Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch goes official with rotating bezel, Tizen OS

After teasing it a couple of weeks ago, Samsung finally spilled the beans on the hotly anticipated Gear S2 smartwatch. The high-end Tizen OS wearable device with rotating bezel will be on display during IFA in Berlin in two different variants - Gear S2 and Gear S2 classic. The sportier Samsung Gear S2 will be available with dark gray case with black silicon band, or silver case with white silicon band. The classic model on the other hand, will feature a black case and matching leather band. Specs-wise, Samsung Gear S2 features 1GHz dual-core CPU, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal memory. The display of the smartwatch is a 1.2" fully circular Super AMOLED unit with a resolution of 360 x 360 pixels and 302ppi. Connectivity options for the smartwatch include Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, and NFC. A variant with 3G network connectivity and e-SIM will also be available. Physical measures of Samsung Gear S2 are 42.3 × 49.8 × 11.4mm, while its weight tips the scale at 47 grams. The classic model is a tad more elegant with measures of 39.9 × 43.6 × 11.4mm and a weight of 42 grams. A 250mAh battery will power both devices - it is rated to last for 2-3 days of regular usage. The 3G variant of the smartwatch will pack a larger 300mAh battery, which will last for two days of regular use. The measures of this particular variant are 44.0 x 51.8 x 13.4mm, while its weight comes in at 51 grams. Source...

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Verizon's LG G Vista is now receiving Android 5.1.1 Lollipop

In a bit of rather surprising news, Verizon has announced it will soon be rolling out the update to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop for the LG G Vista. If that name doesn't sound very familiar, that's understandable. After all, this is a mid-range phablet launched last year with Android 4.4 KitKat, and we assume not many people would have bet on it ever getting a big software update. Not only is it on track to receive just that, but the G Vista is amazingly skipping Android 5.0 entirely and jumping from KitKat straight to the latest publicly available version of Google's mobile OS. The official update documentation is now up on Verizon's website (see the Source link below), and the rollout should follow shortly. The new software version is VS88023A, and it brings with it plenty of changes. The software-rendered Android buttons have a new design, lock screen notifications show up, and Smart Lock uses trusted devices to auto-unlock your phone. The controversial Interruptions feature of Android Lollipop makes an appearance too, and you should expect to see Material Design everywhere. Screen Pinning lets you lock the display to a single app, Settings are now searchable, bad Wi-Fi connections can be avoided through a dedicated setting, and some unnamed security patches are in as well. Source (PDF) |...

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Microsoft unveils new Xbox One Elite Bundle, white wireless controller

Microsoft has announced the new Xbox One Elite Bundle today. This will pair a matte finish for the console with a 1TB hybrid drive as well as the Xbox One Elite wireless controller. This isn't the first time we've seen an Xbox with a 1TB drive, but this iteration is the first to make that a hybrid unit - which stores frequently accessed files on a solid state partition. Thus, waking up from energy-saving mode is going to be 20% faster. On the other hand, the Elite wireless controller comes with hair trigger locks, interchangeable paddles, fully customizable features, as well as a "high-performance construction". The Xbox One Elite Bundle will be out worldwide in November for $499.99. In the US it will be exclusive to GameStop and Microsoft Stores throughout November, and pre-orders are already live. The new Xbox One Special Edition Lunar White wireless controller includes all of the features of the updated standard wireless controller, but it's white. With a touch of gold. It's also apparently got "improved grip texture for more control and comfort". GameStop will be exclusively selling this accessory starting in late September. It will cost...

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Samsung Galaxy Grand On and Mega On seen entering India for testing

Earlier this month we got hold of some information saying Samsung is working on yet another series of smartphones - Galaxy O. This was apparently going to make its debut with two handsets, which later got revealed to be called Galaxy Grand On and Galaxy Mega On. We've already seen their most important specs leaked, along with their respective model numbers: the Galaxy Grand On is supposed to be the SM-G550, while the Mega On should be the SM-G600. These two models have now been spotted in an Indian import database, which also confirms their rumored screen sizes. The Galaxy Grand On will thus sport a 5-inch touchscreen, while the the Galaxy Mega On will come with a 5.5-inch display panel. This is everything that's been revealed this time around, but it's good to have another confirmation that these aren't just a figment of someone's imagination. And since the rumored screen sizes have been confirmed, perhaps the rest of the previously outed specs will turn out to be real as well. That said, there's still no telling when we'll see the two O-series devices in stores. Source (in...

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Android Wear watches other than the LG Watch Urbane do in fact work with iPhones

Well, this is interesting. Just a few short hours ago, Google announced the Android Wear app for iOS, making it possible for smartwatches using its platform to connect to Apple's smartphones. There was just one problem: for now, Google says, only the LG Watch Urbane will actually work with the Android Wear iOS app. All future Wear devices should have support for iOS built-in, but what about all the other smartwatches out there? It obviously didn't take long for enterprising individuals to try and connect other Android Wear watches to the iOS app. And, surprise! Both the Moto 360 and the LG G Watch have been caught working with iPhones, despite Google's claims. The one prerequisite for this to be possible seems to be that your smartwatch run Android Wear 1.3, the latest version that started rolling out not long ago. However, there are some caveats. Although Wear devices other than the Watch Urbane do work with iOS, the performance isn't consistent, nor bug-free. Duplicate notifications have been spotted on the Moto 360, and some of those simply refuse to clear from the watch. Also, changing watch faces from within the Android Wear iOS app doesn't seem to always work. Clearly then, there are solid reasons why Google chose not to officially announce support for all Wear devices on iOS right now. But if you own both a Wear smartwatch and an iPhone, you may as well try the new app and see how it behaves for you. On the other hand, if you don't have a smartwatch but do have an iPhone and want an Android Wear device, you clearly should stick with either the officially supported LG Watch Urbane or wait for new offerings to come out. Source 1 • Source...

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Oppo R7 Plus FC Barcelona Edition may arrive on September 8

Oppo became an official partner of FC Barcelona back in June, and now it seems like the Chinese smartphone maker is preparing a special edition device to celebrate its status. The image you can see to the left has been published on the company's official Weibo account. It unveils the fact that there's going to be an event on September 8, and this clearly has something to do with FC Barcelona given the players seen in the picture. Chinese publications are speculating that this is going to be the occasion on which Oppo will introduce a new smartphone, the R7 Plus FC Barcelona Edition. It's supposedly going to match the 'vanilla' R7 Plus in terms of hardware, but will feature the football club's logo on its back, along with some other FC Barcelona-themed additions. For one, the system theme shipping with the handset will be all about the Catalan club, as will the packaging and the accessories coming with the phone. Pricing hasn't been rumored yet, nor a release date or any hints about geographic availability. It might however be safe to assume that the R7 Plus FC Barcelona Edition won't be confined to China, since the football club has incredible brand recognition across the world. And it would be odd for Oppo not to try and capitalize on that. Source (in Chinese) |...

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LG's Nexus 5 (2015) gets another round of leaked specs

Google is going to introduce a couple of new Nexus smartphones this year, perhaps as soon as at the end of September. This has been rumored extensively over the past few months, with LG and Huawei being the manufacturers of those devices. While Huawei will take care of the phablet market, LG's new Nexus is expected to be a sequel to the Nexus 5 from 2013. Today a new rumor comes to shed some more light on its specs. First off, it's still unclear whether it will be called Nexus 5 (2015) or something else, so keep that in mind. Pricing is another mystery, though it will surely be cheaper than the Motorola Nexus 6, based on these rumored specs. Speaking of which, the new LG Nexus is said to sport a 5.2-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 12.3 MP rear camera, a 5 MP selfie shooter, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset at the helm, 3GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of storage, and a 2,700 mAh battery. The Nexus 5 (2015) is apparently going to be offered in three color versions: black, white, and blue. The previously talked about USB Type-C port will be in, though whether it will be USB 3.x or just USB 2.0 (like in the OnePlus 2) remains to be seen. The Snapdragon 808 isn't Qualcomm's current flagship SoC, but with the issues surrounding the 810 and its heat-generating abilities, this one's bound to be a cooler choice (literally). And the 1080p display will clearly sip less energy than a QHD panel would have, which may mean the average-capacity battery will be able to handle around a day of normal use. Yet this is all just speculation for...

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LG G Pad X 10.1 is official for AT&T, lands on September 4

AT&T has announced a new tablet today, and it definitely looks like it's nothing but a slightly tweaked version of the recently unveiled LG G Pad II 10.1. AT&T's model is called LG G Pad X 10.1, and its specs are extremely similar to those of the G Pad II 10.1. It comes with a 10.1-inch 1,920x1,200 touchscreen, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chipset with 2.26 GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, an 8 MP rear camera, a 2 MP selfie snapper, 4G LTE, and a 7,400 mAh battery. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Basically the only two differences, in terms of hardware, between this and the G Pad II 10.1 are storage (AT&T's tablet has double that of the international model) and the rear camera resolution (8MP for AT&T, 5MP for the rest of the world). Otherwise, they're identical. The G Pad X 10.1 will become available in Brilliant Bronze at AT&T online on September 4 for $249.99 with a two-year contract. You can also choose a tablet installment plan through which you pay nothing upfront then followed by 20 monthly payments of $17.50, adding up to a grand total of $350. The tablet will be offered by AT&T physical stores nationwide starting on September 11. Source |...

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Android Wear smartwatches now working with iPhones

The much-rumored launch of an Android Wear app for iOS is now happening. Google has just announced that the new app is rolling out, and you'll be able to use it if you own an iPhone 5 or newer running iOS 8.2 or later. On the other hand, there's a pretty strange limitation regarding which Android Wear-powered smartwatches you can use with your iPhone. Right now, the list comprises of only one device: the LG Watch Urbane. That's it. Google does however promise that all future Android Wear watches will come with support for iOS, so there's that. On an iPhone, the Android Wear app won't be able to do everything it can on Android, but nevertheless it does enable quite a few things. For example, you can check notifications on your watch, read messages, set fitness goals, get daily and weekly views of your fitness progress, as well as receive various tips - such as when to leave for appointments, traffic info, or flight status. As you'd expect, your Android Wear smartwatch will automatically track walking and running, it measures your heart rate, and then gives you that information even if you're using the iOS app. And you can ask it questions by saying "OK Google" followed by what you need to find out. Reminders can be created too, also just by using your...

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Goldgenie customers are too rich to wait, can pre-order 24K gold iPhone 6s and 6s Plus now

They say money can't buy happiness, but it certainly lets you cut in line... for a 24K gold-plated iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. We know, they haven't been announced yet, but their prompt arrival is no secret. And this one is a lot cheaper than the $200K house Brikk iPhone 6s. Goldgenie gives you several bling levels. Elite coats your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus in Platinum, Gold or Rose Gold for a mere £2,500 (yes, both 6s and 6s Plus are the same price). You get a snazzy Cherry Oak box too. This is for the 64GB version subtract/add £200 for the 16GB and 64GB versions respectively. Swarovski Style Brilliance Elite is almost as pompous as its name, adding Swarovski crystals on the top and bottom panels on the back and along the side. And because someone at Goldgenie failed their Economics 101 class, these models also cost £2,500. Wait, the iPhone 6s Plus is £100 cheaper? The Supernova option is an even bigger explosion of Swarovski crystals, covering the whole back. The price is (you guessed it) £2,500. The Crocodile Embossed Leather & Swarovski Style Crystal Logo collection goes for the 3-in-1, coating the phone in Gold, the back with Red or Black crocodile leather and studding the Apple logo with Swarovski crystals. No need to ask how much this one costs. Finally, capitalism wins over the flat rate shenanigans of the other models and the Diamond RockStar Limited edition bumps the price to £10,000 (hey, you get 128GB as standard. This one looks like the Brilliance Elite version, except this time it's true diamond brilliance rather than Austrian-sourced pseudo-gems. An important note - these prices are without VAT (which alone will cost as much as a new iPhone). Also you need to deposit 50% beforehand. You do get free shipping so that's something we...

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Qualcomm Smart Protect coming to Snapdragon 820, will vanquish malware

Android's Stagefright vulnerability was so serious it had phone makers pledging left and right that they will provide security updates for their handsets. Clearly mobile security is important and Qualcomm wants to enable it at the hardware level with Snapdragon 820 and the new feature called Smart Protect. Based on Qualcomm's Zeroth machine learning platform, Smart Protect will keep an eye out for abnormal app behavior in real time (and with little power usage). The platform will help move much of malware detection from the cloud onto the device. Qualcomm will provide software that will protect user data and privacy, but third-party apps can also hook up to Smart Protect - Avast, AVG and Lookout are working to integrate the new feature into their mobile apps. Here's a video you can watch, be warned though it's very buzzwordy. Both the chipset and Smart Protect are coming out in...

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Leak reveals Xiaomi Mi 4c to come with SD808, USB Type-C connector

The Xiaomi Mi 4c smartphone - which was spotted at TENAA over a week ago - has been the subject of another leak, this time in the form of an image showing the back of the box. It confirms pretty much all the specifications of the device. As can be seen in the image above, the handset is powered by a Snapdragon 808 SoC, and sports a 5-inch 1080p display. It comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory, and packs a 3,080mAh battery. It is being said that a 32GB model is also in the works. In terms of camera, the Mi 4c features a 13MP rear unit and a 5MP front shooter. It comes with a USB Type-C connector and reportedly runs the company's latest MIUI 7 mobile OS. As for the price, although there isn't any confirmation, the device is said to cost around CNY 1,299...

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New leaked Moto 360 (2nd gen) renders hint at a possible sport version

The original Moro 360 will definitely go down in history as a milestone in wearable tech. The bold Motorola creation paved the way to round displays and helped set new goals and requirements for the niche. Now, only a year into its lifespan, the rapid pace of development has already brought about a successor. Needless to say, it has been gathering a lot of attention with specs and photos flying all over the place, but despite all the leaked information, the second generation Moto 360 might still have a surprise or two left for its debut. .twitter-tweet {margin: 7px auto !important;} moto 360(2nd gen) and moto 360 Sport. http://pic.twitter.com/xKtUOiOqvP— upleaks (@upleaks) August 31, 2015 News of two different size variants of the Moto 360 (2nd gen) has been circulation for quite some time now and at this point, the information is mostly confirmed. A new batch of clean renders, courtesy of @upleaks, seems to prove this yet again, but also puts a brand new twist to the story in the form of an alleged Moto 360 Sport. This sporty version of the device seems to be equipped with a rubber strap, making it ideal for exercise and perhaps even improving its toughness and resistance. It is hard to say how big the Sport version is without a side by side comparison with the other two models, but the truth is that we are not really sure of their exact dimensions either. From what we currently know, the larger one, allegedly dubbed the 360L will retain the 46.5mm form factor of its predecessor, while the other (360S) will be smaller and potentially cheaper, but we are not currently sure by how much. Their batteries are allegedly different as well, with 375mAh on the larger one and 320mAh on the smaller. As for the rest of the specs, it seems Motorola has decided to stick with their original "flat tire" screen design. And white one could argue that it was a matter of technological limitation the first time around it is certainly not the case now and could potentially spell trouble for the Moto 360 (2nd gen), as both LG and Samsung out their circular competitors. Although it bears resemblance to its predecessor, you can clearly tell the new Moto 360 apart, because of the position of its button. On the original this was placed at the 3 o'clock mark, while this time around Motorola's moved it to 2 o'clock for whatever reason, making it quite similar to the Huawei...

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Motorola Bounce: a 5.43-inch flagship with QHD screen, S810, chipset

It seems that Motorola is working on a more powerful, more compact version of its current flagship, the Moto X Style. Codenamed Motorola Bounce, the new phone is reportedly set for a December unveiling. It will have a 5.43" QHD screen (X Style is 5.7" QHD, X Play is 5.5" 1080p). It will also be powered by a Snapdragon 810 chipset (Style and Play are 808 and 615 respectively) that will be paired to 3GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of built-in storage. The Motorola Bounce will allegedly come with Moto's 21MP camera (presumably with 2160p video) and a 5MP selfie camera. The whole thing is powered by a bigger battery, 3,760mAh (that's 760mAh more than the X Style). A "shatterproof" label suggests a MIL-STD rating (IP ratings only measure dust and water...

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LG's new SmartThinQ Sensor makes traditional home appliances smart

LG has developed a gadget works with traditional home appliances and helps you track and control them remotely. Dubbed SmartThinQ Sensor, the device will be showcased at the upcoming IFA event in Berlin next week. The device is capable of sensing feedback such as vibration and temperature, and sending useful related information to the SmartThinQ app installed on smartphones. "For example, attaching the sensor to a normal washing machine door transforms the washer into a smart appliance that informs the user when the laundry cycle is complete," LG said in a press release. "Attach the SmartThingQ Sensor to a refrigerator and it will send a notification to a connected smartphone when a particular food item is about to expire." The SmartThinQ Sensor also lets you remotely control certain appliances like air conditioners, something which you can do with the same SmartThinQ app. In addition to the sensor, LG will also showcase an AllJoyn-compatible Smart Lightwave Oven and Smart Air Conditioner at this year's...

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Galaxy J1 Ace featuring Super AMOLED display appears

Samsung has launched a new budget-friendly smartpone in India, although there hasn't yet been an official announcement for the same. Dubbed Galaxy J1 Ace (J110H), the device carries a price tag of INR 6,400 ($96), and is available for purchase from offline retailers in the country. Specs-wise, the handset is powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core processor, and sports a 4.3-inch (480 x 800 pixels) Super AMOLED display. It comes with 512MB RAM and 4GB expandable internal memory, and packs a 1,800 mAh battery. In terms of camera, the Galaxy J1 Ace features a 5MP rear unit and 2MP front shooter. Measuring 130.1 x 67.6 x 9.5 mm and weighing in at 128g, it offers dual-SIM support and runs Android 4.4 (KitKat) out of the box. Connectivity options include 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, and GPS, while color options include black and...

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Sony is trying to crowdfund a new premium smartwatch

Crowdfunding and peculiar tech just seems to be a match made in heaven. A quick browse through Kickstarter or Indiegogo can reveal a tidal wave of innovation, but sadly, most of the really ambitious gadgets never really make it to production. However, when dealing with the likes of Sony, there is certainly a lot more confidence in the air. The tech giant has apparently listed a new premium smartwatch concept on its own crowd funding platform - First Flight. The watch aims to combine smart wearable functionality with and exquisite premium design and from the looks of it is a truly visually stunning accessory. It is dubbed "Wena", which stands for "wear electronics naturally" and the moniker is quite fitting. The watch part of the device employs a traditional, mechanical design with a high-end clockwork. It comes in two varieties - a "Chronograph" model, which has three separate dials and hands for hours minutes and seconds and a "Three Hands" one, with a more typical watch face. The smart part of the wearable is housed in the metal strap. It utilizes vibration and a customizable LED lightс to deliver notifications and relevant information, relayed through your phone. Sadly, the app is currently iOS only, but if things pick up, an Android version is more than likely to follow. Wena also comes with activity tracking and an NFC chip and virtual wallet, compatible with the Japanese Felica standard. This should allow seamless payments within the country. It is clear that Wena is going for a beautiful match between a traditional watch and a new age digital smart assistant, building on the increasingly popular idea of non-intrusive tech that blends into your surrounding without really altering it. Consequently, Wena looks like a proper high-end watch, all down to the 42mm metal body and round form factor. The watch itself should be able to run for three to five years on a single battery, while the wrist is rated for about a week away from the charging cradle, which is not bad. As far as the crowdfunding campaign is concerned, it is going quite well and should be viewed more as a promotional activity than anything else. The Wena Wrist itself is expected to ship in March or April 2016. Prices should range from ¥34,800 ($287) for a silver Three Hands model all the way up to ¥69,800 ($576) for a black Chronograph. It is a pretty penny to pay for a smartwatch, but on the other hand, not nearly as shocking in watch terms. In any case, it seems to be wholly targeted at the home Japanese market for now and we just have to wait and see if it ever ventures on to international sales in the future. Source 1 (In Japanese) | Source 2 (In Japanese) |...

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Lenovo announces 6.8-inch PHAB Plus in China

Lenovo has announced the PHAB Plus in China, 6.8-inch monstrosity that is more tablet than smartphone. The phone is being launched on China Telecom, China Unicom, and China Mobile for now for CNY 2,599 ($407). The PHAB Plus has a 6.8-inch 1920x1080 display, Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, dual SIM support, 13 megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash, 5 megapixel front camera, LTE, 3,500mAh battery, and Android 5.0 with Vibe UI on...

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LG outs Urbane Watch Luxe is a smartwatch dressed in 23-karat gold

LG just unveiled its Watch Urbane Luxe smartwatch - its answer to the Apple Watch Edition. It sports 23-karat gold finish coupled with an alligator leather strap. LG didn't pull this one off by itself and has partnered with jewelry company REEDS Jewelers. The packaging oozes premium, too, with the watch shipping in a piano-gloss lacquer case. LG Urbane Luxe official photos The clasp has been changed from the original Watch Urbane and for the Luxe edition LG has chosen a deployment clasp. The result is a less bulky look, while the 50 separate steps used for the creation of the alligator leather band will sure make you feel exclusive. LG has produced only 500 Watch Urbane Luxe smartwatches and each will be engraved with its own serial number. Initial availability is limited to the USA and the cost is $1,200. The Watch Urbane Luxe will be on display at IFA, so expect us to tell you first hand how it...

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Hands-on video of Xperia Z5 leaks, confirms rumored specs

Sony is expected to launch the new Xperia Z5 series of devices this week, which comprises of the Xperia Z5, X5 Compact, and Z5 Premium. We have heard rumored specifications of these devices in the past. Now, in a leaked hands-on video, Marketing Director of Sony Mobile France talks about the devices and what you can expect. Since the video is in French, we had to piece together translations from many of the French speaking readers who replied to the original post. From that we gather that the Xperia Z5 Premium will have a 5.5-inch 4K UHD display, the first of its kind on the market, while the Z5 will have a 5.2-inch 1080p display. All three phones will have a 23 megapixel camera on the back, with 'fastest autofocus on the market' with focusing speed of 0.03 seconds and improved low light performance over the previous Xperia flagship. You can now also choose the resolution in the Superior Auto mode between 8 megapixels (16:9), 20 megapixels (16:9), and 23 megapixels (4:3). All three phones are also said to have the new fingerprint sensor on the side. The phones will be waterproof as before and the microUSB port is capless once again. The phones are said to have 2 days of battery life. From our previous info we know that all phones will run on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 from the Z3+, have 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage, and an 8 megapixel front facing camera. You can watch the video below but it's advisable to turn down the volume even if you do speak...

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Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 hands-on: First look

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is the Korean giant's latest entry into the market for premium full-size tablets. Launched alongside a compact variant with 8" display, the ultra-thin newcomer is aimed squarely at Apple's iPad family in its segment.

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Leaked press image of Moto 360's successor confirms two different sizes

Alleged press renders of Moto 360's upcoming successor made the round on Twitter, courtesy of @evleaks. Motorola's next smartwatch is expected to debut during IFA in Berlin this week. The leaked images of the smartwatch confirm past reports that the wearable device will be available in two sizes. The smartwatch will also have a new location of its sole physical button - a 2 o'clock as opposed to three in the first generation. The second-generation Moto 360 has a already made a number of unscheduled appearances in the flesh. Depending on its size, the smartwatch will feature two different battery sizes - 270mAh and 375mAh. Source...

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Best Apps and Games of the Week

These are some of the best apps and games of the week. Swype Swype 2.0 for Android brings with it two new features. The first is a theme store where users can purchase additional themes for the keyboard, including the new Star Trek theme. Second, there is now an emoji drawer, which allows you to pick and choose all the system emoji. Other than that there is also support for two new languages, improved auto-correct, and bug fixes. Price: $0.99 Download: Android Instagram Instagram 7.5 brought with it a major change for those who regularly use the platform. You can now upload images and videos in landscape or portrait orientation and are no longer restricted to the 1:1 square aspect ratio. All you have to do is click a button while picking the image from the gallery and you can upload it in the original aspect ratio (limited to 3:4 vertically). This feature is available on the iOS and Android versions of the app. Price: Free Download: iOS • Android WhatsApp WhatsApp for Android finally got updated on the Play Store, which brought with it several new features. You can now mute individual contacts by opening their profile and clicking the mute option. You can also mark conversations as read or unread by pressing and holding on them. There are also new emoji and some of the existing ones get the multi color skin tone option as first seen on iOS 7. You can now also choose to reduce the WhatsApp call quality to save data. Price: Free Download: Android Lara Croft GO Lara Croft GO is a new action/adventure/puzzle game from Square Enix. The game is built along similar lines as Hitman GO, where you move the character along a grid of lines but there is less emphasis on the board game aspect this time. Still, you move Lara along the lines on the floor and walls and this presents some interesting challenges as you can't just move around freely. This is especially true when you are facing enemies and traps and have to navigate the grid skillfully. Lara Croft GO has a lot of fun moments and plenty of throwbacks to older Tomb Raider games, such as the circular carousel menu, the sounds when you pick up a hidden item and some of the movement animations. It's a wonderful combination of the new Hitman GO gameplay and Tomb Raider elements. If you enjoyed Hitman GO, you're going to love this. Price: $4.99 (iOS) / $6.99 (Android) Download: iOS • Android Whispering Willows Whispering Willows is a 2D side scrolling horror game. You play as a young Elena Elkhorn who is out to find her missing father in the Willows Mansion. Her amulet allows her to astral project her spirit into the ghostly realm and communicate with the dead. You have to use the project to solve puzzles and find out the secrets of Willows Mansion. The game features beautiful anime style hand-drawn 2D graphics and a creepy background score. If you buy it now you can get 50% off the price ($4.99). Price: $9.99 Download: iOS • Android Ember's Journey Ember's Journey is a side scrolling 2D puzzle game where the only light source is the little cube you are controlling and the rest of the level is dark. This means you can only see a small part of the level at a time and only things that are very close to you. You have to navigate the level using the bleak light of your cube and find your way to the glowing blue line at the end. Price: $1.99 Download: iOS • Android Doodle Jump DC Super Heroes Doodle Jump DC Super Heroes is a spin-off on the original Doodle Jump and is based on DC superhero characters. Episode 1 of this game features Batman as he fights against Gotham's biggest villains: Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Riddler, and Joker, in typical Doodle Jump style gameplay. Future episodes of the game will feature other superhero characters. Price: Free Download: iOS •...

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Counterclockwise: LG Viewty, Cookie and Arena, Samsung Star, Nokia 3G Booklet

Business is a numbers game and selling 1 million units of anything is always a good reason to pop open a champagne bottle. The big names in the mobile industry do it easily, but we'll look at some of the celebrations that have faded from memory. We'll also take a peek at Nokia's attempt at computers and a couple of cancellations. Million sales club iPhones and Galaxy quickly blow past the 1 million sales mark, but those get enough exposure. Let's think back to phones that have been largely forgotten instead. Back in 2009 LG was on a roll. It sold 5 million Viewty phones, a touchscreen device known for its camera. Afterwards the affordable touchscreen feature phone, the Cookie, also hit 5 million. Then the LG Arena reached the same benchmark, a premium flagship handset. Samsung's low-cost touch feature phone, the Star, was doing great too. It reached five million sales in about three months. In 2009 "touchscreen" was a must for a hot-selling device, but smartphone wasn't necessarily a requirement even though the iPhone and Android were already changing the market. Eventually smartphones took over and some of the biggest companies on Earth are phone makers. A new class of device has been heating up recently. The Pebble smartwatch reached 1 million sales even without Apple or Samsung's marketing presence. To put things in perspective, the Apple Watch sold 1 million units on its launch day. At one point in 2013 Samsung sold 1 million phones each day. Another underdog, OnePlus, also celebrated 1 million sales this year. Even Samsung isn't successful in everything it does - it's still trying to develop an alternative to Android, but after Bada failed and despite delays Tizen found some success. The only phone so far - the Z1 - made it to 1 million sales in 6 months and celebrated with a gold color option. Nokia laptop Nokia started life when a paper mill and a rubber factory joined but you probably know it for its phones. The rubber business expanded to communications, insulation for telegraph and telephone cables at first but this was a gateway to electronics. The company even made a computer for a Finnish nuclear plant and there were Nokia home computers too. In 2009 the Finns tried to rekindle that business with the Nokia 3G Booklet - a beautiful aluminum netbook, 20mm thick and weighing 1.25kg. Nokia 3G Booklet is Nokia's first notebook As the name suggests it packed a 3G/HSDPA modem and a GPS receiver, plus Nokia Maps (naturally). The 10" netbook boasted up to 12h battery life and sounded like a great option for road warriors but it never caught on. Nokia would return to non-mobile Windows with the Lumia 2520 tablet but that didn't catch on either. These days the company is back to communication (for cell carriers) after selling the maps division. The rubber business is still going. Cancelled! We started on a positive note, but couldn't help noticing some high-profile cancellations in our archives dating to the last week of August. In 2011 HP cancelled the Pre 3 launch in the US and slashed the European price. Earlier the company had started a fire sale of the TouchPad tablet at just $99 - a steal, especially after devs started working on an Android port for it. Either way, these were the death knells of WebOS as a mobile platform. At least until LG resurrected it to power the LG Watch Urbane LTE though the company was very reluctant to even mention "WebOS." A year later T-Mobile US quickly axed the Samsung Galaxy Note. Samsung's original phablet wasn't at fault though, it was a case of the carrier being tardy - by the time it was supposed to launch the Note, the Galaxy Note II would have been only a month away. Yep, T-Mo trailed the AT&T launch by seven months (a year if you look at the international...

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Week 35 in review: Xperia Z5, Lumia 940, Nexus 6, HTC Aero and BlackBerry Passport

As anticipation for IFA builds rumors dominated the news, but new devices got an unexpectedly strong reception. The Sony Xperia Z5 family was showered with interest, the Z5 Premium in particular (it's set to become the first phone with a 4K screen; note: QHD != 4K). The Z5 generation will also have a new 23MP sensor (first upgrade since the Z1) with fast, advanced focusing. Lumia's return to the flagship market was met with great interest too. Images of the Microsoft Lumia 940 and 940 XL duo leaked out along with info suggesting they will launch on October 19. Microsoft got in the news with a very different device too - the Nokia 222 and 222 Dual-SIM. Series 30+ feature phones with social networking and messaging on board they will launch in emerging markets for $37. The Nexus devices did a poor job of staying hidden, the large Nexus 6 by Huawei was photographed in the wild while specs rumors stabilized on Snapdragon 810 instead of 820. Samsung is said to be interested in the 820, but it the timeframe for a Nexus launch is just wrong. HTC has fallen on hard times and is in bad need of a best-selling flagship. The HTC A9 Aero has such ambitions though photos of it (if real) make it look like an iPhone knock-off. Another down on its luck maker, BlackBerry, will be shifting to Android with a new Passport version (which we saw on video) among other devices. Samsung was in the news a lot this week, but not in a good way. The Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge+ may have 4GB of RAM, but they clean it aggressively (which affects multitasking). The Note5's trademark S Pen stylus was a headache too as it breaks if you insert it the wrong way around. .news-item .n-left { float: left; width: 28%; text-align: center; } .news-item .n-right { float: left; width: 70%; } .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 !important; font: 400 19px Google-Oswald, Arial; margin-top: -4px; } .n-right p { line-height: 155%; } .news-item { padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; } .news-item p { margin-left: 0; } .n-right h2 a { text-decoration: none; color: #000; } Purported Sony Xperia Z5 Premium leaks in live photos Sony Xperia Z5 Premium shows its face on live pictures, should feature a 4K display and metal body. Huawei Nexus 6 photographed in the wild The images match the 3D render we saw earlier, down to the raised camera ridge. Microsoft Lumia 940 and 940XL rumoured to launch on October 19 In addition, the Surface Pro 4 tablet as well as a new Microsoft Band could also be introduced on the same date. Sony teases advanced focusing for upcoming Xperia Z5 An announcement is scheduled for September 2, days before IFA kicks off in Berlin. HTC A9 (Aero) gets photographed in the wild looking like an iPhone This is supposedly going to be HTC's new flagship smartphone, launching before the end of 2015. BlackBerry Passport Silver Edition with Android OS gets showcased in a lengthy video The smartphone features the same design and specifications as the recently released variant with BlackBerry OS. Archos unveils three new smartphones, one runs Windows 10 The Archos Diamond S, Archos 50e Helium, and the Archos 50 Cesium have all been announced today. Samsung is said to be intensively testing the Snapdragon 820 The Korean company is apparently going to use it in the Galaxy S7 if all the testing goes well. Meet the Nokia 222 and 222 Dual-SIM: leftovers from a previous era With prices starting at $37 (before taxes and subsidies) these are only for regions with poor access to cheapo smartphones. WhatsApp for Android gets updated, adds new emoji and features You can now mute contacts, mark messages as read or unread, lower call data usage, and choose different colors for emoji. Samsung Galaxy Note5 battery life test Samsung surely raised a few eyebrows by...

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The top 10 trending phones of week 35

There were no high-profile launches this week but there was still plenty of action in our Trending Top 10 chart. The Samsung Galaxy Note5 and Motorola Moto G (3rd gen) held their first and second spots respectively, but the Galaxy Note 4 fell of the chart - it was pushed out by the iPhone 6 (the roles were reversed last week). The Samsung Galaxy J5 climbed to third place, swapping places with the Grand Prime which fell to fifth position. It was a good week for the J series, the Galaxy J7 clawed back in after falling off the chart several weeks ago. The Galaxy A8 rose in popularity slightly (we like to think our review helped), displacing the Galaxy S6. Like the J7, the Asus Zenfone 2 returned to the Top 10 after a few week's absence. .news-item .n-left { float: left; width: 25%; text-align: center; } .news-item .n-right { float: left; width: 75%; } .news-item a { padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; } #review-body .news-item .n-right h2, .reviews-item .n-right h2 { clear: both; padding: 0 0 3px 0px; font: 400 19px Google-Oswald, Arial; margin-top: -4px; } .n-right p { margin-top: 25px; line-height: 155%; } .news-item { padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; } .news-item p { margin-left: 0; } .n-right h2 .phone-name { display: inline-block; width: 325px; 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 Google-Oswald,Arial !important; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 150%; 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: "Google-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 Note5 RANK: 1WAS: 1 specs review Motorola Moto G (3rd gen) RANK: 2WAS: 2 specs review Samsung Galaxy J5 RANK: 3WAS: 5 specs gallery Samsung Galaxy J7 RANK: 4NEW IN specs gallery Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime RANK: 5WAS: 3 specs review Samsung Galaxy A8 RANK: 6WAS: 7 specs review Samsung Galaxy S6 RANK: 7WAS: 6 specs review Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML RANK: 8NEW IN specs review Lenovo K3 Note RANK: 9WAS: 9 specs gallery Apple iPhone 6 RANK: 10NEW IN specs...

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Weekly poll results: Galaxy Note5, S6 edge+ get the nod

Our weekly poll stretched for a fortnight this time, but it was only for the better. It gave you the opportunity to gain a better perspective on the Samsung Galaxy Note5 and S6 edge+ and cast a more informed vote on the matter of their hotness. Far from a raving reception the two have gotten, but the response is positive overall. The first glance at the results may evoke a bewildered look on your face - the Note5 getting more upvotes than the S6 edge+ in a mostly superficial poll, where design would seem to matter more? That proved not to be the case and productivity won over looks, with the S Pen tipping the scales in the Note's direction, flawed design or not. That's not say that the Galaxy S6 edge+ doesn't have its fans, it gets a similar 3 out of 5 positive votes. The approval rates, however, are among the lowest of late - the Sony Xperia M5 and C5 Ultra gathered upwards of 80% two weeks ago, and so did the Moto X Style a while earlier. It's perhaps a bit too early, though, for these numbers to be considered a cause for concern for...

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Another Lenovo executive spotted wearing next-gen Moto 360

After Lenovo's senior vice president Chen Xudong, another company executive has been spotted wearing the next-gen Moto 360. Dillon Ye, Vice-President-Smartphone Business Lead of Asia Pacific at Lenovo, was wearing the timepiece at the unveiling of the company's Vibe Shot smartphone in Indonesia. He confirmed that the wearable indeed is the Moto 360 successor, and also revealed that the device will be launched before the end of the year. For those who aren't already aware, the next-gen Moto 360 is expected to come in two sizes: one with a 270mAh battery (model name 360S), while other with a 375mAh battery (model name 360L). This compares with the current Moto 360, which has a 320mAh battery. There have already been several leaked images showing the next-gen Moto 360 on people...

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Leaked iPhone 6s front panel shows slot for larger front camera, Taptic Engine components

According to the latest leaked images obtained by 9to5Mac, the iPhone 6s will allegedly have a larger FaceTime camera. The current camera on the iPhone 6 has a resolution of 1.2 megapixels. With a bigger sensor, Apple could either go with a higher resolution or keep the current resolution and get better image quality from larger pixel size. Another thing discovered from the images is the screen component that will be responsible for the haptic feedback for the new Force Touch feature on the iPhone 6s. Apple calls it the Taptic Engine on the new MacBook and it should have the same name on the iPhone, and basically cause the screen to vibrate when you Force Touch it, so it would seem like you pressed a button. We have reported in the past on rumors of the back camera getting a resolution bump to 12 megapixel and adding support for 4K video, and the front camera getting a selfie flash, which is essentially the screen flashing white while taking a photo. The iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus will be announced on September 9 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco,...

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Blackberry Venice live unit pictured, packs an 18MP OIS camera

It was about time the BlackBerry Venice followed the numerous leaks with a live appearance and today's the day. The Canadian company's foray into the Android realm is apparently imminent, now that a working device has shown up, in this case in the hands of the folks over at Techrum. While we already had a general idea how the smartphone would look, we're now treated to detailed (well, 0.5MP, but still) images of several key features. And what's the single most revered Blackberry feature, if not the hardware QWERTY keyboard? Only here, it's hidden behind the display and slides out of obscurity only when needed. Sure, you'll be provided an on-screen one for less intense typing. In a departure from tradition, the power button has been moved to the left side. In all fairness it would have been ridiculously out of place on the top plate of a tall, slider-type device. That spot has now been reserved for the SIM and microSD slots. Hands-on with the Blackberry Venice The headline feature may turn out to be on the back though, and that's the camera. An 18MP unit, the main shooter boasts optical image stabilization and fast focus, so we'd speculate there's some phase detection tech. The lens is also joined by a dual-LED flash. Finally, the images reveal what looks like Android Lollipop, but that's hardly any news, given that KitKat is two years old and Marshmallow hasn't been launched yet. BlackBerry Venice in the flesh Source (in Vietnamese) |...

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Huawei Watch makes brief appearance on Amazon, could launch next week

While we already know that the Huawei Watch could soon be launched in the United States, it now looks like that's going to happen as early as next week - the smartwatch made a brief appearance on Amazon, revealing that it'll be available for purchase starting September 2. The listing - which has since been removed - also revealed that depending on the price and style, the wearable will cost in the range of $349 to $799, with the former being the price tag of the variant with stainless steel body and black leather strap, while the latter being the cost of the gold-plated model. Another important detail that was revealed was that the smartwatch will not only work with Android devices but also with iOS devices running OS version 8.2 or up. Via 1 | Via...

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Android 5.1.1 seeding for European Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (SM-N910F)

There's been a lot of angry users complaining about the way Samsung's treated the last generation top-end phablet, the Galaxy Note 4, in terms of updates. While that's the way users are, and updates can never come soon enough, Samsung did take its time with releasing the latest OS version to the last-gen Note. The rollout started nearly two months ago with a soak test on the SM-N910C version in Russia. Sprint followed suit and released the firmware for the "P" version early this month, and reports out of Poland confirmed that the update for the "C" variant is spreading to more territories. As of now Android 5.1.1 is also being seeded to the SM-N910F version, or the European one. So far, it's been spotted in Sweden over-the-air and is also available via KIES. The build version is labelled N910FXXU1COH4, it's dated August 12, and comes it at a huge 1.8GB. In other news, the Galaxy Note 8.0 two-and-a-half-year-old tablet with a stylus will be denied the move to Lollipop, and will remain on KitKat 4.4. While that was the official position of Samsung Gulf back in May, the UK branch has now confirmed it and has cited hardware limitations - the tablet wouldn't have been able to run Lollipop with TouchWiz smoothly. Source 1 Source...

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Google starts displaying home services ads in its search results

Last month, after Google confirmed that it's hiring a portion of cleaning start-up Homejoy's staff, there were reports that the search giant is building a technology to allow online users to easily connect with local professionals. Looks like the feature has started rolling out. Now when you search for terms like "plumber" or "lock repair," Google displays a sponsored result box at the top containing listings for these services. These listings, as you can see in the screen-shot above, include information such as contact number, rating, location, picture of the service provider (or representative), as well as details of the service being provided. Although these are paid ads, the professionals/businesses are pre-screened by Google, which conducts license, insurance, as well as background and performance checks before qualifying them. As of now, the feature only works if you're searching for plumbers, handymen, locksmiths, and house cleaners around San Francisco Bay Area. Via 1 | Via...

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Apple iPhone 6s cases suggest Rose gold color option and no Sapphire crystal

Apple has the launch of the new generation iPhones set for September 9, and by the looks of it we may be seeing a Rose Gold color option for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. However, it doesn't seem to be quite the same candy tint from a previous leak. The speculation is fueled by the fact that case manufacturer Spigen has typically made cases in the same colors as the iPhones themselves. Already put up on Amazon and in stock, the cases for Apple's next-gen smartphones come in Black, Gunmetal, Champagne Gold, and Rose Gold. Another observation by one of our readers is that the cases are compatible with both the upcoming iPhone 6s and the existing iPhone 6. That points to identical dimensions and thus eliminates the possibility for a Sapphire crystal front, we would assume, as the new material would have called for a slight increase in thickness. Meanwhile, it has almost been set in stone that the iPhone 6s will come with a 12MP camera and 4K video recording. Force touch may also make it to this year's model and we are expecting RAM to finally get a bump to 2GB. Rumored to enter pre-orders on September 11, the 6s and 6s Plus will launch at the same prices as usual. Thanks to Simran Hora for the tip! Source 1...

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Extract the S Pen from the Galaxy Note5 while preserving detection (video)

We know you didn't listen to all the people screaming at you not to insert the S Pen of the Samsung Galaxy Note5 backwards, not to mention read the manual, which clearly states you shouldn't. Fret not, as there is apparently a simple solution, which can save your precious pen detection feature. That is, unless you've already managed to take the stylus out, in which case you're likely past the point of no return. Shown in the video below, the fix uses a piece of paper inserted parallel to the stuck S Pen, wraps around it and shields the detection lever as you're pulling the stylus out. Now, while that will preserve the tiny plastic detection lever, its unclear what you need to do of the S Pen's head gets properly jammed in the other lever deeper down, which is meant to keep the stylus firmly inside. Perhaps, another piece of paper on the other side might help. Via | Image...

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Google Nexus 8 tablet dummy shows up in photos

Most of the talk around Google's devices now revolves around the Android Marshmallow pioneers - the LG Nexus 5 (2015) and Huawei Nexus 6. The two are rumored to see the light of day on September 29, but they may be joined by another surprise release. A couple of new photos, originating in China, claim to depict an upcoming Nexus 8 tablet, or at least a dummy unit of it. Photographed next to a ruler, the slate measures just about 200mm in length (with perspective roughly accounted for), which is the proper height for a 4:3 8-incher. And now that we've seen Google make the move to the more squarish aspect ratio with the Nexus 9, it's only natural for the company to continue the trend. Alleged photos and specs of the Google Nexus 8 The second photo gives a detailed look at one of the corners, and it seems the Nexus 8 will have a metal frame. Chamfered towards the end, it reveals what is likely a speaker grille, but it's hard to tell which exactly corner it is. Older info coming from a GeekBench listing (not the most difficult to fake, mind you) states that the alleged tablet will be powered by an octa-core processor, as most any device nowadays, save for the entry-level ones. The Android 5.1.1 OS version suggests the benchmark entry, if genuine, was made early into the tablet's development, as we'd certainly expect the next tablet to come with Marshmallow on board. Source (in Chinese) | Via (In...

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Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ review: Starborn

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+, as its name suggests, is the bigger and flashier sibling of the SM-G925 smartphone that dazzled the world with its dual-curve display a few months ago. The newcomer is aimed at users who want a premium phablet, but don't covet the S Pen of the Samsung Galaxy Note5 that debuted alongside it.

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Huawei teases multifunction fingerprint sensor on the Mate 7S

Huawei is set to unveil its next phablet on September 2 at IFA in Berlin. And although there's still some confusion as to what it will be called (Mate 7S or just Mate S), it's clear that it's going to be a very important device for the Chinese company. Today Huawei head honcho Richard Yu has started a countdown of sorts on his official Weibo account, alongside which he posted what we can only assume is the first of a series of teaser images. So since at this point we're five days away from the event, we're told that the Mate 7S will come with a five-function fingerprint scanner. All of these things will fit in its 1 square cm footprint. One of those is obvious (unlocking the phone), but for the other features we're left guessing. Mobile payments could be one function, while using the sensor to lock certain content (such as images, videos, even contacts and messages) might be another. We'll find out for sure next week. Source (in Chinese) |...

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Samsung Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic pass through the FCC

Samsung has been teasing the Gear S2 smartwatch for weeks now. The company is clearly very proud of its first wearable with a round touchscreen, so much so that one of its executives has already shown us what it looks like on his wrist. As we get closer to September 3, which is when the big announcement will take place at IFA in Berlin, we're now seeing two models of the Gear S2 passing through the FCC. The US regulatory agency has certified both the Samsung SM-R720 and the SM-R732. According to past leaks and rumors, the former of those will be sold as the Gear S2, while the latter is due to get the Gear S2 Classic moniker. The FCC process has revealed that both of these will come with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi built-in, but neither will also sport mobile data connectivity. That's apparently going to be reserved for a third variation of Samsung's first round smartwatch. Previous leaks have suggested that the Gear S2 will come with a 360x360 AMOLED touchscreen, an Exynos 3472 chipset, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, NFC, as well as a bunch of sensors including a heart rate monitor. Source 1 • Source 2 |...

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Dutch iPhone 6s and 6s Plus prices leaked, still the same

The Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will be unveiled on September 9 and pre-orders may start as early as September 11. The Netherlands will skip that process by the looks of it, new info suggests that the iPhone duo will go directly to stores no September 25 (perhaps a week after other Euro markets like Germany and France). Techtastic.nl has gotten hold of pricing information for Dutch carriers (KPN, T-Mobile and Vodafone). It suggests that the rumored Rose Gold version of the 6s generation won't pan out, leaving the standard Silver, Space Gray and Gold options. Here's the pricing, which is the same as the current pricing for the outgoing iPhone 6 duo. The only real surprise is that the cheapest models still come with 16GB of storage (that's what, a minute of 4K video?). .atable td { text-align: center !important; } .atable tr:first-child td, .atable td:first-child { font-weight: bold !important; } iPhone 6s iPhone 6s Plus 16GB €699 €799 64GB 7699 €899 128GB €899 €999 Source (in...

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For the first time ever Apple will be streaming the iPhone event on Windows

Remember how most of the Apple events were streamed live, but only on Mac OS X and iOS? Well, this is about to change. Yesterday Apple announced it will be holding a press conference on September 9, where it will be announcing the next generation iPhones - the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. As tradition goes, the event will happen in San Francisco on September 9 at 10AM local time. Digging a bit into the Apple's official website reveals the event's placeholder for the live streaming. And there we can find this text: "Requirements: Live streaming uses Apple's HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology. HLS requires an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with Safari on iOS 7.0 or later, a Mac with Safari 6.0.5 or later on OS X v10.8.5 or later, or a PC with Edge on Windows 10. Streaming via Apple TV requires a second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 6.2 or later." It seems Apple will be streaming the event on Windows as well. There are some limitation - it requires Windows 10 and Edge browser, but it's still much better than the Apple-only offer we had so far. This means no more digging through third-party streams with awful quality, bad sound and huge lag. The official stream will be available to everyone. About time! Source |...

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AMD Radeon R9 Nano packs the power of R9 in mini-ITX form-factor

AMD has announced the new R9 Radeon R9 Nano, a compact graphics card designed for mini-ITX motherboards and cases. But despite its diminutive size, the card packs the same internals as AMD's current flagship, the R9 Fury X. The R9 Nano has the same Fiji GPU from the Fury X based on the GCN 1.2 architecture with 4096 stream processors, 256 texture units, and 64 ROPs with a 4096-bit memory bus width, thanks to AMD's new 4GB HBM RAM. Compared to the R9 Fury X, the R9 Nano is clocked slightly lower at 1000MHz instead of 1050MHz, but has a considerably lower TDP of 175W compared to Fury X's 275W. The reference card has three DisplayPorts and one HDMI and requires a single 6-pin power socket. Due to the lower clock speed and lower TDP, it's unlikely the R9 Nano will be just as powerful as Fury X in actual gaming, but it should be close, which is still great considering the Fury X is a powerful card and the R9 Nano is positively tiny in comparison. The card uses an open air cooler that not only blows inside the case but due to the horizontal heat sink fins can spit air out the back of the card outside the case, which is important as mini-ITX cases tend to have much poorer ventilation. The Radeon R9 Nano is priced at $649, which is the same as the R9 Fury X. The Nano is aimed at a different market and is one of its kind for now for being able to offer so much power in such a small form-factor, and possibly the only card of this size that can do 4K, although don't expect 60fps PC Master Race framerates. If you were planning on building a high-end gaming HTPC for your living room, then the R9 Nano doesn't have much competition for...

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Instagram 7.5 brings support for landscape and portrait images and videos

Ever since its inception, Instagram has always allowed clicking and uploading images (and later videos) in the 1:1 square aspect ratio. Like Twitter's 140 character limit, it was a part of the platform's appeal, or a drawback, depending upon how you chose to look at it. Off late, a lot of people had begun uploading non-square images to Instagram using image editing tools to add whitespace to the sides. Clearly people don't seem fond of Instagram's aspect ratio limitation anymore and are willing to use odd hacks to upload a non-square image, even if it made their images look terrible. So Instagram finally caved in and decided to add support for landscape and portrait aspect ratios. Once you update to the new version 7.5 build on iOS and Android, you will get a button while choosing the image to switch to the original aspect ratio of the image instead of cropping it to 1:1, after which you can then proceed to edit the image as usual. This also works for videos, so you can now have full width widescreen videos on Instagram as well. There doesn't seem to be a limitation on the aspect ratio in landscape mode but in portrait mode you are limited to 4:3, so if you upload a 16:9 vertical image or video it gets its top and bottom cropped off to fit into 4:3. This is done to prevent images and videos from overflowing out of the viewing area within the app and that the image or video still remains entirely within the app's UI. If you click on the profile, you still see square thumbnails of images and videos to preserve the square grid layout of profiles. It's a somewhat controversial decision for sure, as some might bemoan the lack of uniformity now on their timeline, with images in oddball aspect ratios already popping up everywhere. It will also make for lazier photographers, as earlier you'd have to work harder to make the shot look good in the 1:1 aspect ratio while now you can just upload your standard 4:3 or 16:9 images from your gallery and be done with it (note the Instagram camera app still allows shooting only in 1:1). Others, however, will appreciate the flexibility of uploading non-square images as sometimes it is hard to get everything within that aspect ratio. It does show that Instagram is willing to listen to its uses. The question is, whether they should...

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New reports of 12MP iPhone 6s with 4K video recording arrive

Rumors agree that with the iPhone 6s generation Apple will upgrade the camera that hasn't seen a major improvement since the iPhone 4S in 2011. The new shooter will have a 12MP sensor (or perhaps 13MP with the extra used for digital stabilization) and will record 2160p video. The new Apple A9 chipset will feature improved ISP for better image processing with hints of a top-notch HDR mode. The selfie camera, which may get a 5MP sensor, will reportedly use a white screen in lieu of LED flash on the front (a trick LG did with the LG G Pro 2, some apps do it too). The new camera will enable slow-mo selfies at 720p apparently and better video recording overall (current iPhones are stuck at 1.2MP/720p). The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will be unveiled on September 9 and we have our fingers crossed for more base storage (thinking about 4K video in 16GB storage makes us...

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Chrome will soon defer playback of background autoplay media and block flash ads

Your Chrome browsing experience is about to get a lot better and far less annoying thanks to these two new features that are coming soon. The first is deferred playback of autoplay media for background tabs. Right now, if you open a tab in the background that has autoplay media, it will start playing in the background when the page finishes loading, and you then have to hunt for the tab and silence whatever is playing. With this feature, Chrome will wait until the tab is in the foreground to start playing autoplay media, thus causing less annoyance and also using fewer resources for background tabs. The second feature is where Chrome will automatically pause Flash ads and other non-essential Flash content on the page. Soon, Flash ads will have a gray box asking the user explicit permission to play them. Google advises ad partners to switch to using HTML5 ads, as they use fewer resources to run than Flash content. Source 1 • Source...

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LG Nexus 5 (2015) rumoured to launch late next month

The LG Nexus 5 (2015) - alleged live photo (see below) of which made the rounds online early last week - will be released on September 29, according to a South Korean media outlet which cited a credible source. There was, however, no word on the release date of the Nexus device being manufactured by Huawei. If you aren't already aware, two Nexus handsets are expected this year - the one from LG is said to sport a 5.2" screen, while that from Huawei is said to be a 5.7" phablet. Apart from screen size, both are rumoured to have mostly the same specs. A recently-leaked 3D render of the LG's handset showed a fingerprint scanner on a plastic back with beveled edges, fitted on a metal frame. Needless to say, none of this has been officially confirmed yet, so take it with a pinch of...

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US Cellular begins selling Moto G 2015

The third-generation Motorola Moto G smartphone - which was officially launched last month - is now available for purchase from US Cellular. You can grab the black color model for $130 up front, or $9 a month for 20 months, or one cent on a regular two-year contract. Specs-wise, the device is powered by a Snapdragon 410 SoC with quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU and Adreno 306 GPU, and sports a 5-inch 720p display. It packs in a 2470 mAh battery, and comes with 1/2GB RAM and 8/16GB internal memory options - US Cellular is selling the lower end variant. In terms of camera, the Moto G 2015 features a 13MP rear unit and a 5MP front shooter. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and comes with IPX7 certification, which means it is water resistant up to 1m for up to 30 minutes. Source |...

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In a first, over a billion people logged onto Facebook in a single day

This past Monday was special for Facebook as the social network saw over a billion people using it on that day, something that has happened for the first time in the company's history. The statistic was revealed by none other than Mark Zuckerberg himself. "We just passed an important milestone. For the first time ever, one billion people used Facebook in a single day," the CEO said in a Facebook post. "On Monday, 1 in 7 people on Earth used Facebook to connect with their friends and family." While Facebook first achieved 1 billion monthly active users milestone back in 2012, having the same number of people using the service in a single day is much more significant. According to official statistics, the social network had an average of 968 million daily active users and 1.49 billion monthly active users last...

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Leaked Sony Xperia Z5 press shots confirm 23MP main camera

Alleged press images of the upcoming Sony Xperia Z5 made the rounds online. One of the renders confirms that Sony's next flagship smartphone will feature a new 23MP main camera with 1/2.3" Exmor RS sensor. A recent teaser by Sony suggests that the camera will also have advanced focusing capability. The latter will likely be possible thanks to a hybrid autofocusing system. Other than the camera sensor, the press renders of the Xperia Z5 reveal that the smartphone will be available in at least three color schemes - white, gold, and a shade of turquoise. Overall, the smartphone has retained the same design language as its predecessors. Sony Xperia Z5 will make its official debut in less than a week, on September 2. An Xperia Z5 Compact and Xperia Z5 Premium with 4K display are also expected. Source ...

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HTC Desire 626 is now available at Verizon for $192

It's been known for quite a while that the HTC Desire 626 will eventually be sold by Verizon too in the US. After HTC announced a few mid-range Desire-branded options for that market back in July, Big Red unveiled its plans to stock the Desire 626 alongside the Desire 526 a few weeks ago. And today the Desire 626 joins the already available Desire 526 in Verizon's roster. The Desire 626 can be had for just $192 outright. If you'd rather use the carrier's installment plan, then you pay $8 per month for the device for 24 months. There's only one color on offer, namely white with gold accents. The HTC Desire 626 comes with a 5-inch 720p touchscreen, an 8 MP main camera with LED flash, a 5 MP selfie shooter, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 210 chipset with a 1.1 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 CPU, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, and a 2,000 mAh battery. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with HTC Sense 7 UI on top. Source |...

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