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Action Launcher 3 updated with Marshmallow based launcher improvements Google Now integration root and more

An update to Action Launcher 3 is currently rolling out with the usual assortment of improvements, feature tweaks, and fixes... but theres more going on here. This isnt just any update—the latest version of Action Launcher 3 moves to a Marshmallow launcher code base and adds (root-only) Google Now integration.

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Action Launcher 3 updated with Marshmallow-based launcher improvements, Google Now integration (root), and more was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Hands on review UPDATED Moto Z Force

Update: Expect Moto Z Force release date and price information this week at Motorolas launch event. It happens Thursday, and well be able to update this to a definitive full review soon after. Heres what we think so far of the Android phone with modular accessories.

Raise your hand if you dropped a phone before. Did you drop a phone just now in an effort to raise your hand? Good news, you can upgrade to the Moto Z Force soon.

Its Motorolas more practical modular phone that adds a bit of thickness compared to the Moto Z in exchange for a shatterproof screen and bigger battery, though still no headphone jack.

The Moto Z Force camera also comes ready to take higher resolution photos that I can wait to test out further now that I got my hands on the nearly final phone.

Theres just one catch: the Moto Z Force release date. It may not come out at all, unless youre on Verizon and live in the US. Its limited to the carrier and States at this point.

Well find out the exact release date and Moto Z Force price at this weeks Motorola launch event in New York City. The first (almost) modular phone is finally coming together.

Design

The Moto Z Force isnt the worlds thinnest phone, but its a still-reasonable 155.9 x 75.8 x 6.99mm and 163g. It just feels thick after handling the Moto X, which does happen to be the worlds thinnest phone.

Like its slimmer Z sibling, the Force is an all-metal smartphone and uses modular accessories that latch onto the back.

Yes, this makes the Moto Z comparable to the LG G5, but its better in keys ways. It doesnt require restarting the phone and it magnetically fastens into place.

There are also more Moto Z and Moto Z Force modules at the ready (and more promised), from an obvious battery case to the standout mini projector.

There is already more potential behind the Moto Z modular future than anything weve seen except for Project Ara, and thats a little more experimental and further out compared to whats here.

Youll also find a fingerprint sensor on the front, with a large chin dedicated to it - large when you consider this phone still uses on-screen buttons, too (the fingerprint button is not a home button, no matter how many times my brain told me to press it).

What you wont find is a normal headphone jack - you options are USB C headphones or Bluetooth here. Apple is rumored to be axing the same 3.5mm jack in the name of thinness in the iPhone 7.

Motorola beat Apple to the punch and its a dubious prize for consumers who prefer wired, but effortless and battery-free audio solutions to listen to music from their phones.

There are three Moto Z Force colors: black, gold and rose gold, the last of which is exclusive to the Force. The regular Moto Z has just gold and black.

Dont worry too much about the two colors when it comes to the backs, because I found the "style shells" (what Moto calls the magnetically snapped-on cases) to add to the color options in post. Theres wood, leather and plastic to choose from at the moment.

Moto Z Force modules

The Moto Z Force uses all of the same modules as the Moto Z, meaning you youre getting to add cases and at least three creative accessories

I found the Moto Z projector, dubbed Moto Instant Share, to be a the most novel, even if it ends up being a niche product that a majority of eventual owners will never use.

It was easy enough to snap and demo the projector that made the frame much thicker, but shined a 70-inch version of the phone screen into a nearby wall.

The speaker system add-on slaps an entire JBL speaker to the back of the phone and even sets the music up to blast the right direction with a cool kickstand. Its metal and feels sturdy to prop up.

The Moto Z battery case modules arent anything too out the ordinary in design, so Motorola made sure to partner with big brands like fashion designer Kate Spade and luggage company Tumi to delivery both style and power

I felt like each module was securely locked into place thanks to four unseen magnets hidden on the phone side and the accessory side. Its easy to snap things on, yet painless to peel them off with a fingernail; no tools or reboots required.

Specs and software

This is where Moto Z Force is a little more ordinary. It uses a lot of the same internal specs we see in todays best phones For 2016.

Theres a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and an embedded Adreno 530 GPU. Like most of todays phone, it switches over to a USB-C connection on the bottom.

Internal storage consists of 32GB and 64GB options, and while there is no 128GB version, it does come with a microSD card slot (which can turn into a second card slot) and I can just imagine a future add-on that combines battery power with laptop-like extra storage space.

Its nice to see the Moto Z Force specs dont fall behind the competition even with its modular focus. Its able to pull off the exact same internals as the LG G5, HTC 10, ZTE Azon 7 and the US versions of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Basically every phone is becoming the same on the inside. Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe is the only one upgrading to a Snapdragon 821 chip so far.

This is another Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow phone too and while thats the mobile operating system of the box, this is a Motorola phone. It shouldnt have any trouble upgrading to Android Nougat when it arrives in the summer.

The former Google-owned company also runs a near stock version of Android and its policy wont change now that its under the Lenovo umbrella.

It also limits its own apps in the app drawer to useful things, though as a Verizon phone it does come with some carrier related bloat ware and repeat apps Google already makes (and makes more efficiently - I dont need VZW Navigator, thanks).

What I really like about the Moto Z Force software is hay it uses the IR sensors for Active Display to wake the display without touching it, just like past Moto X phones, and custom voice commands return to the ecosystem. Despite the Z Force name, its really the Moto X 2016.

Camera and battery life

The Moto Z Force camera is 21MP in the back, which makes its a higher resolution than what I found on the 13MP Moto Z. But that doesnt mean everything in todays phones.

It really all about their post-processing software, as we have seen with the stellar Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and S7 Edge, which have 12MP, but are stunning in lowlight.

The Z Force still promises the same grandiose results with a F/1.8 aperture, optical Image Stabilization (OIS), laser autofocus and phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF).

The Moto Z camera is 13MP with larger-sized 1.12um pixels, and includes a f/1.8 aperture with optical image stabilization and laser autofocus. The front-facing camera is 5MP and with an f/2.2 aperture and 1.4um big pixels for better low light.

Theres supposed to be zero shutter lag, but I have to take this one out of the demo room to get a better idea of how this performs in normal conditions. Ill update this hands on review when that happens this summer.

However, I can tell right now that I like the default Moto Z camera app better. Previous Moto Z cameras included a clutter-free design that hid options and made it for casual users.

I can now adjust the camera easier on this new phone and even found a Professional mode to fine-tune my snapshots manually.

Battery life is the other aspect thats going to need more time for me to check out, but I can tell you right now that this phone contains only a 2,600mAh battery,

The thinner design also comes at the expensive of a serious camera bump. All of a sudden the battery case mods make convincing arguments.

Here the good news: Motorola says that Moto Z battery life is rated for 30 hours of mixed use, with the ability to TurboPower with a USB-C cable and last 8 hours after just 15 minutes of charging.

Early verdict

Moto Z Force is technically the better of the two new Android phones from Motorola. It better a bigger battery and a shatterproof screen in exchange for a little more heft.

Thats okay, because its compatible with all of the same awesome accessories that I played with minutes prior with the Moto Z Force. Its already better than what used with the LG G5.

It has a much better snap-on design that doesnt and the ideas are more creative: a loud JBL speaker, mini projector and fashionable battery backs.

Its not as thin as its all-metal counterpart and still contains that very noticeable camera bump. But its just as powerful as todays smartphones with a Snapdragon 820 processor. Its only big issues, and these will be a deal breaker for a lot of people, is that its a US only phone that is glued to Verizon and theres no normal 3.5mm headphone jack.

Well have more on the Moto Z Force when we get more hands on time with the phone. Until then, please, see what the more global-friendly Moto Z can do.

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Hands on review Updated Microsoft HoloLens

Design, comfort, software and our early verdict

Update: Weve overhauled the "Latest developments" section with all of the major HoloLens announcements since Build 2016.

HoloLens, Microsofts augmented reality (AR) viewer, feels like the future of computing.

Being upfront, the headgear that I tried at Build 2015 was "early development hardware," and it definitely felt that way. But the potential, and how close HoloLens is to achieving it, is simply remarkable.

[Editors Note: Microsoft didnt allow cameras inside the Build 2015 HoloLens demo room. These images are of a HoloLens inside a glass case that was just outside.]

The moment I tried on HoloLens during a "Holographic Academy" session with fellow journalists, I thought, "This is like having a PC on my face." Its not quite that functional yet, but thats how the headgear, and what you see and can do with it, makes me feel.

There was no gaming in the session I attended, like weve seen since (more on that later). Instead, I was a developer for 90 minutes, crafting an app in Unity and adding HoloLens functions as I went.

With every new function added, like gesture controls and spatial sound, I witnessed how it translates into the HoloLens experience. The session aimed to show how easy it is to develop for HoloLens, but it also demonstrated what you and I will experience once its out.

But, before we get into the nitty gritty, lets hit the latest news around HoloLens.

Latest developments

Since its reveal in January 2015, HoloLens released to ardent developers for the hardy cost of $3,000 (£2,160, AU$4,202) just this March. The "mixed reality" headset has undergone few notable changes with that soft release, but its Microsofts vision for the device that has become clearer than ever.

In March, Redmond revealed holoportation, which allows users to communicate with people remotely as if theyre standing in the same room. Though it fails to emulate any olfactory senses or touch, Microsoft Researchs Interactive 3D Technologies team is developing the proof-of-concept for a Star Wars-inspired reality.

Moreover, with HoloLens criticized for its limited field of view, Microsoft told us in June that it has no plans to address this criticism. Instead, the company will see what its partners – e.g. HTC, Dell, MSI and Lenovo (along with more than 12 others) – can achieve with its Windows Holographic platform. Like its computing and mobile sectors, Microsofts foray into augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) will not rely on a single piece of kit, instead focusing on the software while third-parties devise their own hardware.

Speaking of which, the Windows Holographic operating system was recently updated with AR-specific versions of Microsofts own Outlook Mail and Calendar clients, allowing you to pin emails or calendar events to a wall for later. This could serve as a less chaotic alternative to administering multiple windows at a time on a single monitor, helping you prioritize more important tasks.

And, following the recent release of AR game Pokémon Go on iOS and Android, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted to CNBC that the "the game physics of that app are built for Hololens," elaborating that the popularity of Pokémon Go could spur interest in other augmented reality applications, namely those featured in HoloLens.

Build quality and comfort

HoloLens is essentially two rings: a thicker, plastic outer one that contains the guts, and a slimmer, cushioned inner one that wraps your head. The inner rings fit adjusts with a roller in the back, sliding forward and backward.

That cushioning is a small touch, but one I appreciate for making it easier to forget youre wearing the viewer and focus on the AR imagery in front of you.

The device isnt supposed to sit on your nose, but I found its rubber nose guard to inevitably fall down my nose no matter how often I pried the HoloLens forward. Thankfully, its optional and comes off easily. HoloLens feels a lot better for me with it off.

I also struggled to get HoloLens to fit every time I put it on. I had to regularly re-tighten, re-situate and realign the headgear. When everything fit nicely, the AR imagery was in full view and it felt right. But if it was too tight, too high up or too far forward, it hindered the experience.

Standing still made for the best overall viewing experience. The adjustment issues cropped up especially when I would move around, which is part of the point in HoloLens.

If you have short hair or its pulled back, you might not have as much trouble as someone with long, loose hair, like myself. It may have been my ability to adjust, but I had a slight headache after I took HoloLens off, like I had been wearing a baseball cap that was two sizes too small.

The headgear I used was untethered, and I didnt need my hands for anything other than selecting my "hologram" to move it. It wasnt wired up for battery life, like the first early prototypes shown to press.

Fitting issues aside, when HoloLens fits right, its comfortable. But, like all virtual reality (VR) and AR headgear, its weight is front loaded. You cant help but feel a noticeable weight hanging off your forehead.

The weight isnt uncomfortable, but it is significant. If Microsoft can somehow counterbalance the weight on the sides or back, it would likely alleviate the front-heavy sensation.

I wear glasses, and I used HoloLens with them on. They dont press into my face or feel tight around my head, unlike with most VR headsets. I also didnt get nauseous, a frequent occurrence when I wear Oculus Rift.

It helps that I can still see my surroundings with HoloLens, so I dont feel disoriented or claustrophobic. If only the HoloLens see-through screen werent so dark (but the room was dimly lit, so it may be just right for a brighter room).

Walking backward makes me feel most uneasy, as I cant quickly turn to see whether something is behind me. The headgear also obstructs my upper peripheral view, so some of my vision is obscured.

HoloLens looks and feels like a premium device. Nothing about it screams "cheap", and that has already been reflected in the developer editions price.

The gadget looks like it belongs in the office but would also blend well in any living room. As is, HoloLens feels too delicate to stay clean and unscathed in, say, a construction site.

I find myself handling HoloLens gently, so unless Microsoft does some ruggedizing, youll probably want to keep HoloLens out of the reach of youngsters.

Holographic viewing

The "hologram" – which these are not by the strictest definition – in my HoloLens experience consisted of two floating spheres, two yellow slides and some blocks stacked on a pad of paper.

It was called "Project Origami," and so was meant to look and sound like folded paper.

To give the holograms (which turned into a game) functions, I added controls (gaze, gesture and voice), spatial sound, spatial mapping and the ability to pick up, move and place the holograms around the room.

Finally, an underworld was added to the hologram so that, when the spheres fell, an explosion created a gaping hole in the floor that the they descended into. Looking down the hole revealed a new world, complete with rolling hills and cranes soaring underneath my feet.

The HoloLens images projected onto the real world around me are vibrant, sharp and realistic – though, a little jittery. When I move around them, the holographic shapes behave like real objects, so I can see their backsides – or not at all, if theyre obstructed by other holograms.

When the paper spheres roll onto the floor, they roll around just like real balls would, bouncing around objects and looking real enough to pick up. When I peer into the underworld that opened up on the floor, its like Im looking into, as my HoloLens "mentor" put it, a world I didnt know was there the whole time.

But, looking at holograms slapped on top of the real world is just one half of the HoloLens equation. Controlling the holograms is the other.

Controlling and touching holograms

The HoloLens gaze controls are responsive and should be easy for any user to get the hang of almost immediately. Its the other kinds of input where HoloLens has slightly more trouble.

While voice controls work, there is a lag between giving them and the hologram executing your commands. I had to say, "Let it roll!" to send the spheres down the slides, and there was a second-long pause before they took a tumble. It isnt major, but enough to make me feel like I should repeat myself.

Gesture control is the hardest to get right, even though my experience was but a one-fingered, downward swipe. It took time to figure out the best distance to swipe away from HoloLens and where to put my finger for it to register.

Just imagine someone repeatedly swiping their finger downward in mid-air – that was me.

Once I finally found the sweet spot, though, the control worked better than expected. Instead of reaching out to touch the hologram, the swipe worked best when I held my hand comfortably in front of me.

Using gestures, I could select the Project Origami diagram, use my gaze to move it around the room, and then use another pinch to lock the hologram into a new spot (I moved it from in front of me to a couch to a coffee tablet to a desk.). This wasnt Minority Report-level selecting and swiping, but impressive nonetheless.

The HoloLens uses spatial audio, which takes the experience to a whole new level. Ambient music played during the demo, and the spheres rolled to the the sound of crumpling paper.

The sound got louder as I approached the hologram and faded as I moved away. It added another dimension to the HoloLens experience, making it that much more immersive.

Of course, as I viewed the holograms, I was still able to see my surroundings. The holograms werent disrupted if someone happened to walk through my projection.

My favorite part of this HoloLens demo was a wire frame mesh that appeared on real-world objects to show how HoloLens perceives them. The mesh changed as HoloLens registered the objects and I moved my head to look at a new spot.

It also wrapped the people around me, though I could still make out their features from behind the digital framework. It was an awesome AR moment: the people themselves became part of the hologram.

As cool as it all was, it would have been less distracting if the images disappeared when I was talking to someone. From speaking with Microsoft representatives, it sounds like this will be possible with other apps, but not Project Origami.

It feels weird to talk to someone with HoloLens on – a little rude, as if I were wearing sunglasses indoors (or at night – zing).

The biggest issue with HoloLenss holographic viewing is that the field of view is limited to what amounts to the size of a monitor in front of you – equivalent to 15 inches, we know now. You can see the edges of the virtual space where the hologram lives (which are basically the edges of the inner HoloLens frames).

Looking outside that space, or moving too close into it, cuts the the hologram off or makes it disappear completely. These edges werent visible during the wire mesh portion of the demo and therefore was more immersive, but the origami demo seemed as if it existed on a limited plane.

The holograms look best when Im standing about four or five feet away and when there is more going on, like the wire frame mesh. There were glitches in my demo, and it didnt work perfectly every time. Regardless, none of its takes away from my enjoyment of HoloLens – demos are always incomplete.

Its important to note that, while Microsofts on-stage HoloLens demos have featured polished and seemingly advanced holograms, what I saw was not in the same league in terms of quality, complexity or functionality.

Maybe Microsoft is saving all the wow factor for its keynotes, but my demo was a less refined and less capable version of what weve seen in on-stage demos. My experience, while impressive, felt like childs play AR compared to whats been in Microsofts keynotes.

Thats not to say that HoloLens cant project these advanced images down the road. And, as Microsoft said, I was wearing "early development hardware." But Redmond has work to do to before the reality its projecting onstage aligns with what you and me actually see.

Early verdict

Neither the HoloLens software nor the hardware is perfect. But, if Microsoft can work out the kinks, HoloLens will be an immersive entertainment device that could easily fit in an office.

Despite its faults, using HoloLens was delightful. With more robust apps, more reliable functionality and an improved viewing experience, HoloLens could become the AR viewer to end them all.

Frankly, HoloLens could transform how we interact with the world. These are lofty ideas, and the device as-is wont accomplish any of them yet, but the potential is there – and strong.

HoloLens is the most fascinating tech Ive tested in a long time. We still dont know how much it will cost at retail, but HoloLens seems to have unlimited potential – that which it seems like it can actually live up to. And that alone is incredibly exciting.

Head to Page 2 for our brief impressions of a few more recent experiences with HoloLens.

Joe Osborne and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this review.

Further impressions of HoloLens

What follows are our impressions of HoloLens following demonstrations provided through a more recent visit by Volvo to techradar headquarters, penned by Duncan Bell, and during E3 2015, penned by Nick Pino, respectively.

Volvo puts HoloLens to work

The $3,000 HoloLens has another new demonstration: a virtual car showroom for Volvo. Yes, that sounds boring, but its actually an impressive showcase for what Microsofts "mixed reality" headset can do – and what it cant do.

First up, while the hardware didnt appear to have been updated since Build 2015, I found it comfortable to wear, at least for the 15 minutes that the demo lasted. This may very well be because, with a fairly prominent – but not huge – nose and shaved head, I have the optimal cranium for HoloLens.

I also wear glasses, and these fitted easily enough under the headset.

The virtual cars that appeared before my eyes were genuinely impressive, both at miniature, tabletop size and real-to-life car size. They looked like CGI and werent photo realistic, but they were "real" enough to impress.

One thing that hadnt changed, and by all accounts never will, is that the visuals were in a "box" hanging in front of my eyes rather than filling my whole field of vision. According to HoloLens senior director Scott Erickson, increasing the field of view would make it VR rather than mixed reality, and therefore too difficult to walk around in. Of course, there could also be technical reasons why they cant do this.

The box is problematic in that, as you move closer to holograms, the edges of them literally sheer off until you step back, which is quite jarring. On the other hand, because the "unreal" space is so clearly defined and limited meant I could walk around Microsofts space, which included chairs, tables and a stage, without ever fearing I might face plant.

HoloLens and Halo make a fine pairing

Weve had a glimpse at the potential for HoloLens in gaming with an immersive – though impractical – briefing for Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One. From the voice of Jennifer Hale to a model of a UNSC Leviathan Supercarrier and Spartan Captain Sarah Palmer, the demo helped prepare me for a 12-on-12 battle that, it should be noted, my team won by a landslide.

One negative to come out of the showing was to learn that the viewers limited field of view isnt likely to get much better anytime soon. While the hardware isnt final, said HoloLens lead Kudo Tsunoda, the field of view, which feels like looking through a mobile computer monitor, wont be "hugely, noticeably different either."

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We and our partners use various technologies to collect and store information when you visit a Google service, and this may include sending one or more cookies or anonymous identifiers to your device.

We and our partners use various technologies to collect and store information when you visit a Google service, and this may include using cookies or similar technologies to identify your browser or device.

Information we collect when you are signed in to Google may be associated with your Google Account. When information is associated with your Google Account, we treat it as personal information. For more information about how you can access, manage or delete information that is associated with your Google Account, visit the Transparency and choice section of this policy.

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An updated app guide and new video tips to help you find success on Google Play

Posted by Dom Elliott, The Google Play Apps & Games team

Last year, we introduced our first playbook for developers, “The Secrets to App Success on Google Play”, to help you grow your app or game business, which has been downloaded more than 200,000 times.. Many new features have since been announced on the platform – from Store Listing Experiments and beta testing improvements to App Invites and Smart Lock for Passwords.

Get the second edition of “The Secrets to App Success on Google Play”

Hot off the press, you can now download the second edition to learn about all the new tools and best practices for improving the quality of your app, growing a valuable audience, increasing engagement and retention, and earning more revenue.

Get the book on Google Play in English now or you can sign-up to be notified when the booklet is released in the following languages: Bahasa Indonesia, Deutsch, español (Latinoamérica), le français, português do Brasil, ti?ng Vi?t, ??????? ?????, ???, ???, ?? (??), ?? (??), ???. Based on your feedback, the guide was updated to work seamlessly in the Google Play Books app. If you prefer, you can also download a PDF version from the Android Developers website.

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Once you’ve checked out the guide and the videos, we’d again love to hear your feedback so we can continue to improve our developer support, please let us know what you think.

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Hands on review Updated JBL Legend CP100

JBL Legend CP100

Update: The JBL Legend CP100 is delayed due to a software specification change after the unit was submitted for certification. The specification change required software tweaks and re-submission for certification by both Apple for CarPlay and Google for Android Auto. Its still coming, but there isnt a formal release date yet.

JBL is a well-known brand for audio products, whether its home, car or portable products. The company produces aftermarket speakers, sound processors and amplifiers for cars, but never attempted to take over your dashboard, until now. The new JBL Legend CP100, announced at CES 2016, is the companys first double din radio aimed at luring car owners into adding Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capabilities to their cars.

Harmans demo hall at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, during CES 2016, had the JBL Legend CP100 on display in a demo box. I was able to get some hands-on time with the unit running Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functions.

The CP100 sports a 6.75-inch capacitive touch screen (like a smartphone) for $399, when its competitors typically employ resistive touch screens (like old Palm Pilots and Windows CE devices) unless you spend twice as much for a higher-end unit. Screen resolution is only 800 x 480, which doesnt sound exciting in a tech world of 4K everything, but resolution on a screen that small is adequate from the drivers seat.

Visually, the JBL CP100 looks very plain, but thats ok. Its a standard double din radio, which most Japanese cars since the 80s and European or American cars from the late 90s can accommodate. The plain black plastic design makes it easy to blend in with most dashboards capable of accepting a double din radio.

Despite the plain layout, JBL provides physical buttons for power, volume and voice recognition, everything else is driven by the touch screen. The inclusion of a voice recognition button, which works with Google Now and Siri, is a nice addition for cars that lack a dedicated button for voice commands on the steering wheel. The buttons have white backlighting that easily blends in with all interior lighting colors too.

Steering wheel controls are supported by the CP100, but requires an external adapter, like other aftermarket radios. Advanced vehicle-link interfaces, such as iDataLink Maestro or Axxess InfoLink, are not supported, so those with cars that use the infotainment screen for climate controls and changing car settings will have to look elsewhere or forgo those factory functions, unfortunately.

The user interface for the CP100 is very simple, its a black background with a row of buttons for five functions: phone, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, FM, AM radio and settings. JBL designed the CP100 purely for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, so the plain user interface is understandable.

A single USB port is available for smartphone connectivity. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality works as expected. You simply connect your iPhone or Android smartphone and the phone interface takes over the screen. Navigating the user interface in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is fluid and responsive – I didnt encounter any lag.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support using a cars GPS antenna to provide turn-by-turn navigation, which provides better reception. The JBL CP100 does not include an external GPS antenna so navigation reliability relies solely on your phone, unfortunately.

JBL includes a wired microphone with the CP100, but it was hard to gauge how well it works in a crowded demo area. The CP100 also features a single video input for a backup camera for those inclined to add the feature.

A pair of full-range pre-amp outputs for the front and rear channels. The two preouts should be enough to connect the CP100 to cars with factory premium systems with external amplifiers. An internal four-channel amplifier that produces 45-watts peak, per channel, is available for cars without premium sound systems.

Early verdict

The JBL Legend CP100 is a compelling way to add Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to your older car. Its designed to rely purely on your smartphone, and theres nothing wrong with that, because Android Auto and Apple CarPlay provide good in-car user interfaces.

The $399 price for a head unit with capacitive touch screen easily beats out competing units from Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, Sony and Clarion, which feature resistive touch technology. If I had an older car with a double din radio opening, the JBL CP100 would be hard to pass up.

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Hands on review Updated Moto Z

Update: The Moto Z release date and price will be announced at the official launch event this week, and you can also expect a full review from us of Motorolas new Android phone. It has modular accessories, but surprise no headphone jack. This one is interesting.

The Moto Z is an Android phone with a new name that begins at the end of the alphabet, but is actually pioneering modular connectivity in a more robust way than its competitors.

Its the worlds thinnest phone at 5.19mm in so-called "thickness," and it feels really thin - thats not just another meaningless marketing stat. On the other hand, you shouldnt want it to stay that slim.

There are a number of practical, modular accessories, more than with the LG G5, that attach to its back of this phone and also the slightly larger Moto Z Force. Everything from a predictable Mophie-like battery case to a more wild mini projector.

Testing out the Moto Z and a handful of its accessories, we found a lot of potential behind the new smartphone. It includes a lot of the same specs as its competitors, with the addition of mods.

Its lack of a headphone jack and availability in the US is going to be the one thing that throws people: its only on Verizon in the summer, but will launch worldwide unlocked (including in the US) in September.

Heres everything we found so far in testing out the new Moto Z at Lenovo Tech World. On Thursday, July 14, Motorola is hosting a launch event where well get even more time with the final devise for our full review.

Design and display

Moto Z is a smartphone with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display that takes thinness to a new level. It has an aluminum frame that officially measures 153.3 x 75.3 x 5.19mm and weighs just 139g.

Whats uncanny about its dimensions is that Motorola said the thickness measures 5.2 inches at Lenovo Tech World. When has a company ever rounded up on their smartphone thickness?

This may be why Motorola didnt call it the Moto X 2016, even though thats really what this is. The design drops the curved back for a flat and boxy shape that still feels good in one hand.

All of this means that its so thin it doesnt include a normal 3.5mm headphone jack. Yes, Motorola beat Apple to dropping the headphone jack in favor of charging-audio output "solution."

As you can see from our photos, theres nothing on the bottom except for a USB Type-C port for newer headphones, or you have the option of using Bluetooth, which seems like the future, like or not (I dont).

Also, expect a lot of fingerprint marks without a case snapped on. You can see a bunch in the photos. Both the black and gold Moto Z color options were loaded with them at this press event and whipping the phone down didnt help one bit.

All the more reason to add modular accessories to this Android phone. That can include "Style Shells" (or thin back covers) that come in a variety of textures (wood, leather, plastic).

Moto Z modules

Its these bigger "world thinnest" destroying accessories that have me excited the most about the Moto Z, however. Theyre more plentiful and creative than what Ive found from the LG G5.

The Moto Z projector module is easy to snap on and shines phone content from the side of the much-thicker frame with a picture that can be up to 70-inches. Itll be niche, but buzz-worthy.

Its officially called the Moto Insta-Share Projector, and true to its name we got this MotoMod to work almost instantly the first time; the second time on live video, of course, we didnt. Lots of sarcastic "Yeah, works real great" comments from you all. Thanks.

Motorola also partnered with JBL to pump up the volume with SoundBoost, which turns the back of the phone into a thick, powerful speaker. Its loud and includes a handy kickstand. We havent seen this on a phone since the HTC Evo 4 from 2010, and Im excited to see its modular return.

The last Moto Z module we got to check out is the battery case. It comes in a variety of designs, including from designers like Kate Spade and luggage maker Tumi. Its really trying to combine style and functionality, and its easier to clip on compared to a Mophie case.

All of these modules snap onto the back of this ultra-thin phone with magnets - there are four hidden throughout the phone and seamlessly match up with magnets in the accessory.

The fit is easy, yet secure, though we didnt have the guts to do a drop test at the demo event when so many people needed to use the phone after me. Also, the floor was cushioned, so it wouldnt have been very conclusive anyway.

You can expect us to do an accessory durability test and the Moto Z Force shatterproof screen challenge when it comes to a full Moto Z and Moto Z Force review within a month.

Specs and software

Moto Z is thin and focuses on modular capabilities, so at first we wasnt sure if it would fall behind when it came to its internal specs. The good news is that is keeps up with todays powerful chipsets.

Its powered by a Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and an Adreno 530 GPU and USB Type-C connectivity. Final versions will have 32GB or 64GB of internal storage inside, and yes, theres microSD slot and it can turn into a second SIM card slot instead.

All of this means it has the same basic guts as the LG G5, HTC 10, ZTE Axon 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge (US versions). Thats a lot of sameness. So far, only the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe has slightly newer Snapdragon 821 processor.

As you can see, more and more, theres little that differentiates these phones, so theres actually more reason to like the idea of modular accessories that change things up.

From the time we had with the Moto Z, we could tell that it not only ran Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, it ran a near-stock version of Google mobile operating system. Samsung TouchWiz haters love this.

Moto Z and Moto Z Force will miss the Android Nougat rollout by mere weeks, but Motorola has always been quick to update its phone - well, quicker than other Android device manufacturers.

Motorola has always been good about not adding too many of its own apps (though you can expect several from Verizon in the US version), and whats here from Motorola is actually useful. Moto Z inherits the helpful custom voice commands and IR-sensing Active Display features Ive always liked about the Moto X.

Camera and battery life

The Moto Z camera is 13MP with larger-sized 1.12um pixels, and includes a f/1.8 aperture with optical image stabilization and laser autofocus.

The front-facing camera is 5MP and with an f/2.2 aperture and 1.4um big pixels for better low light. Thats becoming a bigger and bigger feature for selfie-craving phone owners.

Theres supposed to be zero shutter lag, but we have to take this one out of the demo room to get a better idea of how this performs in normal conditions. Ill update this hands on review when that happens this summer.

However, we can tell you right now that we like the default Moto Z camera app better. Previous Moto X cameras included a clutter-free design that hid options and made it for casual users.

I can now adjust the camera easier on this new phone and even found a Professional mode to fine-tune my snapshots manually.

Battery life is the other aspect thats going to need more time for me to check out, but we can tell you right now that this phone contains only a 2600mAh battery.

The thinner design also comes at the expensive of a serious camera bump. All of a sudden the battery case mods make convincing arguments.

Here the good news: Motorola says that Moto Z battery life is rated for 30 hours of mixed use, with the ability to TurboPower with a USB C cable and last 8 hours after just 15 minutes of charging.

Early verdict

Moto Z takes the modular accessory idea we liked so much about the LG G5 and actually makes it work with better add-ons and an easier-to-use snap-on design.

Right now, there are textured shells, fashionable battery cases, a powerful JBL speaker and a mini projector, and theyre all great ideas that take advantage of the magnetic back pins.

The design is already incredibly thin, so the extra thickness isnt an impractical trade-off. The accessories are what make this phone stand out from the other half-dozen flagships with a Snapdragon 820 processor.

What could break this phone is its Verizon exclusivity at first this summer. Luckily, an unlocked version will be compatible with US carriers eventually and launch globally too around September. It wont be too long of a wait, but itll surely get overshadowed by the iPhone 7.

Before that happens well have an updated Moto Z review with benchmarks, battery life analysis and camera deep dives to make sure that its thinness doesnt come at the expense of performance.

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