users are having issues with video playback, and there are some Nexus 5 users who are unable to connect to a home or work WiFi network.

A lot of the reports about poor battery life and a decrease in performance can be resolved by clearing the cache partition on the device and/or performing a factory reset. Still, we understand that a factory reset isn’t an ideal solution, and if you can wait for the update then you shouldn’t need to resort to that. Android updates are very complicated and a lot of things can get messed up along the way. If you read our comments section after we write about an Android update, there are almost always people reporting various issues that started happening after the update. More often than not, a factory reset will resolve these issues. Especially if they just started happening after an update.

A factory reset can’t solve all the issues with the Nexus 5 Android 5.0 Lollipop update though. Google is aware of the critical bugs, and they hope to be resolving them with the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update. Factory images have already been posted for the Nexus 9, 2013 Nexus 7 (WiFi), and the Nexus 10. We expect Google to release the rest of these updates (including one for the Nexus 5) in the next week or two.

Have you received the 5.0.1 Lollipop update yet? Please use the comments section below to tell us when you updated your device and whether or not the update resolved any issues you had with the initial 5.0 update.

Lollipop 5.0.1update for Nexus is coming to fix the bugs

6:43 AM #lollipopbugs, #lollipopupdate, #nexus, lollipop 5.0.1 update, lollipop bugs, NEXUS

Android 5.0 Lollipop bugs and problems on Nexus devices: How to fix them

Most common Android 5.0 Lollipop problems on Nexus devices: How to fix them

Google recently rolled out its highly-anticipated Android 5.0 Lollipop update to a slew of Nexus devices including Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10, while also confirming the availability of stock Lollipop update for Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 out of the box.

The Android maker has also confirmed Android 5.0 release for its line-up of Google Play Edition (GPE) devices and according to the latest reports, Android 5.0.1 OTA update is already out for these Nexus devices.

Android 5.0.1 OTA Fix

Interested users can download the new Android 5.0.1 OTA updates manually using the links below:

Nexus 7 2013, Wifi-only (razor) LRX21P to LRX22C

Nexus 9 (volantis) LRX21R to LRX22C

Nexus 10 (mantaray) LRX21P to LRX22C

Though the new Lollipop OTA update aims at fixing most of the bugs including the factory reset bug (a flaw in the system wherein random taps on the lock screen of an Android-Lollipop powered device could cause the device to factory reset), video playback and flashlight bug issue on the Nexus 6, there are still dozens of other issues which may require a manual fix or workaround.

IBTimes UK explores a handful of workarounds and manual fixes for a bunch of issues including Bluetooth problems, unexpected battery drains, Wi-Fi problems, 3G data issues and a range of performance issues including video playback and startup bugs.

How to Fix Lollipop Battery Life Problems

Quite unexpectedly, Nexus devices have been plagued with a bunch of battery-life issues leading to abnormal battery drain under normal usage conditions.

It is ascertained that several third-party apps could be the root cause of unexpected battery drain on Nexus devices running the latest Android software. So, it would be a wise decision to disable all power-hungry apps running in the background unless you use them frequently.

You may also try updating your apps with the latest version or try uninstalling the third-party apps one by one to isolate the problem, as some apps are known to drain the battery more than the others.

As a quick fix, you may also try rebooting your phone on minimal settings with all third-party apps uninstalled, as this will clear the cache and kill background services associated with unused apps.

As a final step, you could try performing a factory reset on your device. However, please make sure you backup important data and settings on the phone as a factory reset will wipe out all custom and user data on the device.

How to Fix Performance Problems in Android Lollipop

Older Nexus devices such as the Nexus 7 2012 and Nexus 4 seem to be widely affected with poor performance issues after updating with Android 5.0 Lollipop update.

Some of the widespread issues noted with the affected Nexus devices include sluggishness, abnormal slowdown and random app crashes.

Here is how to use a potential performance fix on the Nexus 7 2012, manually:

Press and holdPower and Volume Down buttons simultaneously until the device logo or Android logo appears on the screen.You should now see a large arrow at the top of the screen.Tap Volume Down repeatedly until you see Recovery in the arrow. Then tap thePower buttonThen you will see an android on his back, chest open with a red triangle and exclamation mark.Now hold Power button and tap Volume Up once before releasing the Power.A list of items should now appear at top of screen.Tap Volume Down until the item to erase orwipe the cache partition gets highlighted. Then tapPower button to initiate the wipe process.Status messages will appear at the bottom of the screen. Be patient as it can take about 10-15 minutes to complete. When done restart the Nexus device.

How to Fix Cellular/3G Data Issues on Android Lollipop

Cellular/3G data issues seem to be redundant on most Nexus devices that are updated to Android 5.0, but there are simple fixes to get you started.

Try switching off the cellular or 3G or LTE data via Settings > More > Cellular networks.Turn it back on after 30 seconds to check if the connection is working.If issue persists, try rebooting the device.Alternatively, try updating the Access Point Name (APN) settings: Go to Settings > More > Cellular networks > Access Point Names. You may contact your network carrier for assistance in case you messed up with the settings or don't know how to proceed.As a quick fix, you may try running your phone in Airplane mode. Try switching on Airplane mode and then turn it off, which may help in restoring Cellular/3G/LTE data on the device.

How to Fix Wi-Fi Problems on Android 5.0

The Wi-Fi problems being reported on Nexus devices running Lollipop update range from slow connections to inability in connecting to Wi-Fi network by any means.

Try rebooting your phone or tablet and alternatively, you can also try rebooting the Wi-Fi router to which your device is trying to establish connection.To perform a router reboot: switch off the router's power switch for 30 seconds and then turn it back on, and the same procedure can be repeated on your internet modem as well.If the issue persists, try forgetting your Wi-Fi network as follows:Select the desired network and press down on it until a white menu pops up.Then an option reading"Forget network" should appear on top.Choose this option and then reenter your password to reconnect to the Wi-Fi network.Alternatively, try changing the network frequency: click the vertical dots at the top right corner to activate Advanced menu, and then try tweaking the Wi-Fi frequency band.Try updating your router software or try replicating the issue on another router. If all else fails, a factory reset is recommended on the misbehaving router.

How to Fix Bluetooth Problems in Android 5.0

Numerous Nexus devices have been afflicted with untested bugs in Bluetooth connectivity, ever since these devices received the Lollipop update.

Step 1: As a simple fix you could try switching off the Bluetooth feature and then turning it back on.

Step 2: If the issue still persists, try clearing the cache files for Bluetooth Share. To do so, go toSettings > Apps > Scroll over to All > Choose Bluetooth Share and tap on Clear Cache.

Step 3: In addition, you can also perform Clear Data wipe via Bluetooth Share option.

Step 4: Once you have cleared both the cache and data, just restart the phone by switching it off and then turning it back on.

Step 5: Finally, if none of the above steps worked for you then try booting the device into Safe Mode as follows:

Press and hold thePower button, after ensuring the device's screen is on.Now tap and hold thePower off option in the ensuing dialog box.Then hit OK in the following dialog box to initiate safe mode.

Note: Booting into safe mode will allow you to disable and isolate the problematic third-party apps.

How to Fix Video Playback Issues in Android 5.0

Video playback issues are pre-dominantly found on Nexus 7 devices running Android 5.0.

To fix this issue you can try clearing the cache files via Settings > Apps > Choose appropriate app > Clear Cache.

How to Fix Start-up Issues in Android Lollipop

Several Nexus 4 users and a few owners of other Nexus devices are reportedly facing freeze issues on the start-up screen, following the installation of Android 5.0 update.

Among the probable solutions, you could try rebooting the device or perform a factory reset to resolve the start-up issues.

Additionally, disabling unwanted start up services could help resolve the issue.

How to Fix Lollipop App Issues

Most of the app issues can be resolved by simply updating the app or by uninstalling the problematic app.

As a final resort, try reinstalling the app as this helps in restoring the corrupted files with fresh working system files.

You may try contacting the app developer for further assistance, if the issue persists after trying the above steps.

Android 5.0 Lollipop bugs and problems on Nexus devices: How to fix them

3:44 PM lollipop bugs

Nokia N1 vs Nexus 9: How do the Android tablets compare?

Nokia N1 vs Nexus 9: How do the Android tablets compare?

Nokia  on Google’s flagship tablet

Nokia - that’s Nokia Nokia, not Microsoft Nokia - has just surprised everyone by announcing an Android tablet, the Nokia N1.

With high-end components, a premium design, and stock Android 5.0 Lollipop, it’s clearly looking to take on Google’s own Nexus 9 as the most desirable Android tablet out there.

So how do these two tablets compare? Here's the tale of the tape.

Nokia N1 vs Nexus 9 - Design

Nokia N1: Aluminium body with surface anodisation, one-piece design, 6.9mm thick, 318g
Nexus 9: Soft, matte plastic back, brushed metal sides, 7.95mm thick, 425g

The Nexus 9 is a pretty decent-looking tablet, but at initial glance it’s not in the Nokia N1’s league.

Google’s flagship tablet looks rather like a largeNexus 5, which means it’s solid rather than spectacular, with a familiar soft-touch plastic back. Meanwhile it’s a millimetre thicker than the N1 and more than 100 grams heavier, despite the N1 being the one with an all-metal body.

The Nokia N1 looks to be a lot sleeker, but then, it would do - it’s a blatant copy of one of the best designed tablets around, the iPad mini. As such, we need to temper our praise of the N1’s design at this early stage, as it appears to have been lifted wholesale.

Also, while there’s no denying that the Nokia N1 is shaping up to be the nicer design of these two, it’s worthy remembering that the Nexus 9 was designed and built by quality outfit HTC, while the Nokia N1 is essentially a licensed product built to spec by Foxconn.

We will reserve final design judgement until we’ve actually handled the N1.

Nokia N1 vs Nexus 9 - Display

Nokia N1: 7.9-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio, 2048 x 1536 resolution, laminated IPS LCD
Nexus 9: 8.9-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio, 2048 x 1536 resolution, IPS LCD

Of course, one reason the N1 is sleeker than the Nexus 9 is that its display is significantly smaller. It’s just 7.9-inches, whereas the Nexus 9’s display is an 8.9-incher.

Other than that, there are a lot of similarities here. Both have a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is still pretty unusual for Android tablets. In fact, this is another common iPad feature, and it suggests that both Google and Nexus have come around to Apple’s way of thinking here.

Both tablets have a 2048 x 1536 resolution, but that means that the Nokia N1’s display, being smaller, should be sharper. As far as pixel density goes, it's 324ppi versus 287ppi.

While both displays are IPS LCD examples, which typically makes for great viewing angles, the N1 component has another edge in being laminated. This means that there’s no air gap in between the display panel and its glass, making for a slightly clearer and more vibrant picture than the Nexus 9 display, which isn’t laminated.

Finally, we should point out that the Nexus 9 display tends to suffer from backlight leakage, which isn’t ideal for such a premium tablet.

Nokia N1 vs Nexus 9 - CPU and RAM

Nokia N1: 64-bit quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 CPU, 2.3 GHz, 2GB RAM
Nexus 9: 64-bit dual-core Nvidia Tegra K1 CPU, 2.3GHz, 2GB RAM

Both tablets include 64-bit processors, which positions them well to make the most out of Android 5.0’s 64-bit compatibility. Also, both processors are clocked at 2.3GHz, and both are backed by 2GB of RAM.

However, that’s where the similarities end. You might think that the quad-core Atom Z3580 of the Nokia N1 holds an advantage over the dual-core Tegra K1 of the Nexus 9 simply through the core count alone, but the Tegra K1 has an absolutely monstrous desktop-class GPU backing it up.

Ultimately, these two chips appear to be fairly well matched for general tasks, but for anything graphically intensive such as games, the Nexus 9 and its Tegra K1 should have the edge.

Nokia N1 vs Nexus 9 - Software

Nokia N1: Android 5.0 Lollipop, Nokia Z Launcher
Nexus 9: Android 5.0 Lollipop

Both the Nokia N1 and the Google Nexus 9 run on stock Android 5.0, also known as Lollipop. That means that both have one of the freshest and most powerful mobile operating systems around.

The only slight deviation here is with the Nokia N1, which will also ship with the Nokia Z Launcher. This lightweight piece of software presents a new contextual app list and an innovative search system whereby you draw letters on the display.

However this piece of software turns out, the Z Launcher can be readily deactivated to leave stock Android running in its full glory. This isn’t the same thing as other third party manufacturers laying on their heavy UIs modifications by any stretch.

The Nexus 9 has the edge because it will get updates faster than the Nokia N1, but otherwise it looks like a draw.

Nokia N1 vs Nexus 9 - Cameras

Nokia N1: 8MP rear, 5MP front-facing cameras
Nexus 9: 8MP rear, 1.6MP front-facing cameras

Both tablets contain 8-megapixel rear cameras, while the N1 appears to have the edge in the selfie/video calling stakes with its 5-megapixel unit. The Nexus 9’s front camera is a 1.6-megapixel example.

Then there’s the fact that Nexus devices don’t typically contain the best cameras, and that HTC isn’t exactly renowned for its quality cameras either. Sure enough, we found the Nexus 9’s snapper to be pretty ordinary.

Add in Nokia’s reputation for trailblazing mobile camera tech, and the N1 seems nailed on for success, right?

Well, not necessarily. Remember - this isn’t the Nokia of PureView cameras and ZEISS optics fame. That Nokia has been swallowed up by Microsoft. This Nokia is essentially starting from scratch, which means we have no idea how well its first tablet camera will turn out - let alone how well it will compare to its rivals.

Nokia N1 vs Nexus 9 - Storage

Nokia N1: 32GB
Nexus 9: 16GB/32GB

Pretty simple one this. The Nokia N1 only comes with a 32GB option, while the Nexus 9 comes with the choice of 16GB or 32GB.

However, we don’t think that 16GB should even be on the cards in a modern tablet at this stage - it’s way too meagre an amount for a mediacentric device at the close of 2014. We’re disappointed there’s no 64GB and 128GB options with both of these tablets.

With neither of these tablets sporting a microSD slot for expansion purposes, storage is not their strong suit.

Early Verdict

The Nokia N1 has been a total surprise, but that hints at a reason for caution. To a large extent, our preconceptions about Nokia design and build quality have to be jettisoned - or at least redirected towards Microsoft’s new internal mobile hardware arm.

This is effectively an all-new, relatively small outfit, having its designs built to spec by a massive Chinese manufacturer. Sure, the Nokia N1 looks pretty good, but we have no idea whether it will be.

Conversely, we know what we’re getting with the Nexus 9, having reviewed it recently. It’s a decent Android tablet with some strong specs running one of the best mobile operating systems around.

However, it has a number of flaws, and there’s ample opportunity for another player to step forward and take the Android tablet crown.

Nokia N1 vs Nexus 9: How do the Android tablets compare?

9:26 PM compare nokia n1 nexus 9, nexus 9, nokia N1

Android Lollipop update: Nexus 5 owners face Wi-Fi issues, battery woes

Android Lollipop update: Nexus 5 owners face Wi-Fi issues, battery woes.

Recent reports suggest that Nexus 5 owners are facing some problems after updating their phone to the Android 5.0 Lollipop. A few bugs encountered include connectivity issues with Wi-Fi. Some developers are complaining Nexus 5 saves passwords but would fail to actually connect to it, states Business Insider. Some Nexus 7 and Nexus 9 users are also facing the same problem. Earlier, users were facing problems as their phone’s battery would drain down too quickly but Google has fixed the issue. A few owners are also saying that their device could not complete the installation due to a ‘missing system.img’ error message. The bug would cancel the installation for Android Lollipop. There s no word from Google yet.

 

Google’s latest Android Lollipop update has begun rolling out for the older Nexus 5. The OTA update should reach users in couple of days. Those using a Nexus 5 can go to “Settings > About device > System updates > Check now” to check for the update.

Google has announced via its official Twitter handle that it will begin rolling out Android Lollipop for all Nexus devices soon.

While OTA updates are the safest way to upgrade your devices, Google has released factory images as well. The company has released factory images for Nexus devices including Nexus 5, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. The new devices – Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 – will run Android Lollipop out of the box. Now, you will also find a factory image for the rather older Nexus 4.

Motorola has also commenced its soak test for the Android 5.0 Lollipop in India. Motorola has posted the release notes for both the Moto X andMoto G devices on its website and some lucky owners have already got the update.

New Moto X and Moto G devices can enjoy thenew Android 5.0 features, such as the Material Design interface, updated camera and improved security, while still being able to use Motorola’s own services such as Motorola Alert, Migrate and Connect.

While the Moto X and the Moto G will be some of the first devices to get the latest Android OS, other manufactures have also announced the same for their devices. To find out if your phone is eligible, check out the list of devices that are confirmed to get the update.

Android Lollipop update: Nexus 5 owners face Wi-Fi issues, battery woes

8:46 AM #androidlolipop, lollipop, nexus 5 update, ota

Cells act like old tape recorders to monitor health

They're the world's smallest documentary makers. E. coli bacteria have had their DNA hacked so they can store memories of their cellular environment. And they do it in much the same way as an analogue tape recorder. Other more complicated cells should be capable of the feat too, which could pave the way for cellular biographers that can be inserted into our bodies for the inside scoop on our health.

E. coli may be one of the most widely used microbes in scientific research, but there are still aspects of its biology that are mysterious. "There are these DNA sequences called retrons that were discovered 30 years ago – but there's still a lot of controversy over what they actually do," says Timothy Lu at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

What we do know is that the retrons carry the genetic code for enzymes that generate new strands of DNA. These strands can then insert themselves into the cell's genome. Lu and his MIT colleague Fahim Farzadfard realised that they could manipulate these retrons so that, when the E. coli is exposed to a particular chemical – or some other input like bright light – it inserts a new chunk of DNA into a specific site in the genome. That DNA chunk is then effectively a "memory" of the experience.

Crowdsourced memories

Each of the E. coli cells records a personal account of its experiences. That could be useful, but it's when whole populations of cells record their experiences that the system becomes really powerful.

Lu and Farzadfard engineered the retrons to be only partially efficient, so that when a population of E. coli is exposed to an input, like a light signal, only a few cells will instantly record a memory of the event.

As time goes by, more of the cells will respond to the input and record the memory. By calculating at a certain point how many of the cells carry the memory, it's possible to work out either the input's strength, or the length of exposure.

"Imagine having 1000 humans all exposed to sunlight," says Lu. "Some proportion will develop a mole on skin from over-exposure. With more exposure, an increasing number of people will develop the mole. So by counting the number of people with moles you can back-calculate how intense or how long the exposure was."

Play back memories

"That's the crux of it," says Cameron Myhrvold at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, who was not involved in the research. "You can encode extra information because it's a signal that accumulates over time rather than an all-or-nothing switch." In other words, its analogue rather than digital.

"We think this is going to be very useful in monitoring applications," says Lu. The retrons are known to function in animal cells, he says, so if some of our cells were engineered to record the conditions they are exposed to, they could later be extracted and their DNA sequenced to play back the memories.

That kind of cellular monitoring is already possible with some microscopy techniques, but Lu says that these techniques require researchers to keep a constant eye on the cells. With his method, cellular environments could be seeded with cells to remotely record events in much the same way that forests are wired up with camera traps to remotely track wildlife.

Monitoring disease

For example, modified gut cells could be used to track the progress of conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, or modified brain cells could help establish the nature of individual cellular connections within neural networks, says Lu.

In principle, the cellular system could be used to monitor the spread of disease, such as the growth and spread of cancers, perhaps by responding to the cellular signals generated by cancer cells, although Lu says additional development will be needed before that can be demonstrated.

Although an analogue system allows you to record more nuanced information, Myhrvold says that this is also a potential weakness. It means it works best when there is a large population of cellular recorders, so might not work so well for monitoring environments that contain relatively small numbers of cells to begin with, he says. That's an important point, agrees Lu, and one he's working on.

Myhrvold also says that retrons might mutate and malfunction in some more challenging cellular environments, which could compromise their ability to record cellular events. This is a problem that his Harvard colleague, Pamela Silver, addressed earlier this year by inserting a responsive genetic switch into E. coli that is so resistant to mutation that it is stable even in the hostile environment of the mammalian gut.

Cells act like old tape recorders to monitor health

8:30 AM cell memory, disease monitoring

How to manually install the Lollipop OTA on your Nexus device, download links included

Manually installing Lollipop to Nexus device

There are two methods for manually updating your Nexus device to Android 5.0 Lollipop. You canflash the factory image, but if your bootloader isn’t unlocked, it means you have to do a factory reset. The good news is that there is another method and that is to install the actual Over-The-Air (OTA) update. Even better news….you won’t lose your data!! Oh wait, there’s even better news…..we have all the instructions on how to do it right after the break.

You will notice that there is a lot of information here. In fact a lot more than other sites. I remember when I first tried to do this method and found a lot of guides online, but every single one left out a lot of relevant info, especially for the newbies. I tried to compile every little detail in an attempt to make it as easy as possible for you. If you have already done this before, and only need a refresher, a lot of it is overkill for you.

If you’re running a custom recovery, you can go ahead and download the appropriate Zip file below and flash it. The below instructions are for those that are running stock, which is the majority of you.

The first thing you want to do is download and install the Android SDK if you haven’t already. You only really need ADB so you can skip the entire Android SDK and download and install Minimal ADB and Fastboot instead, which will give you just the necessary files.

Note: If you go the route of installing the full SDK, ADB and Fastboot will be in the C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools folder. If you use Minimal ADB and Fastboot, you can choose the directory you want.

———————————————————————————–

Now it’s time to download the appropriate Zip file for your device and place it in the folder where ADB and Fastboot is. If you installed the full SDK, it’s in the C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools folder. Below are the links. Note:You want to make sure that your device is on the“From” Build Number that’s listed for each device. To see that, just open Settings > About Phone and scroll down to About Phone. Now scroll down to the bottom and look at the Build Number. Make sure it matches the “From” listed below for the device that you’re upgrading.

Nexus 4 (occam) From KTU84P to Unknown (C0ming Soon)

Nexus 5 (hammerhead) From KTU84P to LRX21O

Nexus 5 (hammerhead) From KTU84Q to LRX21O

Nexus 7 (2013) WiFi (razor) From KTU84Q to LRX21P 

Nexus 7 (2013) LTE (razorg) From KTU84P to Unknown (Coming Soon)

Nexus 7 (2012) WiFi (nakasi) From KTU84P to LRX21P

Nexus 7 (2012) 3G (nakasig) From KTU84P to Unknown  (Coming Soon)

Nexus 9 (volantis) From LRX21L to LRX21Q

Nexus 10 (mantaray) From KTU84P to LRX21P

Note: The Zip file has a rather large name so feel free to rename if it you wish so you don’t have to type out the entire file name in the CMD Window. Alternatively, you can paste it in the CMD prompt window by pressing ALT and the Space Bar, then choose Edit, followed by Paste.

———————————————————————————–

Now you need to make sure USB debugging is enabled. If the Developer Options aren’t showing in the Settings on your device, follow these steps…..

1) Tap on About Phone and find the Build Number.

2) Tap on the Build Number 7 times and the Developer Options will appear on the main page of the Settings.

3) Tap on the Back key to see the Developer Options.

4) Tap on Developer Options.

5) Check to enable USB Debugging

Before you connect your device to the USB port on your desktop / laptop, you want to make sure you have the appropriate drivers installed. You can grab them here.

Now connect your device and you are ready to flash the Zip file that you downloaded earlier. Note: You might get a pop up box on your device stating what the computer’s RSA Key is. Just check Always allow from this computer and tap on OK

———————————————————————————–

Now it’s time to install the OTA update that you downloaded earlier

1) Open the Command Prompt in Windows and navigate to the folder that ADB and Fastboot are installed in. Again, if you installed the full SDK, it’s in the C:\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools folder. Just type cd\program files (x86)\android\android-sdk\platform-tools. If it’s somewhere else, just navigate to it.  Note: To make things easier so you don’t have to type out long directories, you can also paste it by pressing ALT and the Space Bar, then choose Edit, followed by Paste.

2) Assuming you device is already connected to your computer via USB and USB Debugging is enabled, you need to start it in fastboot mode. Follow one of the two methods below.

A) Type adb reboot bootloader

B) Turn your device off, then turn it back on while holding down the relevant key combinations for your device. For many devices it’s Volume Up + Volume Down + Power. You can see what your device’s key combinations are here.

3) The  fastboot menu should appear and you should see “Start” in the top right. Press Volume Up till it changes to “Recovery.” Press the Power button to select it.

4) You will see an Android with a red exclamation point icon, press Volume Up and the Power button at the same time.

5) You will get a new menu. Navigate to apply update from adb and select it by pressing the Power button.

6) In the CMD window (make sure you are in the right directory), type: adb sideload [the full name of the file].zip (Note: without the brackets around the file name)

7) The update will install and reach 100%.

I hope this guide helped you. Please let me know if I missed anything.

If you want to learn how to flash factory images, make sure to check out our guide on that here.

8) Reboot and enjoy your new update!!

How to manually install the Lollipop OTA on your Nexus device, download links included

2:17 PM manual installation of lollipop, nexus upgrade

10 Things We Want To Do With Google Glass

The Google glass workout

So we’ve talked about what Google Glass has tooffer, its features and capabilities and how it is the most anticipated wearable gadget in 2013. But why leave it there? Add a dash of wishful thinking (okay, maybe a whole lot of it) and here’s a wishlist of things we want to see happen with Google Glass.

Google Glass is a sight for sore eyes as it is touted as the lightweight, hands-free solution to the smartphone. It still tethers to the Internet access of the smartphone via Bluetooth but has a built-in GPS chip for navigational use. Voice commands make the integration almost seamless and Glass also comes with a camera for recording pictures and videos in first-person view.

With this recap, you now probably have a sense of the potential Glass has in all sorts of situations. Here are just 10 examples of how Glass can further enrich our lives. Note that this is just a wishlist and while Glass may not be able to do these things, who know what will happen in the near future?

1. Benefit Education

If Youtube tutorials have taught us anything, it’s that videos can go far in education that is not confined in the classroom. Glass can help push that barrier even further by recording tutorialsin for instances the type spaces mechanics find themselves in when fixing a car engine or machinery parts, or in restricted areas where only the surgeon and its staff is allowed.

In both examples, Glass keeps the mechanic’s and surgeon’s hands free to work their magic, and still gives students a first-person view of the masters at work. It would be great for the feed to be streamed live and to allow the viewers to get to experience what is happening in real-time.

2. Live Information When You Need It

In #1, the surgeon would appreciate having access to the vital stats of his patient straight in Glass if he needs it. For the rest of us, Glass could even provide information about programs we are watching on TV such as stats about the actor, the shows they’ve acted in, synopsis or facts about fashion.

Glass could also work in the world of sportswhere it gives you the latest team and playernews, table standings and past results the moment you switch TV channels or when you’re at a live sports event.

3. Recommendation Guides

With augmented reality in place, it’ll be cool to have Glass give you information of restaurants as you walk past, such as the chef’s recommendation of the day, prices and reviews. Information of promotions going on at each shop outlet would appease the shopaholic in you and can even be sorted to cater to the specific needs of each Glass user

This will even be a good thing to have for touristswho visit foreign lands where they don’t speak the language.

4. Health Monitor Interface

With Glass’ built-in GPS chip, it can easily track your movement. Together with an external health tracking monitor or through health related apps, Glass could probably display, track or log in yourpace, speed, heart rate and running durationfor use such as when you’re running a marathon.

Its capability to have sunglasses attachmentalso means it’ll be perfect for use on brigh sunny running days, and the avid calorie counter may be able to keep his or her nutritional intake in check almost constantly.

5. Get More Out Of Life

A person who has to keep an eye on the family while working from home could benefit from Glass. Instead of having to worry about missing an important call or email on their work phone, wearing Glass allows them to receive notifications while doing things around the house since both their hands are free.

They also need not tether themselves to any computer, laptop or tablet to receive updates.

6. Assisting Busy Lives

That said, having Glass equipped with apersonal assistant app like Siri on iOS or alternatives found on Android lets you manage your work life even better via voice commands, say, to schedule reminders, alarms and events.

You can set reminders as and when you have made decisions during a meeting, gotten a reply from a client or finalized a plan that is good to go.

7. Documentaries In First Person View

We’ve seen the video introducing Glass where skydivers recorded their descent. However, Glass can be used to push documentaries even further.

For instance, viewers can actually step into the shoes of police officers during an actual drug raid, first responders during a disaster or emergency event or even of paramedics who have to think on their feet to save lives. This beats reality TV shows anytime.

8. Video Conferencing Alternative

Google Hangout is a fine tool for conferencing but you still need to sit yourself in front of a laptop to use it. For companies that need to have a lot of meetings regularly it’s common to spend a budget on a state of the art conference room.

Perhaps Glass can be a great alternative for decision makers who are always on the move and who everyone wants an audience with.Group meetings can be done regardless of where everyone is.

9. Easier Video Logging

For the avid DIY builder, keeping track of screws and parts may be a common annoyance during the assembly process, but this is recitifiable with some strategic video logging. Since Glass has a camera equipped, the builder gets a first-person recording of what he does and keeping track of steps and parts are just a matter of playbacks.

Alternatively, scientists can log the results of their experiments easier, faster and more accurately. Video recordings and voice logs neatly time-stamped can ensure that they can focus more on the science instead of the documentation. To top it all off (since we’re dreaming anyways) it’ll be cool to then create an app for data-logging using speech-to-text with itemized logging.

10. Work Together With Any Smartphone & Its Apps

This is probably the most important thing anyone who is eager to try out the Glass would want. We’re talking about support for popular mobile OS like iOS, Android, Windows, BlackBerry as well as upcoming OS like Ubuntu, Firefox, Tizen and Sailfish.

With widespread support and a higher user base, and seamless integration with apps, there is probably hope for the prices to drop to affordable ranges so everyone can grab a pair

10 Things We Want To Do With Google Glass

8:55 AM Glass, google glass, wearable gadgets

iPhone 6 vs. Google Nexus 6 comparison

Apple iPhone 6 vs. Google Nexus 6: which phone will be better?

With the iPhone 6 now on our doorstep and being pre-ordered by the millions, those of us firmly entrenched in Camp Android are looking to the Nexus 6 to bring balance to the universe in the next few weeks. So given what we know so far, let's speculate on which phone is shaping up to dominate the rest of the year in our Nexus 6 vs iPhone 6 comparison.  

Will the Nexus 6 be better than the iPhone 6?/

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Design

The Nexus 6 has a 5.96-inch screen and is based on the Moto X (2014). The new Moto X itself is certainly quite striking, with curved back, large camera lens and circular LED ring flash. With the Nexus 6 taking design cues from this it certainly looks like an interesting looking phone indeed.

The Nexus 5 proved you can't judge a book by its boring cover.

The iPhone 6 is a pretty nice change to the blocky iPhone style we've seen repeated a lot over the last few years. The corners are curved, the chassis is made outal and everything seems sleeker, thinner and more "designed" than the iPhone 5s or even the iPhone 4, which have all been iterations on basically the exact same thing.

The Nexus 6 has a refershing design, but we also admire Apple's thinking on the new iPhone design. The iPhone takes a few cues from Android too, with the new device looking a lot like the new Sony Xperia Z3. The iPhone screen has finally grown up too: offering a 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch The new iPhones have finally increased their screen size.

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Display

The Nexus 6 will arrive with a 5.96-inch, QHD display with 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 493 pixels per inch. The AMOLED screen technology is a wise choice if the touchless controls and ''always-on'' listening are as big a feature of the Nexus 6 as they are to the Moto X.

Evolution of screen sizes and pixel densities on Android and Apple smartphones (infographic).Up front, the iPhone 6 still looks a lot like the iPhone 5s and shares a similar pixel density.

The iPhone 6 on the other hand introduces a Retina HD LCD. ''Retina'' HD basically just means that its pixel density is over 300 ppi: in the 4.7-inch iPhone 6's case, 326 ppi. The screen resolution comes in at 1,334 x 750 pixels, which is just a tad above regular HD. The Nexus 6 will destroy the iPhone 6's screen, in terms of pixel density and size, but we'll have to wait and see them in real life to make judgments on quality.

If the Nexus 6 takes after the Moto X's touchless controls, an AMOLED display makes sense.

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: System

Both smartphones will arrive with the latest versions of their respective operating systems: the Nexus 6 will appear as the showcase for Android Lollipop and the iPhone 6 has iOS 8.1 on board. We already know a bit about Android Lollipop thanks to the developer preview and we've already seen a bunch of iOS features. We don't have enough room for a full comparison here, but check out our iOS 8 v Android Lollipop comparison for more information. Of course, we expect you have a pretty good idea of which OS is right for you.

Android 5.0 Lollipop: what you need to know.The Nexus 6 will arrive showcasing Google's new Material Design standard for Android L. © Google

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Performance

Not the easiest thing to compare on two phones you haven't used yet, and because Apple and Android components are quite different its not always so easy to figure things out on paper. But we can make estimations based on the improvements over what we already have.

The iPhone 6 has not changed too much compared to the iPhone 5s, which admittedly does its job quite well. Of course, the fluidity and stability of the iPhone 6 will be just as good as what we have seen before and the upgrade to the A8 64-bit chip and M8 motion co-processor will certainly uphold their end of the bargain.

Android fans may tease Apple's ''walled garden,'' but it's super stable and smooth. © Apple

However, the Nexus line has always been jam-packed with the best specs around and the Nexus 6 will arrive with a quad-core Snapdragon 805 clocked at 2.7 GHz with 3 GB of RAM (we don't know how much RAM is in the iPhone 6, but we think it's 1 GB). Considering the 64-bit support in Android Lollipop we're a little surprised that the Nexus 6 will arrive with a 32-bit chip, but regardless, the Nexus 6 will be just as buttery smooth and lag-free as the Nexus 5.

The Nexus 5 camera got much better with software, but it could still be improved. 

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Camera

The camera of the Nexus is usually its weakest point. While not a catastrophic flaw, camera quality is a serious concern for most smartphone owners, and its importance is only increasing. Google has announced it wants Nexus devices to offer a class-leading camera experience, and while we admire their pluck, we haven't seen a good enough camera to compete with the iPhone yet.

Keeping costs down on the Nexus usually means a smaller battery and weaker camera than many fans would like. The Nexus 6 has a 13 MP camera with optical image stabilization and a 2 MP front-facing camera.

The iPhone 6 camera will be just as great as previous offerings from Mountain View. 

The iPhone 6 comes with an 8 MP iSight camera that we expect will produce the same outstanding results we see on every iPhone and a low resolution front-facing camera. The iPhone 6 misses out on OIS, but its bigger brother, the iPhone 6 Plus has OIS on board. We have to be honest though, we fully expect the iPhone 6 camera to embarrass the Nexus 6 camera.

iPhone 6 vs. Nexus 6: Battery

Neither the iPhone 5s or the Nexus 5 are known for their outstanding battery life. In fact both are generally the butt of every battery-related joke in the smartphone world. Of course, no one is ever satisfied with their battery life, but both devices have been typically poor performers. Apple don't like to tell anyone what battery capacity the iPhones have, so it won't be until we have a tear down that we can share that little nugget with you.

I wouldn't be working for an Android site if I didn't take the opportunity to post this again. © Samsung/YouTube

This Nexus 6 comes with a 3220 mAh battery, up almost 1000 mAh over the Nexus 5. Android Lollipop is also packing Project Volta, which, combined with the new Android Run Time, should squeeze unheard-of amounts of battery life out of even the most pitiable battery. We'll have to wait and see what Apple can do with its poor battery in the iPhone 6. In the keynote however, they rather blandly said it will be as good as or better than the iPhone 5s. Yay.

 Conclusion

The Nexus line is like the Android prophet: not everyone listens but those that do listen to every word and accept it as Truth. We expect the Nexus 6 to be just as impressive as the Nexus 5 was but with even better specs and performance.

The iPhone 6 is probably much the same for iOS fans, although of course I'm going to compare it to a cult leader instead. Most Apple fans are simply not as concerned with the internal specs of their idevices as they are simply with owning the newest iPhone, and this alone will assure the iPhone 6 of insane levels of success.

Until we can put both side by side for a real life comparison, the jury is still out.

Do you think the Nexus 6 will be the mythical iPhone 6 killer? Or is it simply different strokes for different folks?

iPhone 6 vs. Google Nexus 6 comparison

8:49 AM google nexus 6, iPhone 6 plus