BlackBerry Passport preview: Overpriced and awkward to use

NEW DELHI: BlackBerry Passport made news with its unconventional form factor incorporating a giant square screen and a small hardware keyboard. While it's not the first time that a BlackBerry phone tries to marry a touch screen with a QWERTY, the Passport looks strikingly different because of its sheer width and the disproportionate keyboard to screen ratio.

We try to find out if the unconventional form factor makes the user experience better or worse. Here are our first impressions...

BlackBerry decided to name the phone Passport as it sports the same dimensions as an American passport at 128x90.3x9.3mm. Weighing 196gram the phone is anything but lightweight but the dimensions to weight ratio is not bad.

The Passport has a stainless-steel frame that makes it a sturdy device. Unlike other BlackBerry devices, the back panel is not completely removable but this makes the device less clumsy. The back sports a smooth matte finish and the metal accents give it a premium feel. A small removable strip at the back hides the nano sim-card and microSD card slots.

READ ALSO: BlackBerry launches square-shaped smartphone Passport at Rs 49,990

The front of the device sports a 4.5-inch square-shaped, IPS display (1440x1440p resolution, 453PPI). The display is wider than the one on the Apple iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and this makes it nearly impossible to use the phone with one hand. The pixel-dense display is very bright and offers vivid colours. Text and graphics look good and make the phone ideal for reading and working on documents. However, the 1:1 screen ratio is not that great when it comes to playing video clips. You'll see black bands above and below the video. Viewing angles were wide and touch sensitivity was good.



The rest of the front panel comprises of the three-row, capacitive touch-enabled QWERTY keyboard. You'll be disappointed if you're expecting a keyboard that's as good as the one on the company's Bold and even Q10 devices. In our brief time with the phone, we found the keyboard to be cramped and feel that it doesn't offer a good typing experience. It also does't offer the same level of tactile feedback as the Bold devices but retains the clickety feel.

The symbols and numbers appear on the display when you're in the text entry mode. We also feel that this is not the most intuitive way to handle text input and will confuse users.

The good thing about the keyboard is that it is touch sensitive and can be used as a trackpad to scroll across lists and webpages without touching the display. It can also be used to track the cursor during text entry but the experience was not optimum.

Overall, we feel the keyboard on the phone is counter productive and does not offer a better experience compared to the Bold series phones and the Q10.



BlackBerry Passport is powered by a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor (MSM8974-AA), Adreno 330 GPU (450MHz) and 3GB RAM. With all the power under the hood, we expected the phone to run smoothly. In our brief use, we did not encounter any lag or stutter while navigating through the hub, recent app and launcher panels, and while opening and browsing websites.

The Passport runs BlackBerry 10.3 which comes with some new software features and visual changes. It is still mainly gesture driven and will confuse new users. The phone supports Android apps and ships with the Amazon Appstore to download and install apps. It's a good measure since the BlackBerry's own app marketplace offers a very small selection of apps. Having said that, Android apps do not perform as smoothly on BlackBerry 10 devices. Also, not all apps run on Blackberry 10 as some require access to Google's services. We were not able to use Android apps on the Passport in our brief time with the phone.

The Passport and BlackBerry OS 10.3 also ships with a Google Now and Siri-like voice assistant. We were not able to experience it due to lack of internet connectivity.

BlackBerry Passport sports a 13MP rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS), 5-element f2.0 lens, Back Side Illumination, LED flash and support for 1080p HD video recording at 60fps. It also sports a 2MP fixed-focus front-facing camera that supports 720p video capture. We'll need to spend more time with the device to comment on the camera performance but we did not notice any shutter lag in the default mode.



The phone comes with 32GB internal storage and a removable microSD memory card slot that supports cards up to 128GB.

The Passport has a 3,450mAh integrated non-removable battery and the company claims it offers backup of 30 hours of mixed use. We'll need to take the device through its paces before coming out with a verdict on the battery backup and overall performance.

BlackBerry has priced the device at Rs 49,990 and claims that it is targeting 'power professionals' such as lawyers, analysts, and doctors who want a 'productivity-focused' device, with the Passport. We don't think the phone will move from shelves at this price. Given its past record, we expect the company to give the phone a price cut in a few months although the company executives have denied it.

BlackBerry's software is way behind the curve compared to iOS and Android, which benefit from a rich app ecosystem and developer support. The other platforms offer a good number of quality productivity apps along with a better multimedia experience.



The Passport's unconventional form factor makes it very awkward to use and will disappoint loyalists. Prima facie, it appears that it is neither a good big-screen touch phone nor a great keyboard-equipped communicator. But we'll need to spend more time with the phone before coming out with a final judgement.

iOS 8 bug could delete your iCloud Drive documents

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

An alleged bug in iOS 8 appears to be deleting documents stored in iCloud Drive without the user's permission.

Discovered by MacRumors after complaints surfaced from users of the blog site's forums, the bug is triggered by the option to Reset All Settings.

Found in the Reset screen under the General category in Settings for iOS 8, the Reset All Settings option is supposed to simply reset your iOS settings but leave your data and media untouched. Yet several forum users say that's not the case as certain iCloud documents also vanished after they reset all settings.

Based on user comments, the bug seems to be specific to documents from iWork apps, such as Pages, Keynote, and Numbers, MacRumors said. One user reported that his iWork documents were deleted after resetting all settings, but other data files remained in iCloud.

"HELP," one user wrote. "Because iOS 8 was so sluggish on my iPad 3 I reset all settings (No data or media will be deleted) and sped it up BUT deleted my iWork data! Then promptly synced and deleted it in iCloud."

"I just had this happen to me," another forum user wrote. "I had a bit of weird behaviour on my iPad, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to just reset all settings. For the hell of it, I did it on my iPhone as well. ALL DOCUMENTS LOST! How on earth does resetting settings (with a clear notice that data will not be lost) wipe out iCloud drive? It's embarassing."

Apple's Time Machine feature is supposed to automatically back up your files so you can restore any that are lost. A couple of users said they checked Time Machine but were unable to retrieve the lost iCloud Drive files. However, a third person reported success with Time Machine, at least running the beta of OS X Yosemite. Several of the affected users say they've contacted Apple support personnel, who are investigating the issue.

MacRumors ran its own test on the bug and reported the following:

In our own testing, using "Reset All Settings" deleted all iWork documents stored in iCloud Drive on the iPhone and on iCloud.com. After allowing time for syncing to a Mac running OS X Yosemite, all of the documents disappeared from that machine as well. Preview and TextEdit documents, which cannot be accessed on the iPhone, remained untouched on the Mac.

iCloud Drive is Apple's answer to Google Drive, Microsoft's OneDrive, and other cloud-based storage services. Beyond just syncing your files between your iOS devices and iCloud, you can directly store and retrieve documents and other files on iCloud Drive just as you can store and retrieve them locally.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

That's what I was talking about!

By Aditya Kumar Saroj

Yep! This is what I was talking about! I hope you have read My Prophecy: Apple Watch will be unsuccessful. If you have not read it now. Portal can be the amazing beginning of smart, flexible, wearable technology. I have copied the content below from Indiegogo. Please contribute to this wonderful project. 

Portal by Arubixs - Flexible Wearable Smartphone

If you’re like us, you've become frustrated with the profit engine known as the smartphone market. A category once synonymous with innovation and technological advancement has been replaced with minor yearly “upgrades,” uninspired design, and a lack of uniqueness.  Manufacturers these days are dumping money into manufacturing technology to make the phones cheaper and at higher volumes; not into developing revolutionary technology. 

We were tired of being told what the epitome of technology and innovation were by the products offered to us on the shelf, so we sought to test those limits for ourselves and ask, “What do we want in a smartphone, and can we do it?”

The answer to that question was something so unique, versatile, and beautiful, we’ve made it our mission to bring it to life.

WHAT IS PORTAL? 

The Portal is a smartphone designed for tech enthusiasts, active individuals, and on-the-go professionals who are frustrated with bulky, cluttered, non-durable phones that constantly get in the way of their dynamic lifestyles. Our goal was to create a device that combines advanced smartphone technology with the convenience and mobility of smart watches and fitness trackers- a handheld phone when you need it, a wearable device when you want it. No longer will you need to carry and connect a smartwatch, fitness tracker and smartphone all at once.  Portal offers you the best of those devices at the times you choose.

HARDWARE 

Portal can be comfortably worn on either forearm and features no ports or cord connectivity, freeing your hands and pockets to keep your life active, connected, and hassle-free.

Portal is scratch & shatter proof, water resistant, and flexible, making it an ideal companion for the most demanding activities.

• Unlocked and usable with most major carriers*

• Soft Impact restive Kevlar infused body

• Durability and flexibly allowing a stress free use

• Button-less design which also makes it water resistant

• Wearability allowing to use your phone on the go at work, exercising, or even if you just have a busy lifestyle 

SOFTWARE 

People on the move want a phone that works with them, not against them- Portal harnesses an revolutionary new customizable user interface that redefines intuitiveness, accessibility and convenience. Most importantly it's stunning beautiful to look at and live with everyday.

• Android Based OS with Portal OS Customizable User Interface

• Ambidextrous (right or left handed) User Interface

• Gesture and motion based native function commands (volume, unlock, home, back, etc.)

• Futuristic new notification and ringtone library 

SPECIFICATIONS 

*Update: The 4" display will not be available until 2015. 

**Specifications are subject to change to ensure the best available components. We will update all backers on any notable changes.

Portal 600 Sport (white)

(black)

Portal 600 Executive (Organic Tan and Stainless Steel bands included)

WHO ARE WE? 

We tech enthusiasts, inventors, and serial entrepreneurs, are passionate about finding solutions rather than waiting for so called established corporations to take care of the issues we customers face.

In the smartphone industry space, innovation is getting limited to making them thinner and lighter with little thought put into making them durable. When we look  at other smart devices such as smart-watches and fitness trackers, we notice that they struggle with limited functionality and stickiness. 

We as a team decided to take this problem head on and have created a device that combines advanced smartphone technology with the convenience and mobility of smart watches and fitness trackers- a handheld phone when you need it, a wearable device when you want it. We named it as “Portal”.

Portal is a new unique Android based smartphone that is flexible, water resistant, shatterproof, and wearable. We are lucky to have award winning team members. Adam Eastman, our lead mechanical engineer is UC Berkeley inventor and entrepreneur. Jonathan Quintin is award winning graphic designer who has led design projects for companies such as Bosch, Google, Intel and Mitsubishi Motors. Dan Daogaru, CTO and award winning HW engineer, is himself a successful serial entrepreneur and has been in the wireless space since the analog phone days. 

We have roped in a passionate team of engineers, marketing enthusiasts, and finance gurus who have a singular passion to see Portal become the most successful launch in 2015.

WHERE ARE WE? 

Started with concepts, sketches, CAD, 3D prints, etc.  Built a team, PCB design, built a few prototypes, mechanical tooling, software development, set up supplier logistics, etc.

Contributions will help in final steps to deliver: 

• Production & Assembly tooling 

• Approvals & Certifications

The campaign is to raise initial funding for approvals, certifications, completion of OS development, and support in taking Portal to market. 

RISKS AND CHALLENGES?

Building a smartphone or a tech company isn't rocket science. However, somethings which are out of our hands that play the most risk to our timeline are:

• Testing & Government Certifications

• IP Licensing Negotiations

• Fulfillment Logistics involved in distribution

FULFILLMENT TIMELINE? 

We believe 12 months is incredibly fast for a start-up at our stage. For example Motorola's design to delivery time takes twelve to eighteenth months. We can and will beat that. The campaign is to raise initial funding, which would help us in approvals, certifications, development of OS, and support in taking Portal to market. 

Nov. Final designs are completed

Dec. Volume scale tooling completed

Jan. Components inventory established

Feb. Manufacturing and distribution logistics finalized

Mar. All licensing finalized 

Apr. Final debugging and software iterations completed

May. Government certification and testing submitted

Jun. Government certification approvals completed

Jul. High volume manufacture begins

Aug. Packaging materials and design completed

Sep. Ship to backers

Please keep in mind each month we will email exclusive video up dates with behind the scenes footage to all of our backers. 

MADE IN USA

• Designed & Assembled in USA.

FAQs 

• What happens if the campaign does not reach its goal?

We’re extremely thankful for all our backers thus far, and will turn to individual investors to complete the funding we need to build each of your Portal phones.  We’re incredibly inspired by the fantastic feedback Portal has received thus far, and guarantee you we will not let anything stop us from bringing Portal to life.  We have been in discussions and negotiations with VC firms for a while now.  We hope that with crowd funding, we (the founding team) can keep the majority of ownership in the company and avoid the VC route. 

• Do I have to wear it?

Well, no.  Its still a smart phone- it just bends so you can.  The cradles are included but they are optional.  You can throw it in your back pocket just like every other phone- except your phone won't be a pain in the rear (literally) and you don't have to worry about breaking it.  

• Where are the hard specs, what's the processor, why aren't there pics of the chips, what's the display resolution, etc?

Unfortunately the mobile space is very competitive and every supplier wraps us up in more legal documents than you can imagine.  This is why some of our details are so vague.  Some of them are vague simply for competitive advantage.  You don't see the "big guys" publishing specs prior to launch either.  The "big guys" just print money so they don't need to expose any details prior to launch so we have somewhat of a disadvantage with that. 

Every component manufacturer has a product road map.  The road map shows what they are coming out with 6 months from now, a year from now, sometimes even 2 years from now.  So, we selected a processor that isn't commercially out yet,  but has engineering samples available, and will be ready before we need it to be.  The same thing applies to the display and several other components that make up Portal. 

So here's the deal- the simple answer is all of our vendors put us under non-disclosure agreements (NDA).  This is standard practice in most industries but when you get into mobile; whoa you should see how many lawyers get involved with IP licensing, NDA's, etc.  

Since Portal is still being baked, in order to tell you the processor we have selected, what this or that is, etc.; we would have to tell you what our vendors product road maps look like which is their confidential information.  The chip maker isn't going to like a picture of their prototype chip that hasn't been released yet publicly, up on IndieGoGo.  We thought about it but the lawyers got mad at us.  So our hands are tied and we have to be somewhat evasive.

Portal isn't just something we just came up with a few weeks ago.  We've actually been working on Portal for a while now.  

In fact, here's an article from late 2013: 

http://upstart.bizjournals.com/news/technology/2013/12/13/sf-hackers-phone-coming-in-2015.html?page=all

Here is what we can tell you today:

1. At production release Portal will have the latest and greatest technology commercially available. 

2. The processor and all of the chips are well known by name and vendor.  We aren't inventing chips, and we aren't crazy. The majority of the components that make up Portal will be in other smart phones you don't know about yet from the "big guys".  There aren't very many mobile chipset manufactures- lets leave it at that. 

3. Yes, we do have prototypes and we have been working on this quite a while.

4.  All of our backers will receive detailed information and updates as soon as we can release the data without having lawyers on our doorstep the next day.

5. We intend to make this phone a revolutionary device and throw the book at it for innovation and functionality.  Our motivation is the failures we see as consumers with other manufacturers products.

6.  The specs aren't 100% yet baked in.  Some things will change but for the better.  We intend to max Portal out where it makes sense. At production launch, Portal's specifications will be competitive with other devices being released in the same time frame. 

• What OS is on Portal?

Portal runs the latest stable build of stock Android with a custom user interface to support Portal's additional features.  At production, Portal will ship with the latest stable Android build.  

• Does Portal support Android Apps and Google Play Store?

Yes, it's still an Android smart phone and will support most apps from the Google Play Store.  We just had to create a custom user interface to support features like landscape mode.  We think you'll love the user interface- Jonathan put a ton of time into creating it. 

• What type of testing are you doing with Portal?

We are testing Portal against MIL-810G standards.  Once we determine the failure points we will then make additional adjustments in the design to correct the issue.  We are also going to do highly-accelerated life testing (HALT) on the final pre-production prototype.  This will show where the failure points are and where we can make improvements if we need to.  Our goal is to make Portal rugged enough that you really can jump out of a plane and send a Tweet at the same time.  Although that may not be a good idea and we are completely advising against it; if you do please use the hashtag  #disruptoverload  so we can retweet!

• How bendable is Portal?

Well, you won't be rolling it up like a dollar bill.  There are still rigid components within Portal that are strategically placed to allow Portal to flex the way it does.  Portal consists of both flex and rigid PCB material.  This is very common and not a new thing.  Its simply semi-rigid PCB technology that's been around for a long time in many products. 

The largest factor in "bendable" is really rigid component placement on the circuit board.   Every single resistor, diode, LED, etc. had to be placed with an orientation that will allow maximum flexing without breaking a solder joint.  Where the larger parts are on the PCB, like processor and memory- that's rigid.  Even with the rigid PCB the amount of flex and bend-ability that Portal provides is astounding.  

• How do you make a phone water proof?

We have some tricks up our sleeve.  These days, there are all kinds of compounds out there developed to protect circuit boards from exposure to the elements.  There is cold potting which turns the circuit board into a hockey puck, there is conformal coating which is like putting clear nail polish on top of the circuit board.  There are hundreds of different chemicals, materials, and processes that have been used in other industries to achieve the exact same result.  We'll just say we did some tinkering and made a few discoveries- the rest is top secret for now. 

• Does the Portal have Wifi?

Yes, it does support WiFi - 802.11 b/g/n/ac to be exact.

• What's with the battery?

None of us are chemists so we partnered with a major well known battery manufacturer to assist us in developing a custom battery for Portal.  Its not an off the shelf battery and we are still testing battery life, charge cycles, and so on.  

• Will the Portal work internationally?

Internationally, it will run on any carrier that supports the wireless over-the-air interface protocols listed in the specifications.  Portal is a quad-band GSM based device with HSPA, LTE, and TD-LTE.  The ability for Portal to operate on a specific carrier is based on the carriers frequencies.  

• Does the phone come with warranty if it malfunctions?

The standard warranty of 1 year will apply to all devices sold by Arubixs regardless of if it was purchased on Indiegogo or other outlets.

• Where do we get to choose our color? Can we order multiple arm bands?

At the end of our campaign we will email each of our backers confirming their orders (including color preferences & band quantities) before shipping out the perks.

• Why four cameras?

We have created an ambidextrous phone.  Two cameras are on the sides to film outward on either side, while the other two are front facing cameras.

• How does the phone measure heart rates?

The Portal utilizes the same technology already existing in many wearable tech products.  See above regarding non-disclosure. 

• What kind of SIM card is used in Portal?

Currently we are using an embedded SIM card.  This is essentially a soldered chip on the circuit board.  This isn’t new technology- it’s used mostly in automotive and telematics applications where “rugged” matters for extended temperatures and water resistance.  An embedded SIM card is the same as every other SIM card with the only difference being that you have to call your wireless carrier to do a SIM ID swap instead of just physically swapping out a SIM card.  We did this to make sure that Portal can withstand the abuse of active users.  We intend to still investigate using a nanoSIM however it’s not likely that having a SIM door of any kind will allow Portal to still remain submersible.

• What certifications are you doing on Portal?

We have to do several wireless certifications.  This includes FCC, PTCRB, Bluetooth AG, Wi-Fi Alliance, etc.  We also have to do wireless carrier device certifications for several wireless carriers on the globe.  We have to do a lot of certifications actually, which is why we are doing this crowd funding event.

• How nerdy are you guys?

Well, if you want to talk about coplanar wave guides, the differences between ENIG and OSP PCB, or MIPS we can go there and somewhat enjoy it.  If you have a "in the weeds" question shoot us a message and we'll be happy to discuss.

Something else?

If you have any additional questions, please send us the question and we promise we'll respond to every message as quickly as we can!

SPECIAL THANKS 

Francisco Ramirez

Troy McBroom

Noah Eastman 

Charlotte Skinner 

Noah Popick

Christina Knoll

Kyle Wilson

Clay Bonavito @bayareaskydiving

Nick @milweb1

Random Cyclist on Sand Hill Rd.

All of our suppliers

Our family and friends

and anyone else we forgot to mention!

OTHER WAYS TO HELP 

 Can't contribute? No worries. We understand. Ways you can help:

• Use the share tools on this page to help spread the word about our movement.
• Ask folks to get the word out and make some noise about our campaign.
• Expect more from our competitors and voice your opinion.  It will help drive innovation in a stale industry.

With Atlas, Facebook advertisers can follow you around the Web

Facebook is extending its advertising reach with its service called Atlas.Screen shot by Ian Sherr / CNET

Facebook is pushing its advertising technology beyond its website and apps to the rest of the Internet -- and into more direct competition with Google.

The world's largest social network said Sunday it will relaunch Atlas, an advertising technology it bought from Microsoft last year. The new Atlas was rebuilt to allow Facebook's partners to send ads to the company's users anywhere the service can see them on the Web.

The result is rather simple: PepsiCo, one of the advertisers who has signed on with Facebook, could use Atlas to show advertisements for a new soft drink to a specific group of people based on information the social network already knows about them such as age, location and what they like.

The move, if successful, could help Facebook expand its reach and take on Google as the top dog of Internet advertising, an industry estimated to reach more than $140 billion this year. Google lorded over nearly 32 percent of online ad spending last year, according to eMarketer, and was only expected to see that dip slightly this year. Facebook, by comparison was a distant second at 5.8 percent last year. This year, it's expected to hit 7.8 percent, still far higher than third-ranked Microsoft and fourth-place Yahoo.

At the heart of Google's success is a subsidiary called DoubleClick, which helps advertisers buy and track advertising efforts across the Web.

Facebook is pitching Atlas as a new advertising technology.CNET

Google also owns AdMob, an advertising technology specifically built for mobile devices. But mobile is where the search giant's lead is rapidly eroding. Google took about half of the mobile ad industry's $17.7 billion in spending last year, and is expected to see a slight drop this year, eMarketer said. Facebook, by comparison, is seeing its fortunes grow rapidly: last year, it took nearly 18 percent of revenues and this year it could hit more than 22 percent.

The mobile advertising market is growing fast too, topping an estimated $32.7 billion in spending this year, an increase of nearly 85 percent from a year ago.

This all leads back to Facebook's renewed efforts with Atlas, and a relationship with advertising and marketing services company Omnicom Group, to work with clients like Pepsi and Intel.

Facebook's own Instagram photo-sharing service is also set to work with Atlas.

A marriage of tracking technologies

Companies have for a while been able to follow customers around the Web, targeting ads as they go. Facebook is taking this a step further, integrating mobile devices as well.

The way it works is that when a user logs into Facebook with their mobile device, it registers a special device identifier with the company's servers. This identifier can then be used to track a customer so that if another app on their phone asks for an ad, Facebook can use information about the customer to find the best ad to send their way.

The potential downside to Atlas could come from public perception. Facebook's increasingly cozy relationship with advertisers has long been a sore subject for some users, and it has inspired a host of alternative social networks, such as Ello, whose rallying cry has focused on privacy and freedom from advertisements.Facebook will use mobile identifiers, in conjunction with other information such as cookies and browser types, to more granularly target ads. Facebook has said it won't disclose people's identity to advertisers.

More likely, the technology could help to boost Facebook's fortunes. The company's mobile advertising efforts alonerepresented 62 percent of its $2.68 billion in overall advertising tallies in the second quarter, ended June 30. That was up from 41 percent the same time last year.

That's quite dramatic, particularly considering Facebook's strategy for advertising on mobile devices only began taking shape a few years ago.

Marrying mobile and desktop advertising, and making that available outside Facebook's own website and apps, could be just the thing to help boost revenues yet again.

More about Ello

10 things to know about Ello, the ad-free social network

From CNET

Screenshot by Sharon Profis/CNET

By now, you've probably heard of Ello, the invite-only social network garnering attention for its radical approach to social networking. Find out why the site is seeing 35,000 hourly sign-ups, and why people are so willing to join yet another social network.

Why Ello is different

Ello is the anti-Facebook, and it has no problem stating that. The bare-bones, ad-free, so-minimalist-it-hurts social network was designed in response to the many controversial Facebook policies, especially the one that forces users to display their real names.

But when you look at Ello, it might not seem that much different than other social networks. It doesn't go out of its way to use innovative approaches to organizing your friends, discovering content, or enriching your experience. Google+, for instance, introduced Circles, confusing users before they even had a chance to set up their profile.

What you get is a hybrid between Tumblr and Twitter. Like Tumblr, you can post photos and written thoughts, long or short. Like Twitter, you can @mention people, and those mentions show up on your profile, as well as theirs.

Unadorned and intentionally sparse, the users and their content are the focus, while other site elements generally go unnoticed.

The ad-free, privacy-first promise

Ello promises to uphold its proposition and remain ad-free forever. The reason goes back to Ello's philosophy -- the only way to sell ads is by harvesting user data, and the company does not intend on doing that. In fact, Ello allows users to opt out of Google Analytics tracking, and details the ways in which it anonymizes user data.

Plenty of folks are dubious, but Ello responded to the skepticism by asserting its plans to find other streams of income. In a post, its founders stated plans to offer paid feature upgrades, which could be things like data exporting or profile enhancements.

Is there a "like" button?

Nope. We looked high and low, but there's no button to be found.

Remember that the Like button was created as a streamlined way to collect data about what users are interested in. It's easier than analyzing written posts -- if a user "likes" something, Facebook can easily package that sentiment for sale.

According to this post, it sounds like Ello will be adding its own version of this feature -- a "Love" button(seriously) which will function as a way for you to save posts for later reading.

Signing up

Those who remember Gmail Beta will feel nostalgic when they find out that signing up for Ello requires an invitation. Each new users is allotted 25 invites.

The social network is supposedly attracting about 35,000 invites per hour, so your chances of getting an invitation are pretty good.

Once you've gotten a golden ticket, signing up is simple. Ello asks you to choose a username, which is also your URL. Although you should probably choose something you plan on sticking with, it's good to know that you can change this at any time. You'll also be asked to choose a display name, which you can change at any time. In the spirit of Ello, you may choose to make it entirely anonymous.

The only other required information is your e-mail address. (Compare this to Facebook's sign-up, for example, which also requires a birth date and gender.)

Customizing (or not customizing) your profile

Like every other social network, you'll get your own profile page, which can be accessed via Ello.co/(your user name). By default, this is accessible by anyone, whether or not they have an Ello account.

From your profile page, click the large circle to upload a photo. If you want it to look perfect, be sure to resize it to 340x340, or else Ello will automatically crop it. (And you probably won't like it.)

If you scroll down, you'll also see that you can upload a header image, for which the recommended size is 1,800x1,013. If you upload anything smaller or larger, Ello will do its best to make it fit. (Mine was much smaller than that, and it looks fine.)

You're almost done customizing your profile! All that's left to do is click the gear icon to the left of your profile picture, and fill in any blank fields, like a short bio or links. As long as you insert spaces, multiple links can be included.

Personal settings

Ello's profile settings are minimal, but what they lack in quantity, they make up in importance. At the bottom of your settings page, take your time to consider each option. For example, Ello uses Google Analytics, which tracks visitors and anonymizes their activity. Unlike any other major social network, Ello lets you opt out of this activity.

You may also choose to disable the Public Profile option, which prevents people who are not members of Ello from seeing your profile. Note that anyone within the network can still see your profile and posts.

Finally, there's a Delete button. When you click it, your profile will be removed from Ello. According to the Terms of Service, however, Ello retains the right to "store backups of your content, even after it is deleted or after you delete your account."

Friends vs. Noise

Your Ello "news feed" can be filtered in two ways: Friends and Noise. When you're viewing the Friends tab, you'll see complete posts from anyone you've marked as a Friend. In the Noise tab, you'll see a Pinterest-like grid of posts from people you've marked as Noise. It's designed this way so that you can quickly scroll through content you're less interested in.

You can categorize people as "Noise" or "Friend" from their profiles. When you click "Friend" on someone's profile, you are simply following their posts, not sending them a friend request. In this way, it's a lot like Twitter.

Anyone you mark as "Noise" won't be alerted of your choice. You're the only one who can see how you've categorized people.

Tip: You can toggle between the grid-style and full width-style within either filter by hitting Shift-5.

Posting and interactions

To create a post, click the black box and start typing. If you want to format your text with numbered lists, links, bold, italics, or even bullets, you can do that with markdown. Ello has a useful support page with tips on formatting. To mention a user, just add an @ symbol to the beginning of their username, and the post will appear on their page.

And even Ello has emojis, which you can insert with this markdown.

You can't post videos (at least for now), but you can upload photos by clicking the double window icon just below the gray text box. Alternative, just drag a JPG, GIF, animated GIF or PNG file directly onto the black box. Photos are compressed but not resized, so don't expect uniformity when uploading photos of varying dimensions.

So far, the posting process has been a little glitchy. I've uploaded photos that disappeared upon hitting "Post," although I've never lost written content. Also, Ello will not warn you when you delete a post. Not a surprising scenario when you consider Ello is run by a handful of people and is still in beta.

Searching Ello

On the Discover page (also accessible from the left sidebar), there's a search field at the top. Right now, it doesn't work. You'll probably end up being able to use it to find users or content.

Features

Ello is in beta, so expect a lot of bugs. Also expect to feel deprived of a lot of features, like user blocking or a mobile app. The company has a list of current and upcoming features you can check out here.

One in particular worth noting is the NSFW flagging option, which users can utilize when posting explicit content. Until that flagging feature is released, NSFW content is not allowed on Ello.

And then there's the Ello Facemaker tool. It doesn't seem to be working right now, but when it functions, it can be used to paste the Ello logo on your face, hiding your identity and becoming one with the Elloans.

iOS 8.0.2 fix is out, but some in Australia still report bugs

Apple released iOS 8.0.2 on Thursday to fix several bugs introduced in iOS 8.0.1. But have those bugs been completely squashed?

Apple and its users have run into a rough time so far with iOS 8. Launched on September 17, the new version of Apple's mobile operating system soontriggered comments from some users complaining of Wi-Fi connectivity issues, battery drain and slow performance in Safari, among other problems.

iOS 8.0.1 was supposed to fix a variety of issues, including bugs with Safari, cellular data usage andHealthKit apps. But instead, it came with its own baggage.

After installing iOS 8.0.1, many users starting reporting problems connecting to cellular networks and using the Touch ID fingerprint feature. In response, Apple was forced to pull the update and promised to fix those bugs.

Released on Thursday, iOS 8.0.2 is the promised fix. But at least a few users are saying that certain problems remain. In a conversation thread on Reddit, some users apparently based in Australia say they're still bumping into the same cellular connectivity and Touch ID glitches. So far, the negative comments don't appear to be widespread. In fact, several people chiming in on the thread say that iOS 8.0.2 is working fine for them

But the following comments have popped up among those still reporting problems following the 8.0.2 installation:

"Same wifi connectivity issues on my iPhone 5S here. Recognises wifi, shows full signal but no functional internet connectivity."

"No service and broken TouchID here after 8.0.2 direct from 8.0.0. In-phone upgrage (no iTunes)."

"Just updated to 8.0.2, and I seem to have the no wifi problem. Is there a fix for this?"

"Sadly the issues are still there on my Australian 6+ 128GB through an OTA update. Trying an iTunes restore now, if that doesn't work back it's back to the atrociously buggy 8.0."

"I just updated to 8.0.2 and my touch ID is now completely broken! Phone will no longer unlock using my fingerprint. When I go to add a new finger i get a 'Touch ID Failed' message. Running a 128GB iPhone 6 plus...ended up giving up on waiting at the apple store as the apple servers were getting hammered and firmware was taking at least 3 hours to update, went onto the macbook there and downloaded ios 8.0 and flashed that back onto it through itunes. All seems to be working now, will hold off from updating to 8.0.2 until everything is sorted. Seems like this is an Australian problem."

One user was finally able to see a fix for the connectivity issues through a bit of time and effort:

"just updated OTA (over the air) to 8.0.2 on my 6 and touchID and cellular aren't working.....EDIT: Wifi wasn't working either but came back after a third reboot. Just did a restore with ipsw for 8.0.2 and cellular seems to work now.

As always, it's difficult to tell if these are isolated incidents or symptomatic of a larger issue, at least among Australian users. We'll have to see how the update fares as more people install iOS 8.0.2 across the world.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

What's Up With Ello, the Anti-Facebook Social Network?

By now, you've probably heard something about Ello, the ad-free, invite-only, independent social network that has seemingly gone viral over the last week.

The ad-free social network has quickly — and somewhat inexplicably — gained a reputation for being the "anti-Facebook." Which is odd, because new users tend to boast on Facebook about having scored an invite to the service.

While it's not clear what's behind the site's sudden surge in popularity (it launched in March to little fanfare), several reports have linked the rise of Ello to the recent firestorm caused by Facebook's so-called real name policy.

Facebook's policy, which requires all users to go by their legal name on the social network, has been in place for some time — but came under fire earlier this month as several drag performers and LGBT activists spoke out after being locked out of their accounts for not using their legal names.

The furor resulted in several San Francisco city officials getting involved — and, eventually, a meeting at Facebook HQ. But though Facebook agreed to temporarily give individuals affected by the policy back their accounts, the social network has so far not changed their rules.

This has apparently caused some in the LGBT community to move to Ello, which allows users to identify themselves by any name they want.

"We believe a social network can be a tool for empowerment," Ello'smanifesto proclaims. "Not a tool to deceive, coerce, and manipulate — but a place to connect, create, and celebrate life. You are not a product."

The site itself is like a cross between Twitter and Tumblr though with more limited features. Users can post status updates, photos and GIFs and comment on their friends' posts. There is a search tool to find the people you know though it's been buggy and unreliable in our testing.

The creators have a long list of new features, including mobile apps and more privacy settings, they say are in the works. But the timing of those updates is unclear.

Meanwhile, the sudden popularity has fueled massive interest in the fledgling social network. Reports have surfaced claiming Ello is receiving anywhere from 4,000 to more than 30,000 requests an hour.

While these numbers have been reported in a number of publications, it doesn't appear they have been independently verified. Still, the network apparently received so many requests that it had to temporarily limit users' abilities to send them Thursday.

The site's more enterprising users are taking advantage of the situation — as dozens of beta invites have cropped up on eBay, with prices ranging anywhere from $5 to $150.

It's impossible to say whether Ello is the next big thing or just another passing fad — but it has definitely succeeded in getting the Internet's attention.