Motorola Droid Turbo 2 Marshmallow update starts rolling out today

Verizon first started pushing out the Android 6.0 update to the Motorola Droid Turbo 2 earlier last month, but the roll-out was halted shortly thereafter (update details were pulled from their website) due to unknown reasons. The good news is that the software update page is live again on Verizon's website, and the carrier now says the update will start hitting the Turbo 2 units on its network today - March 1. The update will be rolled out in two parts, with the first one bumping the software version to 23.31.24, and the second part - which actually brings Marshmallow - arriving as 24.14.10. In case you don't already know, the update was already being soak tested for the past few days. Head to the Source link below for more...

Google accepts 'some responsibility' after self-driving car causes its first crash

One of the Google's self-driving cars met with a minor accident earlier this month when it hit the side of a bus. It's not like the company's autonomous vehicles haven't been involved in accidents before, but what makes this particular incident important is the fact that this was the first time a Google car actually 'caused' the crash. The crash took place in Mountain View on the Valentine's Day. Google says the accident happened when one of its self-driving Lexus RX450h - which the company claims was traveling at less than 2 miles per hour - tried to get around some sandbags in a wide lane. "We clearly bear some responsibility, because if our car hadn't moved, there wouldn't have been a collision. That said, our test driver believed the bus was going to slow or stop to allow us to merge into the traffic, and that there would be sufficient space to do that." The bus was said to be moving at about 15 miles per hour. Google said it has made "refinements" to their software following the incident. "From now on, our cars will more deeply understand that buses (and other large vehicles) are less likely to yield to us than other types of vehicles, and we hope to handle situations like this more gracefully in the...

Snapchat apologizes for revealing employee data after being hit by phishing attack

Snapchat has revealed that it was the target of a phishing attack that saw the ephemeral messaging company revealing payroll information about its employees. The company, however, said that none of its servers were breached and user data was also unaffected. "The bad news is that a number of our employees have now had their identity compromised. And for that, we're just impossibly sorry," Snapchat said in a blog post, where-in it also detailed the entire incident (head to the Source link below). Snapchat said the incident was immediately reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the affected employees have already been offered two years of free identity-theft insurance and monitoring by the...

Verizon BlackBerry Priv could be available to pre-order this week

Looks like Verizon will begin taking pre-orders for the BlackBerry Priv this week. Replying to a user query on Twitter, Jeffrey Nelson - who is the VP of Communications for Verizon's consumer and enterprise businesses - effectively confirmed that pre-orders will go live on March 3. @tvnzs @BlackBerry @VerizonNews fingers crossed!— Jeffrey Nelson (@JNels) February 29, 2016 This comes less than a couple of months after Nelson revealed that Verizon will start carrying the Android-powered handset "by the end of March (if not sooner)." The Verizon variant was certified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in December. Reports say the carrier will start selling the device on March 11, which is the same day when Samsung's newest flagships - the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge - will be released worldwide. Source |...

Google begins selling Cardboard VR Viewer on its online store

Google strangely hasn't been selling its own Google Cardboard even after more than a year of giving them away at Google I/O 2014. Well that's all changed now that Google is offering a Google Cardboard right from its own online store. Google is offering each Cardboard for $15 or 2 for $25. The Cardboard is compatible with all Android and iOS smartphones from 4 to 6 inch screens. The Google Store will also begin selling the Mattel View-Master VR Starter Pack as well as another Cardboard alternative without all the cardboard. The Tech C1-Glass VR Viewer is available from the Google Store for the same price of $15 while offering a more compact and portable VR viewer while the Mattel View-Master VR is $30. The Tech C1-Glass is compatible with the same devices as the standard Google Cardboard. Source |...

Early mockups speculate Android N UI changes

Android Police reports that it was able to get a hold of some Android N screenshots way ahead of Google I/O when the developer previews should be released. Since the screenshots were not allowed to be reposted, there were a few mockups which roughly describe the alleged changes in for Android. Starting off with the notification toggles, there will be a new paged interface while also making the customization process of the toggles easier for the user. Along with different looking app notifications in the main notification shade, there is a row of quick toggles just under the status bar which reminds us of the Ice Cream Sandwich days. These mockups are reportedly based on early Android N screenshots and could vary by the time the developer previews are available for all to download. Source |...

Lucky customer gets Galaxy S7 edge early, screenshots galore.

As T-Mobile does all the time, it ships phones early to customers who pre-ordered them. T-Mobile has been delivering phones early for pre-orders as far back as the Galaxy Note 4 with many customers already receiving shipping confirmations for their new pre-ordered Galaxy phones. Click the image to see more screenshots. XDA member: altimax98 was among the very first to take delivery of a T-Mobile Snapdragon-powered S7 edge unit and has generously shared screen shots throughout the new TouchWiz/Marshmallow interface. The UI is not far off from the updated Marshmallow UIs that have been rolling out to newer Galaxy phones within the past month or so. Check out the XDA post to see the Marshmallow-y goodness on the Galaxy S7...

2016 Volkswagen Tiguan

The Tiguan is Volkswagen's smaller SUV, slotting in below the Touareg. It's on the small side for a compact two-row crossover, but it performs well and is wrapped in conservative styling that has aged gracefully. However, the Tiguan is not stunning or exceptional in any way. It won't win any awards for its interior packaging, price tag, or tech...

Google's online store now sells third party VR headsets

Google has expanded its online hardware store in the US today, by adding a brand new category: VR. This isn't very surprising given how popular VR headsets are becoming (or, rather, how much their makers would like them to be popular). You can of course purchase Google's own Cardboard viewer, which is literally made out of cardboard, for $15 (or $25 for a two-pack). But the search giant has also added two third party VR headsets to its roster. The Mattel View-Master is basically a plastic version of the Cardboard design, which means it should be more durable. It's priced at $29.99 and it comes with a preview reel of special content. Finally, the Goggle Tech C1-Glass looks like an odd pair of, well, goggles. It's highly portable, apparently. On the flip side, it doesn't block the light around you, so overall it's less immersive than the others. You can pick one up for $14.99. Source | Via 1 • Via...

2016 Volkswagen Touareg

The 2016 Volkswagen Touareg is a lavish vehicle with a premium price. Offered alongside the brand's more mainstream models, the Touareg is really more of a rival to models with luxury badges. The Touareg isn't just the most expensive and luxurious model VW sells in the U.S. It's also the larger of two sport-utility vehicles in the company's...

UK: Get a black Lumia 950 or 950 XL on an O2 contract, receive a £75 Amazon gift card

If you're interested in Microsoft's top of the line Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL but don't want to pay the full price, there's always the option of grabbing one with an operator contract in the UK. And if you choose O2 as your network and black as the color of the phone, there's an interesting deal to be had over at Amazon. Pick a plan starting at £27.50 per month and you can get either the Lumia 950 or the Lumia 950 XL for free. Furthermore, you'll receive a £75 Amazon gift card for no additional cost. The gift card can be yours even if you opt for a more expensive contract, which you might want to do since the cheapest option only has 1GB of data (along with unlimited minutes and texts). You can go up to £39 per month and receive 10GB of data. The plans are identical for both handsets, rather intriguingly. There's no telling how long this offer will last (as per Amazon's terms and conditions it shouldn't even be available anymore, but it is), so make sure you act quick if it seems like a good deal. Source 1 • Source 2 |...

2016 Volkswagen Eos

While the Volkswagen Eos was supposed to be discontinued after the 2015 model year, Volkswagen has brought it back one more time for 2016, in a sole Komfort configuration. The 2016 Eos is a niche player in the market. It's a very well-rounded convertible that delivers performance, practicality, comfort, and relative affordability in a way that...

Lenovo is working on a 4.7-inch ZUK smartphone, rumor claims

A new rumor out of China today claims that Lenovo's sub-brand ZUK is busy working on a 'mini' smartphone of its own. This will apparently come with a 4.7-inch 720p touchscreen, thus appealing primarily to people who consider most of today's handsets too big to handle properly. The small ZUK device will be offered in two hardware options, with either 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage, or 3GB of RAM and 32GB of space. It's said to employ MediaTek's Helio P10 chipset, which comes with an octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU that can be clocked at up to 2 GHz, and the Mali-T860MP2 GPU. The phone will have a fingerprint scanner, though its placement is unclear for now. Also not known at this point is whether Lenovo will choose to simply shrink the Z1's design (shown in the image above) for this 'mini' handset, or go with something new. Other details haven't been leaked yet unfortunately, so it's impossible to tell if the international version will run Cyanogen OS (like is the case with the Z1). And pricing is still a mystery too. Hopefully this wasn't just a baseless rumor and more information about the 'mini' ZUK phone will emerge...

2016 Volkswagen Golf

The 2016 Volkswagen Golf has long been one of the benchmark models for compact hatchbacks, and today it stands as a broad family of hatchbacks and wagons, with variants ranging from frugal all-electric e-Golf models to the sporty GTI hatchbacks and the top-performance all-wheel-drive Golf R. The Golf had in recent years been stepping farther up...

16GB Moto G (3rd gen) is only $199.99 until March 7

Motorola is currently running a promotional offer for the 16GB version of its 3rd generation Moto G smartphone. This is available to you if you're in the US and use Motorola's official online store to purchase the handset (and customize it using MotoMaker if you want to). The 16GB Moto G (3rd gen) is being sold for just $199.99 until 10:59 am CT on March 7. This is $20 less than what the smartphone's normal price is. And obviously there are no carrier contracts to sign here, as the unit you buy comes unlocked. The device has 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch 720p touchscreen, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 410 SoC at the helm (with a 1.4 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU), a microSD card slot, a 13 MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash, a 5 MP selfie cam, and a 2,470 mAh battery. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow (following an update that should pop up right when you turn the phone on for the first time). Source |...

Oppo R9 will be announced on March 17

Earlier today a teaser confirmed that Oppo is getting ready to launch the R9, a possible successor to the R7 duo from last year. One thing that hasn't so far been clear is when exactly the new device will be announced. Thankfully, that's now been revealed thanks to Oppo itself. The Chinese company has plastered a very large number of ads all over subway and bus stations in China, ads that look like this one: The ads state that there will be an event on March 17, during which Oppo will out a handset that has "9" in the name. So that pretty much settles it. Unlike its predecessors, the R9 is rumored to sport some very high-end specs. It should be marketed as Oppo's top camera phone, and may include support for the company's recently unveiled Super VOOC fast charging. The Oppo R9 will allegedly have a 6-inch QHD touchscreen, a 21 MP rear camera, a 13 MP selfie snapper, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset, 3 or 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, and a 3,700 mAh battery. It should run Android 6.0 Marshmallow from day one, and could look almost identical to Apple's iPhone 6s...

Google Maps for iOS is getting the detours feature that landed on Android in October

Last October, Google added a new feature to its Maps app for Android. This allows you to easily add detours (or quick pit stops) to your route, without ever having to leave the navigation view. And now the same functionality is finally arriving inside Google Maps for iOS. It will be available everywhere Google offers navigation (which means more than 100 countries and territories worldwide). You invoke the new feature by tapping the magnifying glass at the top right of the screen whenever you're in navigation mode. This will give you a list of options, as seen in the first screenshot above. If what you're looking for isn't a gas station, restaurant, grocery store, or coffee shop, just use the last field to search a specific name or another category. Search results show you how much time you'll lose by picking that detour, as well as ratings for each place. This is meant to help you quickly choose where you want to...

Acer won't bring the Liquid Jade 2 to the UK but will sell the Jade Primo

Last week at MWC in Barcelona Acer announced the Android-running version of its much-hyped Jade Primo smartphone (which runs Windows 10 Mobile). The Android device is called Liquid Jade 2, and we have some bad news if you live in the UK and want one. It turns out that Acer will not officially be selling the Liquid Jade 2 in the UK. While an actual reason for this hasn't been given, we assume the company knows this handset wouldn't gather a lot of interest, in a sea of pretty similar Android-running offerings. The flip side of all this is that Acer is apparently anxious to be bringing the Jade Primo to the UK. It will be sold both directly to enterprise customers, but also to consumers who want it. The Primo supports Microsoft's Continuum feature in Windows 10. An exact release date for the phone isn't available yet, but we assume it's going to be in stores pretty...

Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition now up for pe-order

Microsoft has announced that the developer edition of its HoloLens augmented reality headset is now available to pre-order. Carrying a $3,000 price tag, the Windows 10 device will begin shipping in the US and Canada on March 30, which is inline with the time-frame announced last year. "Developers who purchase HoloLens will have immediate access to hundreds of UWP apps through the Windows Store - great and familiar apps like OneDrive, Maps, Remote Desktop, People, Movies & TV, Groove Music and Microsoft Office apps,"Microsoft said in a blog post. "The Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition also gives developers access to a showcase of holographic app experiences to help get them started." There is, however, currently no information on exactly when the consumer version of the device will go on...

2016 Volkswagen e-Golf

The 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf is VW's first all-electric car to be sold in North America—and you have to look twice to realize that it's operated by battery and electric motor, rather than using a gasoline or diesel engine. It's all but indistinguishable from any other seventh-generation Golf, and that decisively separates it from the Nissan...

Leap Year sale makes five top-rated iOS apps free, today only

Apple wants to emphasize the fact that 2016 is a leap year, so it's created a new app sale for iOS. As a consequence, five highly-rated apps for the company's mobile operating system are now free. If you get all of them, you save $15. The main caveat is that this deal is only available today - since February 29 is a day that only exists every four years and all that. The apps in question are Spark Camera, Tayasui Sketches+, Bridge Constructor, Super Sharp, and Windy Sleep Relax Meditate. Bridge Constructor and Super Sharp are games, while Spark Camera is obviously a camera app. Sketches+ lets you create drawings and take notes, and Windy is all about white noise sounds that calm your mind. You can find all of these in the iTunes App Store,...

2016 Volkswagen Passat

Four years ago, Volkswagen had the Passat jump the tracks and become a true mid-size sedan by American standards. While it's definitely been a success, selling better than any Passat before it in the U.S., it's still not keeping pace with rivals like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Ford Fusion. Part of that is likely due to the Passat's...

Samsung France introduces Ceramic Bracelet for Gear S2

Today, Samsung France added a new accessory for the Gear S2 smartwatch. It's a special Ceramic Bracelet compatible with the Gear S2, in beautiful black color. The new ceramic bracelet is universal at 20mm width and is made of hypoallergenic materials. It has invisible clips and weighs about 86 grams. The Ceramic Bracelet is listed only in Samsung France, but we guess other markets will be getting it soon, too. No pricing and availability have been announced yet. Meanwhile, a recent report suggests the overdue iOS compatibility, a.k.a. Gear Manager app for iOS, will be coming out this March, around the Apple's event. Fingers crossed! Source 1 • Source 2 •...

Upcoming 7-inch Galaxy Tab A and Galaxy Tab E portrayed in leaked press renders

Samsung is apparently going to unveil a couple of new 7-inch tablets soon. One will be sold as the Galaxy Tab A, while the other will bear Galaxy Tab E branding. The latter device has been leaking a lot lately, with full specs having been outed as well as a round of renders allegedly showing it. Earlier today prolific leaker Evan Blass, also known as @evleaks, has decided to make things interesting and out a new set of press renders for the 7-inch Tab E. However, accompanying it in the image you can see below is the upcoming 7-inch Galaxy Tab A. The Tab A is to the left in these shots, while the right side belongs to the Tab E. What's immediately obvious is that the E models have larger side bezels. The backs of the upcoming Tab A and Tab E devices are pretty much interchangeable. Their specs could be similar too, but that's not certain yet. The Tab E is supposedly coming with a 7-inch 1,280x800 touchscreen, a 1.3 GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and 8GB of built-in storage. It will also get a 4G-capable iteration. It will be headed to the US alongside other...

HTC Vive now available on pre-order, beware of the shipping costs

HTC is now taking pre-orders for the Steam-powered Vive VR headset, as promised. Earlier today we told you about the international pricing of the HTC Vive - the VR headset costs $799 in the USA, €899 in Europe, $817 in Australia, CAD 1,149 in Canada, £689 in the UK, and CNY 6,888 in China. The pre-orders are opened to everyone, and you can place your order for the Vive right now. Most of the markets will be getting the Vive this April while the first units in Australia will be dispatched in May. Beware of the shipping costs, though, as they turned out to be quite steep. You will have to add €60 for shipping in Europe, $110 in Australia, £58 for the UK, $30 in the USA. If you want to pre-order your HTC Vive, you should head to official store. HTC...

Android Pay said to be launching in UK in March

Google's mobile payments service Android Pay will launch in the United Kingdom in March, according a new report from British newspaper The Telegraph which cites industry sources - the report has been taken down due to unknown reasons. The service is currently only available in Google's home country of the United States, where it started rolling out back in September last year. In December 2015, the Mountain View, California-based company announced that Android Pay will be launched in Australia in H1 2016. Over in the UK, Apple's mobile payments service Apple Pay is already available, while Samsung has also announced that Samsung Pay will be launching there very soon. Via | The...

2016 Volkswagen Jetta

The 2016 Volkswagen Jetta is the best-selling VW in the States. It's a four-door sedan only these days, its five-door wagon having joined the Golf lineup. The Jetta still has fine handling and safety in its corner, but it's beginning to look quite dated. This year it gets a new, peppy, and fuel-efficient base engine, some infotainment upgrades...

Deal: Chromecast Audio available for just £14 in UK today

The Google Chromecast Audio has received a price cut in the United Kingdom, where retailer Currys is currently selling the device for just £14. That translates into a discount of £16. A quick look at the device's Google Store listing reveals a £30 price tag, meaning the discount is currently only available at Currys. Another important thing worth mentioning here is that the deal is for today only. For those who aren't already aware, Chromecast Audio - as the name suggests - is basically an audio streaming device that plugs into your speaker for streaming music through WiFi. It is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, Android devices, Mac and Windows laptop, as well as Chromebook. Source (Currys) |...

LG G5 supports QuickCharge 3.0, Galaxy S7 is only 2.0, what's that about?

One would assume that when you're fitting Qualcomm's latest and greatest chipset in a smartphone, you'd want to be making good use of all of its advantages over the competition. One would be wrong, apparently. Samsung's top-end offerings this year, the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, only support QuickCharge 2.0, and not the third iteration of Qualcom's fast charging tech, optional on the Snapdragon 820. The LG G5, on the other hand, is QuickCharge 3.0-capable. 3.0 should be up to 45% more efficient than 2.0, Qualcomm's product info states, and while it can work with USB Type-C ports, implementation with the older microUSB connectors is still possible. Why doesn't the S7 support it then, we're asking ourselves, and one potential reason is that the coexistence of Snapdragon and Exynos powered S7's calls for a unification of charging standards and the Exynos 8890 is not fully compliant with Qualcomm's specifications. On the other hand, the lack of a QuickCharge 3.0 badge on Samsung's phones doesn't necessarily mean that the S7 and S7 edge won't charge equally fast - after all, the Koreans have had a similar (and compatible) solution to Qualcomm's for past generations of Exynos-powered devices, and chargers have been interchangeable between the differently specced versions. Still, this makes for a nice argument for the LG side in the G5 vs. S7 battery debate, alongside the fact that the G5's power pack is removable, while the Galaxies have their cells sealed in. Samsung camp can counter with higher capacities and wireless charging (fast wireless too) and we can picture the ongoing forum quarrels lasting for a while. A word from Samsung on the matter would also help in understanding what exactly is the case. Thanks for the tip! Source 1 Source...

2016 Volkswagen Beetle

The 2016 Volkswagen Beetle mixes the original Bug's design elements with a thoroughly up-to-date front-drive chassis. It has shed some cuteness in the current generation, but still carries the happy look of its ancestors. It may be more of a fashion accessory than a practical choice nowadays, but it's less compromised than it once was. Wanting to...

Samsung France introduce Ceramic Bracelet for Gear S2

Today, Samsung France added a new accessory for the Gear S2 smartwatch. It's a special Ceramic Bracelet compatible with the Gear S2, in beautiful black color. The new ceramic bracelet is universal at 20mm width and is made of hypoallergenic materials. It has invisible clips and weighs about 86 grams. The Ceramic Bracelet is listed only in Samsung France, but we guess other markets will be getting it soon, too. No pricing and availability have been announced yet. Meanwhile, a recent report suggests the overdue iOS compatibility, a.k.a. Gear Manager app for iOS, will be coming out this March, around the Apple's event. Fingers crossed! Source 1 • Source 2 •...

Vivo Xplay 5 with 6GB RAM leaks in more live pictures, specs in tow

Vivo Xplay 5 has been in rumorlnad since September 2014. First it was rumored to be the first Snapdragon 810 smartphone, but then the leaks stopped suddenly. The new 2016 year brought us lots of new information on the Vivo Xplay 5 though - dual-edged screen, Snapdragon 820 chip, 6GB RAM. Apparently the Xplay 5 have been upgraded with the latest technologies on the market. The latest rumor spills the beans on the Vivo Xplay 5 major specs - a 5.43" Super AMOLED Quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB of RAM, a 16MP camera with a dual-LED flash, LTE connectivity, 128GB storage, fingerprint sensor, and a 3,600 mAh battery. Vivo Xplay 5 runs on Android, probably Marshmallow, and will be skinned with Funtouch OS with split-screen support for running two apps side by side. The most recent RAM specs, leaked on those slides and the AnTuTu test, contradict with the previous rumors and even with Vivo's confirmation on the 6GB, but there is a good chance the missing 2GB are actually given exclusively to the GPU. Or maybe a throttled version is on the way, too. The new live pictures just confirm the design with dual-edged screen and premium build. The Vivo Xplay 5 is expected to go official tomorrow in China, so stay tuned. Source 1 | Source 2 | Source...

Huawei P9 spotted in live photos, case keeps design a secret

The Huawei P9 hasn't exactly been the best kept secret, with images detailing its dual-camera setup dating as far back as October. Schematics of the smartphone came out last month followed by full-color renders, but it is only now that we get to see the P8 successor out and about. The couple of live images serve to confirm the arrangement on the back with the pair of lenses sharing a single glass panel in one, and then seemingly separate ones in the other. The dual-LED flash and possibly a laser autofocus window are both revealed, and a fingerprint sensor is where we've come to expect it from Huawei. However, the phone is fitted in a case on both occasions, so design details have been kept from prying eyes. Alleged Huawei P9 live images Not so with the other leak, which allegedly shows the P9's outer frame in the latex-clad hands of an engineer/assembly worker. Controls and ports placement checks out with existing P9 cases, so we are likely looking at the real deal. Huawei P9 outer frame As far as announcement timeframe goes, all we know for now is March, or several weeks after MWC - not overly specific. Source 1 Source 2 (both in Chinese) | Via 1 (in Dutch) Via...

Raspberry Pi celebrates four years with new Raspberry Pi 3

Raspberry Pi is celebrating four years since the launch of their first Raspberry Pi computer. The company has also announced the new Raspberry Pi 3. The new model has two major changes. The SoC has been upgraded to a new Broadcom BCM2837 with a 1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU that is 50-60% faster than the Raspberry Pi 2 and about 10x than the original Raspberry Pi. The other major change is the inclusion of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which means you no longer have to deal with additional cables just to get it online. Best of all, the Raspberry Pi 3 is priced at $35, same as the Raspberry Pi 2, which, along with the first generation model, will continue to be...

Rock, Paper, Scissors star in Google's latest Android ad

Google has posted a new Android advertisement on its YouTube channel. Its moto is "be together, not the same" and animated rock, paper, and scissors help deliver the message. Here is the commercial itself. Two months ago Google had a similar ad under the same moto. It's called Android Fingerprints and here it is, if you need a...

Samsung rises to fourth in the chip race, Qualcomm still leads

Samsung has increased its smartphone SoC share, and it's now in the Top 5 application processors designers in the world. Thanks to its Exynos expansion to the mid and low tier smartphones, the Exynos chips shipped in 2015 were about 500 million units or about 15% of the total shipped Samsung smartphones. Qualcomm keeps the leading spot, followed by Apple's solutions while the third spot is occupied by the MT silicones offered by MediaTek. Samsung's Exynos platform has now ensured the maker the fourth spot, pushing down Spredtrum at the fifth place. With the new Samsung Galaxy S7 series and other upcoming Samsung smartphones in 2016, there is a good chance Samsung solidifies and even improves its standing. Source •...

Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro stops by AnTuTu, confirms specs

The Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro is apparently nearing official status if benchmark listings are any indication. After it was spotted on GFXBench earlier this month, the upgraded variant of Samsung's 6-incher has now made its way to AnTuTu, confirming the key upgrades over the vanilla A9 (2016). For one, the 13MP primary camera gets a bump to 16MP, so the A9 Pro won't have the same sensor as the rest of the A (2016) lineup. You'd also be getting higher-res selfies than on the regular A9 - 8MP vs. 5MP. Befitting the Pro moniker, RAM is also a gig more, at 4GB. Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro on Antutu The rest is all the same as the Galaxy A9, meaning a Snapdragon 652 chipset and 32GB of storage. The older GFXBench listing put screen size at 5.5 inches, but we all know how benchmarks can get that particular bit wrong. We'd say that 6 inches is the safe bet here, even if AnTuTu stays mum on the matter. Source |...

HTC announces international pricing for the Vive VR headset

HTC already announced what the Vive VR headset is going to cost you in the US at launch (which is $799, in case you missed it). Now the company has also revealed what the device will set you back in other regions of the world. The company has listed all the regions that will be getting the device, most of which are European countries. In those regions, including countries like Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden, the Vive will be sold at €899. In Australia, the Vive is priced at US $899. In Canada it is CAD 1149, in UK it is £689, in China it is CNY 6,888, and in Japan it is JPY 111,999. You can get the full list in the link...

Xiaomi Mi 5 scores over 14 million registrations for its first sale

Xiaomi announced its newest flagship - the Mi 5 - at MWC last week. The device is all set to go on sale in China starting March 1 - tomorrow. In case you're wondering how many people have registered for tomorrow's sale, the figure stands at over 14 million. This was revealed by the Chinese company itself. That's quite impressive, and is even said to be a new record for the company as the milestone was achieved in less than a week after the $300 handset was unveiled. As for the sale, it begins 10AM China time, and will see the company offering only the white color variants of the 3GB/32GB and 3GB/64GB models. There's currently no word on when other versions, including the higher-end ceramic back variant will be available for...

Teaser confirms camera-centric Oppo R9

Oppo has released a new teaser that confirms the existence of the rumored R9 smartphone. It seems to be a camera-centric device given that the Chinese text in the teaser translates as "This time, it is worth and other '9' point. #OPPO New camera phone R9 #." Sadly nothing else was revealed, but given that the Chinese company has finally confirmed the handset, we expect to see more teasers and leaks in the coming days. A leak last year suggested that the device looks almost identical to the iPhone 6s Plus. Specs-wise, from what all has been rumored until now, the Oppo R9 will be powered by a Snapdragon 820 SoC and sport a 6-inch (1440 x 2560 pixel resolution) display. It will come with 3GB or 4GB RAM and 64GB of expandable internal memory. In terms of camera, the handset will feature 21MP rear unit and a 13MP front shooter. Packing in a 3,700 mAh battery, the R9 will run Android 6.0 Marshmallow...

Microsoft Band 2 receives an official price cut, now available for $175

If you recall, Microsoft was offering a $50 discount on its Band 2 fitness wearable until February 20. However, if for some reason you failed to take advantage of that promo, here's a new deal: the device is now officially available for $174.99. Yes, the new deal is an even better one, as the total discount in this case comes out to be $75 - Microsoft usually sells the wearable for $249.99. The promo runs through March 26 9pm PST, and is available for purchases made through online as well as retail Microsoft stores in the US. Aside from Microsoft, third party retailer Best Buy also has the device listed for $174.99. Source (Microsoft US) | Best...

T-Mobile Galaxy S7/S7 edge pre-orders shipping already

While Samsung's newest flagships - the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge - are officially scheduled to go on sale starting March 11, looks like a few lucky people in the US will have their pre-orders delivered before that date. One of the country's "big four" carriers, T-Mobile, has already started shipping the pre-orders - many of those who pre-ordered the device(s) are getting their shipment notifications. Last year too, a few lucky ones got their T-Mobile Galaxy S6 pre-orders delivered before time. In case you missed, the South Korean company's mobile chief Koh Dong-jin recently revealed that the Galaxy S7 flagship will be available in 60 countries in the first wave of its global launch. Via...

Microsoft Lumia 640 now available for less than $30 in US

The Microsoft Lumia 640 has received yet another price cut in the United States, where retailers including Best Buy and Walmart are now selling the device for $29.99. The model on offer (color option: black) is available via AT&T's GoPhone prepaid service. A quick look at the Microsoft's US Store website reveals that the Redmond, Washington-based company is offering the black-colored AT&T variant for $29, but sadly the handset is currently out of stock. If you recall, an official price cut earlier this month saw the device coming down to $49. For those who aren't already aware, the phone is in the list of Lumia devices that are set to receive the Windows 10 Mobile update - in fact, T-Mobile Poland already started rolling out the update to Lumia 640 units on its network last month. Source (Best Buy) | Walmart | Windows US...

2016 Nissan Leaf

For its sixth model year, the 2016 Nissan Leaf carries on pretty much as before—with one huge change. That's the new, longer-range battery pack standard in all but the base model, which gives a range of 107 miles—up from the previous 84 miles. Without any other significant changes beside larger touchscreen displays and some...

2016 Nissan Titan XD

The 2016 Nissan Titan XD is all-new, which is a much needed upgrade for the formerly oldest full-size truck offered in the U.S. maret. Made in Mississippi and fronted by a new 5.0-liter Cummins diesel, the 2016 Titan XD is intended to split the difference between light-duty and heavy-duty pickups, offering greater hauling and towing capability...

2016 Nissan 370Z

Over the course of this generation, Nissan's current 370Z has built on its long heritage, resulting in a thoroughly modern sports car with excellent driving dynamics and (mostly) excellent ride quality. The base car is available in either coupe or convertible form. The NISMO model is coupe-only and turns up the dial even more, for track-focused...

Best Apps and Games of the Week

These are some of the best apps and games of this week. Spark Spark is a beautiful and powerful email app for the iPhone, which is now available on the iPad. The app makes good use of the iPad's big display, with multiple panes, including an additional bar on the left with shortcuts for your calendars, attachments, inboxes, etc. There is also a Watch app now, and a sync feature that syncs mail between your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. iOS Photofy Photofy is an image editing app for iOS that is now also available on Android. Although there are many photo editing apps out there, Photofy is tastefully designed. The main feature, among the usual editing options, is the ton of template texts in beautiful fonts that you can place on your images. Or if you want, you can type out your own. The app is free but with an in-app purchase you can access all the templates and filters. iOS • Android Peach Peach is a new social network similar to Twitter. You update your status and and can see what your friends are up to. There is no traditional timeline as on Twitter or Facebook. You see your list of friends with their last status below their name and you click on their name to see a reverse chronological view of their timeline. It has some cool features, such as typing GIF and the title to search for the GIF and then directly post it. The app was previously iOS-only but is now available on Android. iOS • Android Backdrops Backdrops is a wallpaper app for Android. The app is well designed and features some beautiful images in high resolution. Android The Walking Dead: Michonne The Walking Dead: Michonne is a three part mini-series in The Walking Dead series, based on a comic book series of the same name. It explores what happens to Michonne's character after she disappears between issues #126 and #139. The first episode is out now and the remaining will be released every month from now. iOS • Android Assassin's Creed Identity Identity is a new Assassin's Creed game made specifically for the mobile platform. Although it is claimed to be an RPG game, it is mostly action-adventure. The good thing about Identity is that it feels, for the most parts, like a full-fledged Assassin's Creed game and not like a watered down mobile version. There are plenty of missions to play, lots of things to do, and the it looks great, too. iOS Love You To Bits Love You To Bits is a point and click adventure game. The game involves solving simple environmental puzzles to progress onto the next level. It's quite fun and really well animated. Worth a look, especially if you have...

2016 Nissan GT-R

In its base guise, Nissan's GT-R spins out a very healthy 545 horsepower, and a track-oriented NISMO model cranks that up to 600 hp. The 2016 GT-R ranks as one of the world's top-performing production cars. With a seemingly brutish character that hides a surprising level of capability and accessible performance, it's pretty much a class of one...

2016 Nissan Pathfinder

The 2016 Nissan Pathfinder is a large three-row crossover SUV. It's a very useful vehicle, with seating for seven. It's not quite the Pathfinder you might expect, if you haven't driven one in a few years. The Pathfinder has undergone a few big transitions in its career as a people hauler. In its latest edition, it's given up on its truck-based SUV...

Weekend poll: LG G5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

If you think about it, Samsung and LG are to "blame" for the current dominance of huge-screen handsets. Samsung got the ball rolling with the Note, LG killed off the phone/phablet distinction with the G3. This year, however, both companies pulled back and their new flagships are smaller than their predecessors: from 5.7" S6 edge+ to 5.5" S7 edge, from 5.5" G4 to 5.3" LG G5. Their screens have another thing in common too, Always On mode. The two diverge when it comes to the camera. The G5 has a secondary wide-angle camera while Samsung focused on low-light shooting and ultra-fast focus locks. The Galaxy S7 edge is not nearly as locked down as the S6 before it. No, you still can't change the battery, but you get your microSD slot back and water resistance too (IP68). The LG G5 went all metal and LG used a unique process to hide the unsightly antenna lines. The killer feature, however, is modularity - currently, a camera battery grip (with extra hardware controls) and a hi-fi DAC from Bang & Olufsen give you the option to upgrade your G5 even after purchasing it. Well, you've probably read our thoughts on the LG G5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, now we want to hear what you think. Vote away! You have until next weekend to...