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Articles by Cortana Update Ushers
Android TV: The History Of The Nexus Player
For many people the Nexus Player has changed the way in which they consume TV. This is irrespective of whether any of those people ever owned the device, as the Nexus Player was the first device made available to consumers running on Android TV. It was the proof-of-concept product for the platform and one which paved the way for the rest of the TV boxes and TVs powered by Android TV that followed suit.
Sharp Plans IGZO & OLED Panel Production Expansion In 2018
Sharp is planning IGZO and OLED panel production expansion this year according to a new report, while it also aims to cut back on production of its a-Si and LTPS panels. Sharp is not a brand you will find much of in regards to smartphones in the U.S. but you find many of its TVs some of which do utilize the IGZO panel, and there are other smartphones which utilize this panel as well, such as the Razer Phone.
Samsung India Prematurely Reveals Galaxy J7 Prime 2
Samsung India on Friday prematurely revealed the Galaxy J7 Prime 2, having launched the product page of its next Android mid-ranger before the handset has been officially announced. While the company often introduces its non-flagship devices without much fanfare, it generally avoids doing so for mid-rangers targeted at India and the move itself is understood to be a misstep given how the page in question has been taken down shortly after going live.
TIDAL Gains Android Auto & Fire TV Support
TIDAL has gained Android Auto and Fire TV support recently. More specifically, you can now listen to TIDAL in your car through the Android Auto connection once you’ve plugged your phone in, and there is now an application on Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. For the Fire TV users, the app comes with a customized interface and TIDAL boasts that it was designed in a way to make finding and enjoying the TIDAL content easy and seamless and that it looks best on big-screen devices.
Weekly Poll: Should U.S. Retailers Be Carrying Huawei Devices?
Huawei is the third largest smartphone brand globally, and yet, it has little presence in the U.S., and that presence is about to get smaller following a few big announcements surrounding the brand over the past few months, the most recent being that Best Buy has decided to stop selling Huawei products, which includes smartphones, smartwatches and other devices that you could find at its retail stores and on its website.
Researchers Solve Lithium-Air Batteries' Longevity Problem
Batteries that generate and pass electrons through chemical reactions involving a pure lithium metal conductor and ambient air have a big drawback in the form of a life cycle that typically only lasts a month or so, but researchers with Argonne National Lab, with some help from some figures in the world of academia, have figured out how to stop many of the side reactions that occur during the main energy-producing reaction, making the batteries last far longer.
Nokia 7 Plus' Official Wallpapers Now Available For Download
HMD Global had introduced the Nokia 7 Plus at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) which took place last month, and the official wallpapers for this handset have just popped up. If you would like to check out the full collection, consult the gallery down below, though do keep in mind that wallpapers have been compressed, but you can download them in original size by clicking the ‘Download’ button down below.
AT&T Cannot Force Arbitration In Throttling Case, Judge Says
Major carrier AT&T cannot force customers in California into individual arbitration in a case involving throttling on supposedly unlimited data plans, according to the same judge that originally laid down the decision that the carrier could do so. This is due to a ruling in a case involving Citibank that essentially amounted to a change in the law surrounding arbitration clauses in consumer-facing contracts.
Deal: Sony (WI-1000X) Noise Cancelling Wireless In Ear Headphones for $198 - 3/23/18
Sony’s popular WI-1000X Noise Cancelling Wireless In-Ear Headphones are currently on sale for $198. That’s good for $100 off of its regular price and is also good for $30 below the previous all-time low. That makes this a great time to pick up a pair of the WI-1000X’s and enjoy some awesome noise cancellation. The WI-1000X are part of the popular MDR-1000X lineup that was rebranded last fall.
OnePlus 6's Specs Appear In Sketchy Leak; SD845, 6GB Of RAM
The OnePlus 6’s specs have just surfaced yet again, and this leak is just as sketchy as the last one, which popped up a couple of days ago with the phone’s alleged price tag. If you take a look at the image down below, you will be able to see a printed out spec sheet for the OnePlus A6000 aka OnePlus 6, though basically anyone could have created this table and list down those specs, while the source of the leak also doesn’t seem familiar. This leak does come from China, that much is certain.
Deal: AUKEY Latitude Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for $18 w/ Code - 3/23/18
AUKEY has discounted its fairly popular Latitude Wireless Bluetooth Headphones, dropping the price down to just $17.99. These are normally priced at $25.99, however when you use the promo code BEF82NBW at checkout, you can save an additional $8 on these earbuds. These Latitude Wireless Bluetooth Headphones are a great pair to pick up, especially since they are inexpensive.
Some Samsung Galaxy S9 Users Reporting Dead Touchscreen Spots
Samsung is investigating “a limited number of reports” claiming select Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus units shipped with manufacturing defects causing dead touchscreen spots where the display panels of the devices don’t respond to input, a company spokesperson told Engadget.
Twitch Brings Extensions To Both Android & iOS
Twich has just announced that extensions are now available for mobile devices (both Android and iOS platforms), around six months after they were released for desktops. The streaming platform noted that many of its users have requested for the feature to be implemented on its mobile apps, and this functionality permits streamers and viewers to interact in new ways.
Android-Powered Moto G6 Plus Certified Ahead Of Release
The Moto G6 Plus has passed through the certification process of Taiwanese telecom regulator NCC (National Communications Commission). This could mean that the handset will be launched in the Asian country in the near future. The device tested by the NCC is identified by the model number XT1926-5 and the listing on the website of the Taiwanese regulator shows that the device will support NFC.
China Still Blocking Qualcomm's $44 Billion NXP Bid
China’s antitrust watchdog remains the only competent regulator in the world that has yet to approve Qualcomm’s proposed $44 billion acquisition of Dutch NXP Semiconductors, having forced the San Diego, California-based company to once again extend its cash tender offer for all of the firm’s outstanding shares on Friday. The new deadline is set for Monday, April 2, and is likely to be extended as well, with China showing no indication of being close to approving the consolidation.
HTC Goes All In With U12 Plus 2018 Flagship Bet: Report
HTC is going all in with its U12 Plus bet as the company isn’t planning on releasing any other Android flagships over the course of this year, HTC Source reported Friday, citing a source close to the firm. The development comes shortly after the tech giant started converging its virtual reality and mobile units across the world and approximately three months following initial reports that HTC is looking to release fewer smartphone models in 2018.
Vivo V9 Arrives To India With Face Unlocking, Display Notch
Vivo had introduced its Vivo V9 smartphone yesterday in China, and the device has just arrived to India as well. Only a day after its initial launch, Vivo opted to host a press conference in India, and the company has announced the exact same smartphone as in China. The phone is made out of metal and glass, while it sports a display notch, like many other Chinese smartphones these days.
Samsung Still Unfazed By Threat Of China's Chip Industry
Samsung Electronics remains unfazed by the potential threat of China’s chip industry catching up with its solutions and providing the company with added competition, Device Solutions Division chief Kim Ki-nam said Friday during a shareholder meeting.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Components Cost Over $375: IHS
Samsung’s Galaxy S9 Plus is $43 more expensive to make than the Galaxy S8 Plus, according to the latest estimate from IHS Markit. The market research company’s findings indicate the base model of the tech giant’s latest 6.2-inch Android flagship has a bill of materials amounting to $375.80, thus dwarfing any other Samsung-made handset to date in terms of manufacturing costs and being around the price of the iPhone X.
Top US CEO's Heading To China Development Forum Amid Trade War
CEO’s of Apple, Google and IBM are slated to be heading to China this weekend for the China Development Forum, which is a bit of an awkward time. After President Trump signed new tariffs on China yesterday, triggering a trade war (one that China has already fired back on). The China Development Forum is not a new event, but rather an annual gathering of Western corporations to help build relationships with the Chinese government.
POWERUP 3.0 App-Controlled Paper Airplane Kit Hits Amazon
Paper airplanes are a beloved childhood memory but the simple planes of our collective memory can’t compete with the new POWERUP 3.0, a smartphone-controlled paper airplane conversion kit, available now on Amazon for $46.47, down from the regular price of $49.99.
Analysts: Carriers Will Return To Year-Over-Year ARPU Revenue Growth in 2018
The wireless industry has plateaued a bit in recent years, but according to some analysts at Deutsche Bank Markets Research, all four carriers will return to year-over-year service revenue growth this year. However, the analysts do note that this isn’t expected to happen all at once, but throughout the year. These analysts also pointed out that all four major carriers have not had year-over-year service revenue growth since 2014.
Virtex Arena Android AR App Expands From Football To Baseball
The developers at Virtex Apps have announced that they are ready to take their in-stadium AR gaming experience, available on the Google Play Store as Virtex Arena, beyond football to include baseball. For those who may not be aware, the team first revealed Virtex Arena as a way for fans of the sport to get involved in AR games during intermissions at professional games. Players would effectively use the app to play on-field games tied to the sport against other game attendees.
When Streaming Apps Compete, Cable Companies Lose
Traditional cable companies are already losing the battle for your living room, and things are only getting worse as the companies that kicked them out of customers’ houses and the media production entities at the root of the entire process begin to fight amongst themselves. Unfortunately, with the way things are going now, consumers will see more fragmentation and higher overall cost to get the products that they want.
KT Commercializing 5G In March 2019, Calls FWA Backward
South Korean wireless carrier KT is set to start commercializing 5G connectivity 12 months from now, having confirmed plans to being deployment in March of 2019. The company’s network chief Oh Seong-mok specifically referred to the upcoming buildout as being aimed at enabling true mobile service and not a fixed wireless access solution that some telecom giants like Verizon have been pursuing in other parts of the world.
Huawei Mate 20 To Have In-Screen Fingerprint Reader: Report
The Huawei Mate 20 planned to be released in the second half of the year will feature an in-screen fingerprint reader from Qualcomm, DigiTimes reported Friday, citing industry sources close to the Chinese company.
Cardiogram Could Predict Heart Problems Via Smartwatches
A new study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) seems to suggest that proactive, life-saving heart monitoring can be performed with just about any heart-rate-enabled smartwatch and the Cardiogram Android app. The claim is not that it can necessarily pinpoint a specific disease but that it can accurately detect specific types of abnormal heart rhythms. Moreover, it can detect those with an accuracy of 97-percent.
5G Android Phone Sales To Be Minor Until 2021: Analysts
Sales of Android and other 5G-enabled smartphones will be minor until at least 2021, according to a number of recent predictions outlined by market research firm Strategy Analytics.
Telegram Debuts Sticker Search & Announces 200M Monthly Active Users
Telegram has announced that it is rolling out a major update to its app on both Android and iOS (Android getting version 4.8.5 and iOS getting version 4.8), but also announced that it now has 200 million monthly active users. That’s a big milestone for Telegram, but still puts it far behind the top two messaging apps: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, which are both over a billion. With Telegram v4.8.5, there are three major features being debuted here.
Budget-Minded Oculus Go Makes An Appearance At GDC 2018
Facebook has taken the opportunity provided by the 2018 Game Developers Conference (GDC) to show off its new Oculus Go VR headset and to reveal some of its specs. Although the standalone headset has been publicly known since at least October, the showing gave visitors a better understanding of what the package is comprised of. For those who may not recall, the headset works similarly to others built for use with smartphones.
Android P Is Reportedly Already In Testing For Chrome OS
Android P is reportedly already in testing for Chrome OS according to some recently discovered wording from a commit over at the Chromium Review. The text in that commit reads Hook up _P tests to android-container-pi builds. There is little here to go off of in regards to what the testing includes, but it does highlight that Android P testing for Chrome OS machines like Chromebooks and Chrome Boxes is already underway.
VR: HTC Needs To Bring Vive Focus To The U.S.
Virtual reality technology is still at a point where the average consumer is not necessarily convinced that it’s a technology that they need to own, and for the most part they might be right. For all of VR’s exciting leaps and introductions to new and experiences, it’s still having trouble gaining traction in the mainstream. This shouldn’t be too hard to grasp. VR in most of its forms is still expensive. If the headset is cheap, it still needs a phone that supports it.
The New York Times Launched A David Bowie AR Experience
The New York Times has launched a David Bowie AR experience for those who want to take a tour through his “visual legacy” to see things from a completely new perspective. Whether or not you are big on augmented reality technology, if you’re a Bowie fan then this is something you may want to check out, and doing so is rather easy, though you will need a couple of things.
3D Avatars Are The Future Of Everything, AR Emoji Creators Say
Augmented reality solutions and 3D avatars in particular are a technology segment “that is going to catch everything,” according to Mahesh Ramasubramanian, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Loom.ai, the company behind the platform powering Samsung’s AR Emoji on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.
Electronic Deals - March 23, 2018: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet, Sony BRAVIA TV & More
Today, you can save about $30 on the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet. Making it a great time to pick up this tablet for your kids. This tablet comes in at just $99 now, which is a great price for a tablet period, never mind one geared towards kids. Amazon has built-in a slew of parental controls into this tablet, so that parents are able to control what apps and content their kids are able to see, and also how long they can spend on the tablet.
Google & Co-Sponsors Launch Change The Game Design Challenge
Google is continuing its Change the Game initiative, geared at empowering women in the mobile gaming industry, through the co-sponsorship of a new contest it calls the Change the Game Design Challenge. The new challenge goes beyond the parameters laid out by that initial effort by centering around the upcoming generation of content creators. More directly, the goal is to entice teenagers who might aspire to be game makers to show off their vision of the industry’s future.
Pioneer's VSX-LX103 Elite Receiver Comes With Chromecast
Pioneer’s VSX-LX103 Elite 7.2 Channel network receiver comes with Chromecast built-in, and that means anyone with this receiver installed in their home will have an easy way to stream a cornucopia of music services (like Google Play Music, Spotify, and others) right to the receiver for easy listening by way of whatever speakers are connected to the receiver.
Slack Unveils New Policies As Part Of Compliance With GDPR
The popular productivity chat app Slack has announced new policies for workspace owners and admins, which the company says were announced to maintain compliance with E.U. law encompassed in General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules. However, the new policies themselves aren’t likely to make many users very happy. They effectively allow owners and admins in a Slack workspace to access self-service tools for both importing and exporting all data within a workspace.
Huawei P20 Lite / Nova 3e Wallpapers: Download
The Huawei P20 Lite was announced quite recently in Poland, and a set of official wallpapers from this smartphone is now available. Do keep in mind that these wallpapers have been taken from the Huawei Nova 3e, though, which is essentially the P20 Lite for the Chinese market. If you opt to hit that download button, you will get seven official wallpapers that have been taken from the Huawei P20 Lite. Most of those wallpapers show abstract images, though one landscape one is also available.
Nokia 1 & 7 Plus Are Available For Pre-Order In The UK
The Nokia 1 and Nokia 7 Plus are now available for pre-order on Amazon UK. Both of these devices were introduced last month during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, and we’re looking at Android Go and Android One smartphones here, respectively. The Nokia 1 comes in Dark Blue and Warm Red color variants, and it is priced at £79.99, while the Nokia 7 Plus can be purchased in Black and Copper color options, and it costs £349.99 on Amazon UK.
Lava Z50 Android Go Smartphone Launches In India For $68
Lava had introduced its Go Edition smartphone last month, and it’s now launching it in India. The device in question is called the Lava Z50, and it will be available for purchase for only Rs. 4,400 $67.63 in the country really soon, Rs. 2,400 ($37) if you count in the Rs. 2,000 cash back. The Lava Z50 ships with Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition software, which essentially means that a special version of Android comes pre-installed here, a version of smartphones with 1GB or less RAM.
GearBest Deals: OnePlus 5T & Xiaomi Mi Box With Coupons
GearBest Deals: OnePlus 5T & Xiaomi Mi Box With Coupons OnePlus’ flagship, the OnePlus 5T (6GB RAM variant), and the Xiaomi Mi Box (global variant) are now discounted on GearBest, and if you utilize the coupon codes provided down below, you will be able to save some extra cash on top of those discounts.
OPPO A1 Announced In China Without A Fingerprint Scanner
Following the OPPO R15 and R15 Pro (aka Dream Mirror Edition) announcements, the company has just introduced yet another new phone, the OPPO A1. The OPPO A1 is inferior to both the OPPO R15 and R15 Pro, but it’s also quite a bit more affordable. The device’s design, some specs, and availability info have been revealed, but OPPO is yet to release the phone’s full spec sheet, so keep that in mind.
Instagram Brings Back Chronological Feed
Instagram is bringing back the chronological feed, sort of, as it’s made some new changes to the feed that are aimed at improving the experience for the user. As to the changes, and why this is only “sort of” the return of the chronological feed is because the newest posts are not necessarily guaranteed to show up at the top of your feed and then go from newest to oldest.
Xiaomi May Utilize Brand To Dominate India TV Market
It’s no secret that Xiaomi is betting big on its television business in India but the company’s strategy may very well place it ahead of the curve in dominating that market. For starters, the smartphone and electronics manufacturer already leads in smartphone sales over its competitors in that sphere, most of which also happen to compete in the TV market. That gives its brand a level of recognition that is arguably above or at least on par with those other companies, such as LG, Samsung, or Sony.
Amazon Files Patent for A Drone That Can Recognize Gestures
In yet another innovation on the way packages might someday be delivered, Amazon has filed a patent submission for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) that can recognize human gestures and react accordingly.
Deal: CHOETECH T511 Qi Wireless Charging Pad for $8 w/ Code - 3/22/18
CHOETECH has discounted one of its more inexpensive Qi Wireless Charging Pads, bringing it down to $8 from $12. That’s not a huge decrease in the price, but definitely worth picking up at this price. However, you will need to use the promo code APGIVE20 at check out. This wireless charging pad from CHOETECH is a pretty simplistic one here, which is going to go well with really any decor.
Cortana Update Ushers In Calls & Texts By Voice
The latest Cortana update ushers in calls and texts by voice making it possible for you to call up a friend or family member or send them a message just by speaking to Microsoft’s digital assistant. Though Cortana may not be as robust or feature-rich as Google Assistant, calling and texting via voice input is going to make communicating with people that much easier if Cortana is the digital assistant you choose.
Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9 Plus Now Available at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon & Other Retailers
Samsung’s next big thing is finally here. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are officially available at all four carriers in the US, as well as other retailers like Amazon, B&H Photo and Samsung.com. The Galaxy S9 starts at $719 and the Galaxy S9 Plus at $839, though if you are buying through the carriers, you may see higher prices depending on the carrier – which is quite normal with flagship smartphones.
Amazon Offering A Free 60-Day Trial For Music Unlimited
Amazon, today, kicked off an extended free trial for its Music Unlimited service. Instead of offering just 30 days for trying out Amazon Music Unlimited, the retailer has doubled the free trial length to 60 days. Giving everyone plenty of time to try out Amazon Music Unlimited before needing to pay for the service. All you need to do is hit this link and hit the “Redeem Now’ button on the page. You’ll then sign up for Amazon Music Unlimited.
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