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Google Initiative Brings Chromebooks & Wi-Fi To School Buses
Google has now announced it is expanding its ‘Rolling Study Halls’ initiative in the US. The company explained in a posting today how the initiative has been in testing since 2016, although only primarily in two school districts. In contrast, Google has now confirmed the initiative is not only coming to the Deer Trail School District in Colorado, but plans are underway for Rolling Study Halls to also become accessible in sixteen additional school districts in due course.
Samsung Galaxy S8, Note 8 Gaining Always-On Display GIF Support
Samsung Galaxy S8, Note 8 Gaining Always-On Display GIF Support Last year’s flagship Samsung smartphones are getting a new update that will allow for more media types to be shown via the Always-On display mode. Specifically, those devices in the Galaxy S8 family and the Galaxy Note 8 will now be able to utilize animated GIF images that will show even when the display is dimmed in Always-On mode. The images will be static most of the time but will play through when the device is first locked.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Family Officially Hits End Of Life
Samsung Galaxy S6 Family Officially Hits End Of Life Samsung’s Galaxy S6 family consisting of the original Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, and the rugged Galaxy S6 Active, officially reached its end of life and will no longer receive any sort of updates from Samsung, security or otherwise. All said and done, the phones will be ending their lives running Android 7.0 Nougat with the February 5, 2018 Android Security Patch on board.
Google Files Patent For A Laptop With Dual Displays
Google has filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a laptop computer equipped with a dual-display. The patent document reveals what looks like a 2-in-1 laptop computer, though unlike a typical convertible, the one being patented by the search giant does not seem to transform into the tablet mode by just rotating on its hinge and moving its keyboard to the back of the laptop, leaving it exposed to open view and unintended keystrokes.
Google's AutoML Vision Can Identify Ramen By Shop
Looking at the ramen bowls in the image above, you would guess that only a seasoned aficionado would be able to tell which specific shop in Japan they all come from, but researcher Kenji Doi took a different route by using Google’s AutoML Vision tool to train an artificial intelligence program to do it.
Cloudflare Introduces A More Private DNS Resolver
Cloudflare has introduced a new DNS resolver, which is both named and situated at 1.1.1.1, that may go further than any other towards keeping users’ web browsing data private. Better still, its promise to not collect that information should equate to a faster, smoother browsing experience, to begin with. That’s because DNS resolvers work by matching URL addresses to the IP address (or addresses) of a given domain.
Uber Car Involved In Tempe Crash Wasn't Using NVIDIA Tech
NVIDIA’s founder and chief executive officer Jensen Huang recently clarified what type of technology the company provides to Uber’s autonomous driving program and asserted that the firm’s self-driving platform was not used in the recent fatal incident that saw a driverless Uber kill a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. The NVIDIA chief told CNBC that Uber’s self-driving technology is different than that of NVIDIA, saying the former developed its own sensing and driving software.
Trump's Campaign Spent $158K On Amazon, Despite Concerns With The Retailer
President Trump has been voicing concerns about Amazon for quite some time – even before he was elected – however, these concerns have taken center stage recently. CBS News recently did some digging and found out that his campaign spent around $158,000 on Amazon for office supplies throughout the election, and even continued using Amazon for supplies after taking office last year, spending $2,000 in 2017.
Deal: ECOVACS DEEBOT N79S Robot Vacuum Cleaner for $179 - Today Only
ECOVACS has discounted its latest robot vacuum cleaner, the DEEBOT N79S to just $179.98. That’s good for $70 or 28% off of its regular price, which makes this a great time to pick up this Alexa-compatible robot vacuum cleaner. Remember that this is part of Amazon’s Gold Box Deal of the Day, so it is good today only. The DEEBOT N79S is a robot vacuum cleaner that does have an app for both Android and iOS, so no matter which smartphone you use, you can control the DEEBOT N79S with your smartphone.
Samsung Becomes Largest U.S. Patent Holder, Ends IBM's Lead
Samsung is now the largest patent holder in the United States, boasting a portfolio of 75,596 valid patents in the country as of January 1. According to global patent journal IAM, the milestone can largely be attributed to Samsung’s high level of involvement in many technical areas where it actively seeks to acquire patent rights. IBM held the title of the largest U.S. patent holder for 25 consecutive years until 2018, as per the same source.
April 2018 Security Update Is Live For Nexus & Pixel Devices
The new Android Security Patch for April is now live, with both OTA and factory images up for download for all Pixel devices and even a few Nexus devices. If you have any device in the Pixel or Pixel 2 family, including the Pixel C, you’ll be able to download both OTA and factory images. Those still clinging to the slightly older Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P can also get this new update straight from Google in either form.
Mini LED Won't Overtake OLED In The Near Future - Report
According to new analysis from the TrendForce subdivision WitsView, the recent lull in OLED production won’t necessarily create a gap for Mini LED technology to fill in the short term. That prediction mostly comes down to the cost-effectiveness of each respective type of technology. WitsView predicts that the latter will best serve in the production of niche devices and units with higher profit margins, such as flagships.
OnePlus 6 Name Seemingly Confirmed By WFA Certificate
The “OnePlus 6” moniker has seemingly been confirmed by the Wi-Fi Alliance earlier today, with the standards agency publishing a certificate attached to what appears to be the next Android flagship from the Chinese phone maker. Even though the company is still avoiding committing to any particular name in an official capacity, the newly emerged WFA listing and a number of previous benchmark sightings suggest its upcoming high-end mobile offering will be marketed as the OnePlus 6.
Pre-Order Jabra's Elite 65e Wireless In-Ear Headphones For $199
Jabra announced its latest pair of in-ear headphones last month, in the Elite 65e, and now those are available for pre-order. These in-ear headphones are priced at $199, and will be shipping beginning on April 30. The Jabra Elite 65e are only available in one color, Titanium Black, at this point. Though Jabra may begin offering it in more colors in the near future.
Meizu 15 & 15 Plus Android Phablets Leak In Real-Life Images
Several real-life images depicting what are said to be the Meizu 15 and Meizu 15 Plus Android smartphones appeared online earlier today, having originally emerged on Chinese social media network Weibo.
A More Pure Site Isolation Could Arrive In Chrome 67
According to a recent Twitter post from Nasko Oskov and a subsequent response from Googler Justin Schuh, Google’s Chrome Browser may be getting a security boost soon with site isolation enabled by default. The tweet itself is intended to get as many people examining the feature for “functional bugs” before release so that the transition goes smoothly. That’s because its currently in testing in Google’s Chrome Beta program.
ESPN+ Confirmed To Be Launching April 12 For $4.99/Month
ESPN has confirmed that its new subscription streaming service will be launching this month. The sports media company, that is jointly owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications, already offers a number of traditional cable TV channels but has made no secret of its plans to enter the streaming market. Now, however, the company has finally confirmed that its new service, dubbed ESPN+, will be launching April 12 in the United States.
Black Shark's Specs Surface, Xiaomi-Backed Phone Coming Soon
Black Shark has teased the arrival of a Xiaomi-backed gaming smartphone quite recently, and the phone’s specs have just surfaced yet again. Black Shark had confirmed via its official Weibo (Chinese social network) page, that the device will be fueled by the Snapdragon 845 64-bit octa-core processor, while the device is expected to compete with the Razer Phone, and Nubia’s upcoming gaming smartphone.
Deal: Wemo Mini Smart Plug for $25 - 4/2/18
Amazon currently has the Wemo Mini Smart Plug available for just $24.99. That’s a great price, and does bring it back down to its all-time lowest price. This Mini Smart Plug is usually priced around $39.99. The Wemo Mini Smart Plug is a great product to pick up if you are looking to get started in making your home “smart”. A smart plug is able to make virtually anything smart. Of course, the most common use-case is for using it with a lamp.
T-Mobile To See Slower Growth In Q1 2018: Analysts
T-Mobile can expect its growth to slow down over the first quarter of 2018 and is likely to generate approximately 614,000 new net postpaid handset additions, as per the latest prediction from Wells Fargo picked up by FierceWireless. The company’s Q1 2018 performance still isn’t expected to be characterized as unusual given how the initial three months of every calendar year almost always see a decline in wireless performance following a period of aggressive holiday sales.
LG Patents VR Headset With Highly Adjustable Display & Camera
LG Electronics has won a new patent from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that appears to describe a head-mounted display with a camera and new display adjustment method. More directly, the patent – published under WIPO publication number WO/2018/056473 on March 29 – seems to allow both the display and focal lenses to be adjusted via external controls.
Deal: Amazon Echo Spot For $109 - 4/2/18
Amazon has dropped the price of the Echo Spot, bringing it down to just $109 right now. That’s good for $20 off of its regular price, and it is also one of the very few price drops that the Echo Spot has seen since it launched a few months ago. So if you’ve been looking to get in on the Echo Spot, now is definitely the time to do so. The Echo Spot is a great Echo to pick up for a few reasons, but largely because it has a display.
Xiaomi Mi Band 3's Setup Tutorial Leaks Via Screenshots
Huami Technologies’ CEO, Huang Wang, recently confirmed that the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is coming, and some of its UI has just surfaced. If you take a look at the image down below, you will be able to see what seems to be a set-up tutorial for the Xiaomi Mi Band 3. This image was shared AndroidTR, and it seems like a user who shared it is translating Xiaomi’s Mi Fit application to the Spanish language, and he received these UI elements in advance, which also signals the arrival of the Mi Band 3.
Trump's China Trade War Will Make 5G Rollouts Tougher
Recently, President Trump has been declaring a trade war with China – the country that holds the majority of the US’ debt. And has even squashed a potential deal between Broadcom and Qualcomm, keeping the Chinese out of the US’ 5G network plans. For the US wireless carriers, however, this makes everything a bit tougher, to rollout a 5G network. Being first to roll out a 5G network is going to important, as the carrier that does so, will be able to pick up more market share.
Hudly Wireless Gives Drivers Clear Display, Companion App
No matter how good you think you are at using your phone while driving, a heads-up display helps, and startup Hudly wants to make the concept more accessible with a new Hudly Wireless model that brings a clear view and wireless capabilities to a product lineup that can already cast any app from your phone onto a separate dash-mounted display.
Google Working On Mid-Range Pixel Phone For India: Report
According to a recent report from Economic Times citing unnamed industry executives, Google may be planning to release a new Pixel-branded smartphone this year, designed primarily for emerging markets like India. The smartphone would fit in the mid-range category and could launch in India later this summer as part of the Internet search giant’s efforts to establish a retail foothold in the region and compete with industry juggernauts including Samsung and Apple.
Samsung Galaxy J8 & J8 Plus (2018) Battery Capacities Leak
A photo seemingly depicting the batteries supposed to power the upcoming Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) and Galaxy J8 Plus (2018) emerged online recently, suggesting that the former model will employ a 3,000mAh unit, while the latter will make use of a larger 3,500mAh battery. On the most part, the battery information revealed by the leaked image completes the hardware puzzle of the upcoming smartphone series, as most other specifications were previously revealed by benchmarks and other sources.
Niantic Pays $1.5M In Pokemon GO Fest Lawsuit Settlement
Niantic has agreed to pay out more than $1.5 million as part of a settlement for a class action suit filed by the dismayed attendees of its botched Pokémon GO festival last July. The amount will be used to refund the costs participants paid for various things including hotel accommodations, airfare, car rentals, parking fees, and other costs they may have incurred during the failed event.
Facebook "Will Dig Through This Hole," Mark Zuckerberg Says
Facebook “will dig through this hole” even though doing so is likely to “take a few years,” co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in a recent interview with Vox’s Ezra Klein, referring to the company’s issues which started with the Cambridge Analytica scandal in mid-March and have since snowballed into a wider debate on digital privacy and the manner in which Facebook should and shouldn’t be regulated.
Google Fixes Pixel 2 MMS Bug, Some Users Still Affected
As of March 27, Googlers claim that a problem preventing Pixel 2 users from receiving either MMS or group messages has been fixed. That should mean no more error messages or failed downloads of group or picture messages. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case for everybody involved and several users are still complaining that the issue is ongoing.
OnePlus 6 Name Now Official, OEM Teases "The Speed You Need"
OnePlus on Monday officially confirmed the name of its upcoming Android flagship, having taken to Twitter to post a short OnePlus 6 teaser that can be seen below and claims the device will deliver “the speed you need.” The moniker of the handset has already been mentioned by a newly uncovered Wi-Fi Alliance certificate earlier today, though it’s presently unclear whether that particular sighting prompted the company to speed up its plans and disclose the name of the smartphone earlier than it...
Some Concerns Have Been Raised About Sony's New CEO
There appears to be some concern at Sony about whether or not its new CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida, can find new ways for the company to continue being profitable. That’s according to new reports which cite market analysts and several unnamed sources from within the company. The primary concern seems to center around the fact that Yoshida previously held the position as Sony’s chief finance officer.
YouTube Teams With Genius To Tell The Stories Behind Songs
A new project has been announced between YouTube and the community-driven media company Genius, called Song Stories, that aims to provide insight into the life experiences that helped shape the music. The concept itself is not necessarily anything new and is actually reminiscent of a product that began airing on TV’s VH1 music channel in 1997 – namely the Behind The Music video series.
Report: John Giannandrea Steps Down As Head Of Search & AI At Google
According to a report out of The Information today, John Giannandrea is stepping down from his role in the artificial intelligence arm of Google, in an AI shuffle that’s happening right now. Giannandrea was the head of search and AI at Google. Giannandrea is going to be sticking with Google, however, despite stepping down. He plans to be “more hands on with technology”.
Motorola G6 Play Sighted In Leaked Promo Materials
A set of supposedly official marketing materials for the Moto G6 lineup appeared online on Sunday, having been obtained and shared by known industry insider Roland Quandt. The images that can be seen in the gallery below all depict the Moto G6 Play, with the exception of the final render showing the back of a handset with a dual-camera setup that’s said to belong to the Moto G6 Plus.
AT&T Launches Sonim XP8 "Ultra-Rugged" Android Smartphone
AT&T has announced a new smartphone offering in the form of the Sonim XP8, an “ultra-rugged” device from Sonim meant to become available for purchase on April 30. The network operator claims the device is designed to meet or exceed the MIL-STD-810G durability standard, being resistant to extreme temperatures, shock, and humidity.
HTC U12 Plus Android Flagship To Launch In May: Report
The HTC U12 Plus Android flagship will launch in early May, Focus Taiwan reported Monday, citing industry sources close to the Taipei-based original equipment manufacturer. Insiders believe HTC consciously avoided introducing a new high-end offering earlier in the year so as to prevent a scenario in which its new handset has to take the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and Sony’s Xperia XZ2 lineups head-on.
MediaTek Successfully Completes 2nd Annual SDTP In Taiwan
MediaTek has announced today that it has successfully completed this year’s MediaTek Smartphone Design Training Program (SDTP) in Taiwan, which saw participation from no fewer than 19 smartphone component manufacturers. That’s according to a press release from MediaTek, and is significant because it’s actually only the second year that the annual expertise-sharing program has been run.
Moto G6, G6 Play US Pricing Revealed By Retailer
The Moto G6 and the Moto G6 Play both showed up over the weekend on the Fry’s Electronics website, suggesting the two phones are moving ever closer to an official launch announcement from Motorola. Considering the devices have yet to be made official, their respective pages on Fry’s have since been removed. Though cache versions of both pages are still accessible through the links below.
Hangouts Meet Can Now Call US, Canadian Phone Numbers For Free
Google’s Hangouts Meet for G Suite can now be used to call phone numbers outside of those that are linked to Hangouts. That’s according to a new announcement made via the official company blog, which says the feature should finish rolling out over the next few days. That’ll be the same in both rapid release and scheduled release variations of all editions of G Suite, so some users should already be able to take advantage of it. There are really only three caveats to its use.
Samsung To Post Almost $14 Billion In Q1 2018 Profit: Report
Samsung is expected to post the equivalent of $13.81 billion in operating profit for the first quarter of 2018, market analytics firm WISEfn forecasts, as reported by BusinessKorea. The figure represents an annual improvement of almost 50-percent, with the company generating approximately $9.31 billion in profit over the same period last year. The Seoul-based original equipment manufacturer is also expected to record $57.8 billion worth of sales in the first three-month spell of 2018.
Exclusive: Moto G6 Play Confirmed Features In Detail
Late last week, AndroidHeadlines provided comprehensive details on Motorola’s upcoming Moto G6 smartphone. Now, the same level of information is available for one of the sibling devices expected to launch with the standard Moto G6. This is the Moto G6 Play. Some of the specs on this device leaked over the weekend and AndroidHeadlines is able to confirm most of the information as being correct, as well as padding out those specs and features in more detail, including the phone’s processor of choice.
Neato's Botvac D7 Connected Comes To North America & Europe March 13
Neato’s Botvac D7 Connected is coming to North America and Europe on March 13, which is today, and will be available on both continents across multiple countries for any consumer who has been looking to make one part of the home-cleaning aspect a little easier in their lives.
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