Sunday
Google Calendar’s SMS notifications won’t be available starting June 27
Google has announced that it is dropping support for Calendar’s text message (SMS) alerts. The service will not be available starting June 27.
Samsung Galaxy S5 to get Android 5.0.2 update this month
The Android 5.0.2 update for the Samsung Galaxy S5 (SM-G900) will be rolling out early this month. The revelation was made by Australian carrier Optus on its website (see image below). It's worth noting that the June time frame was mentioned by Optus while the update was being tested - the testing is complete now. The update is expected to bring bug fixes as well as performance improvements. This comes just weeks after the South Korean company said that it would roll out micro-updates to its devices facing Lollipop update issues. It is, however, not yet known if and when other Samsung devices that have been updated to Lollipop will get the same update. Source |...
2015 Maserati Ghibli
Google ATAP’s Project Soli to bring interactive gesture control
At Google I/O 2015, the software giant introduced its Advanced Technology and Projects team working on a handful of next generation technologies. Google has just released a video explaining one of them – Project Soli.
Microsoft Windows 10 to release on August 31
Two days ago, we reported that the Microsoft’s Windows 10 RTM build is set to arrive in July 2015. While many thought that was way too optimistic, Microsoft is hell bent to prove otherwise.
Best Apps and Games of the Week
Here are all the best apps and games that came out this week. Powerful image editing app Pixelmator is now available on the iPhone. Originally launched on OS X and then on the iPad, the app is now on the small screen. The UI has been overhauled for the iPhone’s display but it retains all [...]
Microsoft Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 battery life test
Microsoft Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 are among the most affordable smartphones out there. Both devices are quite similar – they pack 4″ WVGA screens, run on Snapdragon 200 chips with 1GB RAM, offer 8 gigs of internal expandable storage and basic camera departments. As we mentioned, the Lumia 532 had its Glance screen turned [...]
Week 21 in review: Xperia Z3+, S6 edge Iron Man, Android M
This week saw a few major announcements and naturally drew the most attention. The clear winner was the Sony Xperia Z3+ launch, which is an incremental upgrade over last year's Z3. The hardware is mostly the same, a bit thinner (at the cost of some battery capacity), improved waterproofing removed the need for a flap over the USB port and allowed Sony to drop the charging pogo pins. The biggest change on the Xperia Z3+ is the chipset, a Snapdragon 810 with a 64-bit octa-core processor and a beefier GPU. We're curious to see how it copes with the smaller battery. An even smaller announcement garnered tons of attention, an Iron Man Limited Edition for the Galaxy S6 edge. It looks cool in red and yellow, but the best thing about it is the Arc reactor wireless charger. The next major version of Android was unveiled this week, dubbed M. The biggest change is the addition of granular permissions, but there are a large number of minor improvements. USB Type C and fingerprint sensors are supported natively, Google also unveiled the latest iteration of its mobile payment system. From then on it's pretty much all rumors. A Xiaomi Mi 5 rumor promised a 5.5" screen, probably with QHD resolution. It's expected that the company will snag the upcoming Snapdragon 820 chipset, perhaps utilizing its ultrasound fingerprint sensor. Lumia fans are pining for a new flagship (it's been so long) and their hope is the Lumia 940. It's rumored to follow the small/big trend and launch as a 5.2" model and a 5.7" XL model. There are hints that it could use USB Type C, which can output video to a big screen, turning the phone into a desktop via Windows Continuum. It seems that there are always rumors about the iPhone and this week was no different. It has been a very long time since the last major camera update (8MP/1080p has been used since the 4S), but the iPhone 6s may change that. So far the scuttlebutt is that it will use a 12MP camera with smaller pixels, but compensate with a RGBW sensor that will boost low-light performance. .news-item .n-left { float: left; width: 16%; text-align: center; margin-left: -13px; } .news-item .n-right { float: left; width: 84%; } .news-item a { padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; } .news-item .n-right h2, .reviews-item .n-right h2 { clear: both; padding: 0 0 3px 0px; font: 400 19px Oswald, Arial; margin-top: -4px; } .n-right p { line-height: 155%; } .news-item { padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; } .news-item p { margin-left: 0; } .n-right h2 a { text-decoration: none; color: #000; } Sony Xperia Z3+ quietly launched globally A revamped Xperia Z3, the new smartphone comes with Snapdragon 810 and little surprises. Samsung launches Galaxy S6 edge Iron Man Limited Edition With red and gold colored Iron man styling, this limited edition S6 edge has custom Avengers theme. Android M detailed: granular permissions, mobile payments The payments are joined by official fingerprint sensor support. Apps have a better way of integrating the web. Android M developer preview now out for Nexus 5, 6, and 9 The Nexus Player Android TV box also gets its own developer preview image, interestingly. Android M detailed: The little things New cut/copy/paste UI, app standby, direct share, improved volume controls, updated UI, and much more. Xiaomi Mi 5 may pack a 5.5-inch screen, Snapdragon 820 chipset The new chipset supports Sense ID, ultrasound fingerprint sensing tech, which could be supported. Lumia 940 and XL to have 20MP camera, USB Type C connectors The two will have recent Snapdragon chipsets - 808 for the 5.2" model and 810 for the 5.7" XL model. iPhone 6s camera rumored to use a 12MP RGBW sensor from Sony The addition of the white pixel is to improve low-light performance. The rumor denies a dual-camera setup. Microsoft and Sony fall out of top 10 smartphone vendors in Q1 According to mobile analyst Tomi Ahonen, Samsung was the top vendor in the first quarter, followed by...
2016 Chevrolet Corvette
Weekly poll: Sony Xperia Z3+ vs. the 2015 crowd
Sony just can’t shake the two flagships a year habit and now we have the Xperia Z3+. A bit thinner, no more annoying flap over the USB port and for better or for worse a Snapdragon 810 chipset.
The Top 10 trending phones of week 22
Another week later, our traditional trending chart sees little action at the top. However, a major launch took place a few days ago, and that inevitably had an impact on the ranks further down the table. The Top 10 trending phones chart is a recap list of the devices that gathered the most hits throughout the week. In other words, the chart represents the interests of the majority of you, our visitors. You guessed it, the Sony Xperia Z3+ is the big name that became official mid-week, and for the little time it had, it managed to enter the chart in seventh spot. Comparisons to older models brought in the Xperia Z2 too, even further up in fourth position. Why it isn't the Z3 instead, is a question that will remain unanswered. The top positions remains occupied by the Samsung Galaxy S6, now even more closely followed by the Galaxy Grand Prime. The Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML is in third second week in a row. The Xiaomi Mi 4i returns to the chart in ninth, after slipping off the Top 10 for a couple of weeks. The rest are all typical participants, who seem to constantly keep you interested. The Apple iPhone 6 is rocking between 4th and 5th each week, and has settled in 5th spot this week, inching ahead of the Galaxy S5. A couple of other Samsung handsets, the Galaxy A5 and E7 complete this week's chart in 8th and 10th respectively. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the LG G4 is in a distant 27th position. .news-item .n-left { float: left; width: 26%; text-align: center; } .news-item .n-right { float: left; width: 74%; } .news-item a { padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; } .news-item .n-right h2, .reviews-item .n-right h2 { clear: both; padding: 0 0 3px 0px; font: 400 19px Oswald, Arial; margin-top: -4px; } .n-right p { margin-top: 25px; line-height: 155%; } .news-item { padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; } .news-item p { margin-left: 0; } .n-right h2 .phone-name { display: inline-block; width: 252px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: text-bottom; } .n-right h2 a { text-decoration: none; color: #000; } .flat-button{ text-align:center; text-decoration: none !important; font: 400 22px Oswald,Arial !important; //font-family: sans-serif; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 150%; //background: #0CADA7; padding: 20px 60px !important; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; margin: 10px 0; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; -ms-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; -moz-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; -o-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; color: #fff !important; } .flat-button-1 { background: #0CADA7; } .flat-button-1:hover { background: #0A948F; color: #666666 !important; } .flat-button-2 { background: #FF7E47; } .flat-button-2:hover { background: #EE7440; color: #666666 !important; } .n-right .rank-info { display: inline-block; font-family: "Oswald",​Arial,​sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 100; } .n-right .rank-info .current-rank { font-size: 23px; } .circle { background: none repeat scroll 0 0 #8fb28f; border-radius: 50%; height: 23px; width: 23px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 10px -1px 10px; } .arrow { width: 0; height: 0; border-style: solid; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 10px -1px 10px; } .arrow-up { border-width: 0 15px 25px 15px; border-color: transparent transparent #0cada7 transparent; } .arrow-down { border-width: 25px 15px 0 15px; border-color: #ff7e47 transparent transparent transparent; } Samsung Galaxy S6 RANK: 1WAS: 1 specs review Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime RANK: 2WAS: 2 specs review Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML RANK: 3WAS: 3 specs review Sony Xperia Z2 RANK: 4NEW IN specs review Apple iPhone 6 RANK: 5WAS: 4 specs review Samsung Galaxy S5 RANK: 6WAS: 6 specs...
Weekly poll results: Oppo R7 Plus gets the nod over R7
Last week Oppo unveiled a couple of highly capable mid-rangers, with slender metal bodies, octa-core processors and advanced camera hardware and we asked you – hot or not? As for the smaller Oppo R7, the thicker bezels around the screen didn’t win any fans, unlike the bezel-less design of the R7 Plus. The fingerprint sensor [...]
Saturday
LG G4 battery life
The LG G4 has grown a bit compared to the G3, but kept the battery capacity at 3,000mAh. Actually, that number hasn’t changed since the LG G2, but the company is promising that display and chipset advancements help expend battery life. We can’t say that LG managed to improve the battery life of its G-series [...]
Telltale’s Game of Thrones Episode 4 ‘Sons of Winter’ is now available
Telltale Games has been working on the games based on the Game of Thrones series and has been releasing the same in instalments. The new Episode 4 ‘Sons of Winter’ is now available as an in-app purchase for $5 to play it on PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS and Android platforms.
Twitter updates Periscope for Android with fixes and improvements
Just days after Twitter’s live video streaming app Periscope arrived on Android, it has received an update, bringing along several bug fixes as well as video improvements.
Meizu teases home button revolution for the m2 note
A lot of disconcerting info has been popping up on the upcoming Meizu m1 note successor, and consensus hadn't been reached even on the device's name. Some called it the Meizu m1 note 2, others Meizu note 2, but then a GFXBench entry listed it as m2 note. Well, apparently that last one is the real deal, as indicated by a post on Meizu's Facebook page. In terms of hardware, we know nothing more than what the benchmark listing revealed, which is a 5.6-inch FullHD display, Mediatek MT6753 chipset with an octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM. A 12MP primary camera, capable of 4K video recording, was quoted, and it will be accompanied by a 5MP selfie snapper. One other feature that was rumored to make its way to the new device was a fingerprint scanner, and meizu has neither confirmed nor denied that. And as if keen to fuel the rumors, the company's Indian branch has posted another teaser, promoting a Home button revolution. Whether that means simply a hardware button, or indeed added functionality, remains to be seen. We understand Meizu's desire to build hype around the launch of the m2 note only a couple of days from now. The unveiling is scheduled to take place on June 2 in Beijing so stay tuned. Source 1...
US reportedly launched a failed attempt to sabotage North Korea’s nuclear program with a Stuxnet variant
Five years ago, the United States National Security Agency (NSA) carried out an unsuccessful attempt to destroy North Korea’s nuclear program with a version of the Stuxnet virus, according to a report from Reuters.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 revealed in a case leak
The successors to Samsung's premium tablet family Galaxy Tab S, so far known as Galaxy Tab S2, have been regulars at the rumor mill for the past few months. By now we've gotten a look at their alleged specs, and most recently a press image surfaced revealing a Galaxy S6-like design. Well, case manufacturers are again one step ahead, and a bumper back cover for the upcoming tablet has been spotted in wild. The silicone protector is for the larger 9.7-inch model, as there will also be an 8-inch offering. Much like the first generation, two sizes will be available, though in a newly adopted 4:3 aspect ratio. Alleged Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 bumper case A quick rundown of the specs points to a 1,536 x 2,048 pixel resolution on either diagonal, a Samsung-made Exynos chipset with an octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. The tablets will run Android 5.0.2 Lollipop upon launch which is expected to take place some time in...
Google ATAP’s Project Jacquard to help produce interactive clothes
Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) team is working on a special weaving technology with textile makers to weave touch and gesture sensitive materials along with regular ones to make special yarns. These yarns are woven into fabrics that can be used for making products ranging from a shirt to a car’s upholstery. Furthermore, small [...]
HP to bring a couple of Android tablets to India
HP is apparently going to make a couple of tablets available on the Indian market some time soon, as indicated by a local retailer. The two devices have very different target groups but both run the outdated Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, though HP's website states a KitKat update is available. The fist device is the HP Slate 7 Voicetab Ultra, and that name reveals a lot about the tablet. Bordering on the unacceptable, the 7-inch tablet could be used as a phone, albeit a very large one - it has an earpiece and all. Screen resolution is 1,200 x 1,900 pixels. Computing power comes courtesy of a HiSilicon (read Huawei) chipset, and although it's not explicitly stated, the 1.6GHz quad-core processor and Mali-450 GPU point to the Kirin 910. 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage are on board, and a microSD slot provides expansion options. A 13MP/5MP camera combo is there to take care of capturing memories, and battery capacity is 5,000mAh. The other tablet is the HP Slate 8 Plus, which is a bit lower-specced. The 8-inch display comes with the rather low 800 x 1,200 pixel resolution, same chipset and storage, but only a single gig of RAM and a 5MP/1MP camera pair. The battery on the Slate 8Plus is rated at 4,800mAh. Both devices come with a microSIM slot and support quad band 2G/3G and a host of LTE bands, as well as 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluuetooth v4.0, so connectivity should be a non-issue. The retailer quotes prices at INR 29,990 ($470) and INR 22,990 ($360) for the Slate 7 Voicetab Ultra and Slate 8 Plus, respectively. The tablets are yet to appear on HP's Indian website...
Ross Ulbricht, founder of online drug marketplace Silk Road, sentenced to life in prison without parole
Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was convicted in February of creating and operating the online drug marketplace, has been sentenced by a US federal judge to life in prison without parole. He was facing a minimum prison sentence of 20 years.
T-Mobile Lumia 435 now available on Walmart for just $50
The T-Mobile variant of the Microsoft Lumia 435, which was unveiled back in January this year, is now available on Walmart for just $49.88. It's worth mentioning that the device is listed on Microsoft Store website for $70. Specs-wise, the handset is powered by a Snapdragon 200 SoC with 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and sports a 4-inch WVGA screen. It comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB expandable internal storage, and packs in a 1,560mAh battery. In terms of camera, the Lumia 435 features a 2MP rear unit and a VGA front shooter. It comes with Windows Phone 8.1 pre-installed, and offers HSPA+ connectivity (no LTE support). Source |...
Gmail API gets push notification support
Finally. After a long time, Google has finally added support for push notifications in the Gmail API.
2016 Audi A8
Check out the gameplay of the upcoming survival horror game ‘SOMA’
SOMA is an upcoming survival horror game by Frictional Games, the people who made Amnesia and the Penumbra series of games. The game will be out on PC and PS4 on September 22.
Micromax Unite 2 starts getting Lollipop update
The Unite 2, which was announced by Micromax back in May last year, has started receiving the Lollipop update. Sized at around 413MB, the OTA update brings Android 5.0 to the entry-level handset. The build is dated April 24. If you haven't received the update yet, you can manually check for it by heading to Settings -> About phone -> software update on your device. This comes just days after Micromax officially launched the Unite 3 smartphone in India. The device runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box, and is priced at INR 6,999 ($110). Source |...
Friday
‘Leo’s Fortune’ now available on Windows Phone and Windows
Popular 2D side scrolling game Leo’s Fortune is now available on both Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 8.1. The game is a universal app and you just have to purchase it once and it will work on either platforms.
Lollipop sporting ZTE Overture 2 arrives on Cricket for just $50
The successor to the ZTE Overture, which was launched back in June 2013, is now available in the US on Cricket Wireless. Dubbed Overture 2, the device is priced at $49.99 on contract - you can also get it for free thanks to a $50 mail-in rebate. Specs-wise, the handset is powered by a quad-core chipset clocked at 1.2 GHz, and sports a 4.5-inch display with a 854 x 480 (FWVGA) resolution. It comes with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory (expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card), and packs in a 2100 mAh battery. In terms of camera, the Overture 2 features a 5MP rear unit and a VGA front shooter. It also offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, as well as support for Dolby Digital Plus. Source | Via | Image...
Uber to begin tracking your location even when you’re not actively using its app
Uber has announced that an upcoming update to its privacy policies will allow the company to ask for access to a rider’s location when the app is running in the background, a move the ride-sharing startup claims will “get people on their way more quickly.”
Google and Qualcomm are working on a Project Tango smartphone
Google and Qualcomm have a Project Tango smartphone with 3D-sensing camera tech in the works. Currently the search giant is offering a Project Tango tablet for developer for $512 in the Google Store. The partnership between Google and Qualcomm will see the chipmaker incorporate the 3D-sensing camera technology into its smartphone reference designs. There are no definite plans for a consumer-friendly Project Tango handset for the time being. Source...
Here pokes fun at Google Maps, says it had offline maps first
Well, this was bound to happen. Yesterday during its annual I/O developer conference Google announced that it would finally offer full offline support in Maps for Android by the end of the year. Nokia’s Here Maps division has obviously heard about this, and decided to make fun of the fact that Google Maps is still [...]
Renders showing the next ZTE flagship smartphone leak out
ZTE has launched a lot of high-end Nubia devices lately, but we haven't seen a flagship smartphone that isn't part of the Nubia line for ages. That seems to have been noticed by the Chinese company too, and it's apparently hard at work at a new top of the line ZTE handset that's Nubia-less for a later release. Three purported leaked renders of the device show the new design employed by ZTE, and it's clearly inspired by Apple's iPhone 6 form, as you can see (click the thumbnails for full size pictures). Next ZTE flagship The yet-unnamed ZTE upcoming flagship looks made from an unibody metal construction, and features a rear camera with dual-LED flash that is positioned right where the iPhones have it too. There's a plastic part that takes up the upper part of the back of the phone, which houses the antennas. The front of the smartphone supposedly comes with 2.5D glass, which is all the rage right now. Thanks to that, the phone comes with nearly zero lateral bezels. There's only one logo, and it's housed on the back, while the front is devoid of brands. It also appears it doesn't sport capacitive Android buttons, which means it might come with software-rendered buttons instead. Unfortunately there are no details about specs right now, but these should leak out in due...
LG G Watch R now costs just $99 on AT&T
AT&T cut off $200 from the price of the LG G Watch R smartwatch today and you can now have it for just $99. The offer is available via the AT&T online store, but you can opt for picking up the watch in-store.
WhatsApp Calling for Windows Phone devices expected to roll out soon
Popular instant messaging service WhatsApp is quietly testing the WhatsApp Calling feature for the Microsoft Windows Phone platform. Android and iOS users have been using this feature for a couple of months now.
2015 Dodge Dart
2015 Lincoln MKC
Sony Xperia Z3+ preview: First look
The Sony Xperia Z3+ was only recently announced and we're happy it made it to our testing grounds so quickly. While we're already busy working on a full review, we decided to give you an early taste of what it's like...
2015 Jaguar XJ
2015 Scion tC
2015 Kia Sportage
Is this Samsung with Snapdragon 808 the Galaxy S6 mini?
Today the GFX Benchmark database turned out quite generous on spilling the beans on upcoming smartphones. First we saw the Meizu m2 note in there with detailed specs and now we got a brand new compact Samsung droid. The new Samsung Galaxy goes under the SM-G9198 model number and according to the specs in GFX charts it packs a 4.6" HD display (1280 x 768) and runs on the Snapdragon 808 chip. The latter is the powerhouse underneath the newly released LG G4 and comes with a 6-core CPU (2x Cortex-A57 and 4x Cortex-A53), Adreno 418 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The SM-G9198 also features a 16MP 16:9 rear camera with 1080p video recording and a 5MP selfie snapper. The device runs on the latest Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. This is the first time we hear about this new gadget but its display size and top-notch specs suggest this might be the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 mini. Just like its bigger sibling, the SM-G9198 packs some premium tech as barometer and motion processor. Whether this turns out the Galaxy S6 mini or not, we are already eager to learn more. Hopefully more details will emerge soon and we'll be keeping you in the loop. Thank you, Anomylus, for the...
2015 Kia Optima
Meizu m2 note full specs leak ahead of announcement
Meizu m2 note has leaked quite a few times throughout the past few months. The smartphone, which is also known as Meizu m1 note 2 and Meizu note 2, leaked via an official promo and some blurry shots last month. Today the Meizu m2 note was spotted in the popular GFX Benchmark's database, though the specs page is already gone. Still, lots of people managed to take some shots and we can tell you more about the upcoming device. According to the data on the GFX boards, the Meizu m2 note will pack a 5.6" 1080p display and should be powered by the MediaTek MT6753 chipset with an 8-core Cortex-A53 processor, Mali-T 720 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The m2 note is also rumored to feature a 12MP rear camera with 4K video recording, a 5MP selfie snapper, 32GB expandable storage, LTE connectivity and Android 5.1 Lollipop OS with Flyme OS. Meizu will be unveiling a new device on June 2, so the announcement of the m2 note, or whatever the name, is just around the...
Nvidia Shield TV console now available for $200, $300 for 500GB Pro version
Nvidia finally launched the Shield console, you can snag one in the US or Canada. The elusive Shield Pro version with a 500GB drive is also available right out the gate.
TAG Heuer’s first smartwatch to be called Carrera Wearable 01
While we already know that TAG Heuer – which is one of Switzerland’s best known watch brands – is working on a smartwatch which is set to be launched in October/November this year, there was no information on what it would be called. However, that was until now, as in a recent interview with Wearable, [...]
Xiaomi Mi 4 Windows 10 ROM available on June 1
Microsoft got Xiaomi's approval in March for developing and releasing a compatible Windows 10 ROM for the popular Chinese flagship. While Xiaomi isn't participating in the project and isn't endorsing it, the company is still keen on giving the Mi users rich ROM options. Microsoft has been working closely with a user group to bring Windows 10 to Xiaomi Mi 4 and it seems the project development is now warping up. Microsoft's Xiaomi user group announced the Mi 4-compatible Windows 10 ROM will become available for download on June 1. Anyone with a Xiaomi Mi 4 is welcome to try the new ROM. This will surely won't boost the Windows popularity, which is in dare need of bigger market share, but is a nice move. Plus, Microsoft plans to release such ROMs for the ZTE Nubia 9 and probably other smartphones. Windows 10 is going to be a universal operating system, which should create a lot more opportunities and far better integration between Windows-running desktops, slates and phones. You can sign up for the Windows 10 ROM for Xiaomi Mi 4 right here and be among the first to get it. Source |...
Samsung Galaxy A5 starts getting Lollipop update in Poland
Just a couple of days after Samsung began rolling out the Lollipop update for the Galaxy A7, the Galaxy A5 (SM-A500FU), which was announced by the company back in October last year and released a couple of months later, has also started receiving the update. Weighing in at 1GB, the update brings Android 5.0.2 OS, a new TouchWiz UX influenced by the new Material Design, new lock-screen and notification panel, better battery life, as well as performance and stability improvements. The update is currently rolling out in Poland, where it is available both over-the-air (OTA) as well as via KIES. If all goes smoothly it should expected to reach more markets next...
Google opens its Inbox email app to everyone, updates it with Trip Bundles and Undo Send features
The Inbox email app, which was launched by Google back in October last year and was invite-only, is now open to everyone. The announcement was made by the Mountain View, California-based company in a blog post. Another interesting feature is the ability to take back an email right after sending it. So, the next time [...]
Android M detailed: The little things
Yesterday, we talked about the six tentpole features in the new Android M release. But there's a lot more that Google didn't go into during the keynote, which we'll talk about now. Direct Share It was already easy to share content between apps on Android but with Direct Share, Android can now learn which apps you share content to frequently and place that at the top of the list, so if you share photos to the Facebook app a lot, it will be at the top. Direct Share also lets you share content to specific people that you contact you the most, so they are placed directly in the share sheet instead of having to hunt them in the contacts list. Improved text selection and floating toolbar The text selection in Android hasn't changed much in several years. You still get the same confusing, nondescript icons at the top when you select the text in an app. With M, you now get a floating toolbar with clear cut, copy, and paste buttons, with overflow menu for additional options such as search or translate. The selection now also moves forward word by word instead of letters to make it easier to mark text but you can go back to select letter by letter. This feature is not present in the current developer preview for some reason. There will also be undo/redo keyboard shortcut buttons. App Standby We talked about Doze, which puts the device in a deep sleep state when not used for long periods of time to save power. App Standby does this for individual apps. When the OS detects an app hasn't been used in a long period of time then it automatically puts it on standby, which disables its network access and suspends its syncs and jobs. When you plug in your device for charging, these apps can resume syncing in the background as usual. Improved volume control A lot of people were upset by the lack of a traditional Silent mode in Lollipop. With M, the silent mode is back, accessed by holding down the volume button and then once again to exit the vibrate mode. Only alarms work in the Silent mode, as they used to. Google also brought back the extended volume control options, which let you control the media and alarm volumes by a drop down next to the ringtone volume level. The Interruptions feature has been removed from the volume bar and now is a separate feature listed below. Do not disturb quick setting M has a new Do not disturb button in the notifications, which is essentially the previous Interruptions feature. You can choose between Total silence mode, Alarms only mode, or Priority only mode. You can customize these options from the notifications or the Settings app. Adoptable storage devices Users can now add an SD card, which will then be adopted by the system to behave like internal storage. The memory card will be formatted and encrypted and will be seen like internal memory. You can then install apps and other private data easily onto the memory card. Auto backup for apps Google will now perform full automatic data backup and restore for apps designed for M. The data will be in your Google account and will be synced across devices. Bluetooth stylus support The OS now includes improved support for Bluetooth stylus devices. Improved Bluetooth Low Energy Scanning A new approach to scanning method cuts down on the power required to perform the scan, provided the developer of the app implements the feature. Hotspot 2.0 Release 1 support Support for Hotspot 2.0 in devices like Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 to automatically connect to Hotspot 2.0 networks when you enter the area. 4K Display Mode Android M now supports display resolutions up to 4K. Improved Android for Work Includes features such as enhanced controls for Corporate-Owned, Single-Use devices, silent install and uninstall of apps by Device Owner, silent enterprise certificate access, auto-acceptance of system updates, delegated certificate installation, enterprise factory reset protection, data usage tracking, runtime permission management, VPN in Settings, and work status notification. Improved USB On-The-Go support Previously connecting a USB OTG drive in stock Android made it accessible in apps but the OS itself behaved as if nothing was connected. In M, you now get a notification that lets you explore the contents of the drive in a file explorer like...
Apple reportedly acquires German augmented reality company Metaio
Apple has bought augmented reality company Metaio, according to a report from TechCrunch, which obtained legal documents showing transfer of shares from the latter to the former.
2015 Nissan Versa
2015 Hyundai Azera
Thursday
Nexus 5 starts getting Android 5.1.1 update in India
The LG Nexus 5, which was released back in November 2013, has started receiving the Android 5.1.1 update in India. The over-the-air (OTA) update weighs in at around 24MB and carries a build number of LMY48B. If you haven't received it yet, you can manually check for it by heading to Settings -> About -> System Updates on your device. For those who aren't already aware, the Android 5.1.1 update isn't a major one, as it is primarily aimed at fixing bugs and improving performance and stability. This comes just a few days after the update started rolling out for the LG G Flex2 in...
2015 Kia Cadenza
Apple releases workaround for Messages bug; fix coming soon
Just days after it came into light, Apple has acknowledged the iOS Messages bug - which renders the app completely unusable if a certain text is received - and has also released a workaround for it. "Apple is aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update," the company posted on its support page. The workaround consists of 3 steps: first, ask Siri to read unread messages, then use it to reply to the malicious message (once you reply, you'll be able to open Messages again), and finally, go to the app and swipe left to delete the entire thread (or tap and hold the malicious message, tap More, and delete the message from the thread). Source |...
OnePlus One tipped to get a global price cut on June 1
Earlier this week, OnePlus shared a teaser on its official Twitter account, hinting at a big announcement on June 1. While speculations have been rife that this might be something related to its next smartphone - the OnePlus Two, a new rumour is suggesting that the company is set to announce a global price cut for the One. According to a report from FoneArena, the Chinese company is expected to slash the price of the device by $50. This means that the 64GB model of the handset will be available at $298, while the 16GB variant will set you back around $248. Needless to say, none of this has been officially confirmed by the company, so take it with a pinch of...
Samsung regains top spot in global smartphone market in Q1
After losing the spot to Apple in the fourth quarter of 2014, Samsung is back on top as the leading smartphone maker in the world in Q1, 2015, according to a latest report from market research firm Gartner. Samsung sold a total of 81.1 million smartphones in the quarter, compared to 60.1 million units sold by rival Apple. However, the South Korean company's market share dropped to 24.2% from 30.4% in the same quarter last year. On the other hand Apple, which overtook Xiaomi to become the leading smartphone vendor in China in Q1, saw its market share rising to 17.9% from 15.3% in Q1, 2014. Lenovo, Huawei, and LG rounded up the top five with 5.9, 4.8, and 4.0% market share, respectively. As for mobile operating systems, Android was at the top, followed by iOS, Windows, and BlackBerry. However, except iOS, all other OS' saw their market share declining. Source |...
Android M developer preview now out for Nexus 5, 6, and 9
Earlier today Google announced Android M, the next release of its mobile operating system, which will become available sometime during the third quarter of this year. Until then, though, the company has released the first developer preview of the new OS version. Just as last year, it's only called "M" for now, with the final naming due to be revealed at a later time. You can test drive Android M if you own an LG Nexus 5, Motorola Nexus 6, HTC Nexus 9, or Asus Nexus Player. Those are the devices for which preview images are already available for flashing. Do note however that this is intended for developers to use in improving their apps ahead of the final release of Android M. As this is a preview, bugs are to be expected. Also, the flashing procedure (detailed here) is quite involved, so if you don't have a bit of knowledge in the field you should probably not try this. Finally, understand that flashing the developer preview requires unlocking the bootloader of your device, which erases all the data on it. If you still want to proceed, the images are waiting for you at the Source link below. Google has planned to release three preview builds. The first one is out now, and the other two should come around one month apart each. The good thing is that those who have a preview build installed will get the new previews via over-the-air updates. On the other hand, once the final release of Android M is out, you will need to go the image flashing route, so you'll have to erase all the data on your device again. Source |...
AT&T will begin taking pre-orders for LG G4 tomorrow
AT&T announced that it will begin taking pre-orders for LG G4 tomorrow, on May 29 at 12:0am ET. The wireless carrier will offer the smartphone in Metallic Gray or Genuine Black Leather. Pricing for the Metallic Gray version of LG G4 will be $21 a month with $0 down on AT&T Next 24, or $629.99 outright. The leather back model will cost $669.99 with no contract, or $22.34 a month with $0 down with AT&T Next 24. LG G4 buyers on AT&T will receive a free spare battery with battery charger, as well as a 32GB memory card. For comparison, T-Mobile will give buyers of the device a free 128GB microSD card. LG G4 comes with a 5.5-inch QHD screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, 16 MP rear camera with OIS and LED flash, 8 MP selfie snapper, and 3,000 mAh battery. You can find out all about the device from our detailed review. Source...
New Google Cardboard viewer supports devices up to 6″, iPhones too
Google Cardboard was introduced at last year’s I/O, this year it’s getting a refresh though not as big as you might have hoped. Still, the viewer was redesigned and it now supports devices with up to 6″ screens.
Google Maps gets offline search, navigation support
Google Maps for Android has had some sort of offline support for years now, but it’s definitely not good enough for most use cases, in the current iteration at least. At its I/O conference Google has announced that it’s working on bringing better offline support to Maps sometime before the end of this year.
Google Photos launches later today with free unlimited storage
We knew it was coming, but now it’s official – Google Photos is becoming a separate app. Photos will be available later today on Android, iOS and on the web and it will offer free unlimited storage. Google Photos uses some advanced image recognition to help you search through huge collections. It recognizes faces, even [...]
Android Wear now has over 4000 apps, gets even smarter
The Google I/O keynote didn’t miss its chance to update us on the progress of Android Wear. The dedicated wearable platform has really come a long way for its relatively short life and third-party developers have played a major part in this success. Another major part of the new Android Wear update is ease of [...]
Google makes Android Pay official
Get ready for the third “Pay” program. After Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, Google has today unveiled Android Pay at its annual developer conference. Just like its competitors, Android Pay is all about allowing you to easily make payments with your phone, by using NFC and even fingerprint sensors on devices that have them.
Android M detailed: granular permissions, mobile payments
Developers at Google I/O got a glimpse of the next major version of Android known only as M for now. There are six major improvements that mostly focus on how apps work and interact with each other. Android's wireless payment system also got a big boost, in part thanks to unified fingerprint sensor support. App permissions Android M is moving to an iOS-style permissions. You don't get asked about all permissions lumped together at install time, instead the app will ask for each permission the first time you use it. You can go into the Settings screen to view what permissions an app is using and revoke or allow them. You can also view all apps that use a certain permission. Custom Chrome tabs So many apps today have a web component that forces you to jump between a browser and the app or as web view embedded into the app. The Chrome team proposes a different solution - style Chrome to look like a part of the app. The app can launch a custom Chrome tab, style it and add buttons to make it feel almost like a native part of the app. App links What if an app needs to interact with something other than a browser? Android M adds a secure way for apps to verify that when they send a request (e.g. open Twitter and show this tweet), the receiving app that handles the request is legit. The OS will verify it cryptographically with the web server, which will thwart malicious apps. Android Pay Google has been trying to make mobile payments work for years now, Android Pay is the latest iteration. It will leverage a phone's NFC hardware to stand between the store and your credit card. The store - or even apps that sell things - will never see the details of your credit card as Pay keeps that private. The service will work with major cards, US carriers (AT&T, T-Mo, VZW) as well as a variety of stores: McDonald's, Subway, Best Buy, Coca Cola, Pepsi, you name it. Fingerprint sensors Some vendors are already leveraging fingerprint sensors to secure payments, now Google is making that functionality an official part of Android. Android M will abstract away the different kinds of sensors, presenting apps with a consistent API, which is bound to make life easier for developers. Power & charging Project Volta was the first step and with M Google is pushing ahead with improving battery life with Doze. Phones running the new OS will use their motion sensors to detect when the phone is just laying around and doze off. Dozing makes apps check with servers and run background activities less often. The longer the phone has been dozing, the less often apps get to do stuff. Still, phones can quickly wake up when needed. The result is that a Nexus 9 lasted twice as long running Android M than it did on Lollipop. Another part of battery life is quick charging. Google is adopting the USB Type C standard for its new power delivery modes, which can charge a phone much faster (3x to 5x). And since Type C is bi-directional you can even make the phone send power down the cable - imagine phones with huge batteries being used as battery packs. Google Now on Tap Google Now is also getting smarter with the new "on tap" functionality. It has improved natural language understanding, so you can ask it questions in a natural way - "his", "it", "this", the system is smart enough to figure out what you mean. The service is also aware of where you are in the UI. A quick demo showed Now on Tap answering "What's his real name?" while the phone was playing Skrillex. Google's knowledge graph provided the answer, Now on Tap made the connection (his ->...
2015 Chevrolet Traverse
2015 Subaru BRZ
2015 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
2015 Scion FR-S
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