Posts

Showing posts from April, 2016

Intel exits the smartphone & tablet market after killing Broxton and SoFIA chips

Image
Android smartphone competition is fierce, but things are a bit different when it comes to the processors that power these smartphones and tablets. Qualcomm and Samsung are leading the bunch, and even CPU manufacturers like NVIDIA and Intel struggle to compete against them, in the mobile industry. Today we are here to speak about the latter-mentioned entity. Intel is changing its strategy and switching focus to other business projects. Namely, they are placing most of their bets on the data center, IoT, memory, FPGA and 5G businesses. Something’s gotta give, right? Also read: Interview with Intel at CES 2015 Qualcomm’s high horse: can anyone knock them off? But such a change in focus also means they must sacrifice other things, and it seems they will be leaving the smartphone and tablet business, at least for the meantime. A new report from Anandtech (with confirmation from Intel) states the processor maker will be canceling its Broxton and SoFIA platforms. This would mean

PlanetPron app for Android updated with Material Design (NSFW)

Image
Before we go any further, please be aware that this post is about a porn app being updated, which some readers may find offensive. You have been warned. There’s really no beating around the bush about what PlanetPron is all about; it’s an app designed to look at adult pictures and videos, plain and simple, but the app is currently undergoing a big update, so it’s certainly worth highlighting. We first talked about this app in our best adult apps roundup, praising the app for being one of the best of its kind. That was mostly down to its content, however, not design. Now PlanetPron is catching up in that department as well. 10 best adult apps for Android (NSFW) Material Design is prominent in PlanetPron and this is seen from the outset when launching the app. You’re greeted with a home screen that consists of a grid of content packed with high-resolution thumbnails of the content itself. We’ll ignore the irony present here that one is observing and appreciating the app design and

On my mind: Is Samsung still keen on its Galaxy Note line?

Image
NOTES: You want to take them, but does Samsung still want to make them? As the timeless adage goes, the pen is mightier than the sword. These days however, there is some discussion needed as for just how accurately such sage sayings may apply to Samsung smartphones. True, the Galaxy Note has been a mainstay for a number of years now, and true it serves as not only a tool for those interested in productivity, but also doubles as a second flagship with which its maker can attract customers and remain relevant in the latter part of each year. People love dreaming of the next Note, people love using the Note, and people love reading about the Note. It’s great for customers with big hands, customers with bad eye sight, customers who like to draw…Everyone seems to love the Note. Except for maybe Samsung. Despite all this, 2016 is a very curious time for Samsung’s second big product line. With each passing year, the Galaxy Note series is seemingly becoming less and less of a proper prior

Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – April 30, 2016

Image
While the last few weeks at Android Authority have been packed with tons of reviews, this last week saw this trend come to an end. While nothing was reviewed this week, that doesn’t mean the video team sat idly by. This week our video team brought us a more in-depth look at the HTC 10’s camera, pitted the LG G5 vs the Nexus 6P, gave us an overview of the main mobile payment services, and much more. Our very own Joe Hindy also had a very busy week, not only bringing us his regular Android Apps Weekly video but also best games and best apps of April videos. So without further delay, let’s jump in and take a look at all the great content we saw this week: HTC 10 Camera Feature Focus After finding mixed reception at best for the HTC One M9, the HTC 10 aims to be a much-needed step up for the company, and based on our review we agreed that hTC had certainly made a massive improvement this time around. In this feature we take a closer look at the camera, an area where HTC has traditi

Google has discontinued the $999 Chromebook Pixel ($1299 model still available)

Image
Google’s Chrome OS has managed to make in-roads into various sectors, including education . Part of this has to do with the cloud-based platform’s relatively simple usability and all-inclusive functionality. The real key however, is the low price at which the hardware – Chromebooks – cost. Whereas a decent Windows-based laptop can retail for hundreds and hundreds of dollars, Chrome OS packing-products are typically a mere fraction of the cost. Except for Google’s own Chromebook Pixel . Google has just made the choice easier by making it more difficult. As of today, the lowest priced Pixel, the $999 variant, has been discontinued. The Chromebook Pixel starts at a “mere” thousand dollars and includes things such as a super high resolution display and touch-support. The original model even had optional LTE connectivity . While this product line will only appeal to a limited segment of an already limited – though growing – market, Google has just made the choice easier by making it m

A history of HTC’s Android designs

Image
Now that the dust has settled, veteran smartphone maker HTC can breathe a bit easier knowing that its latest flagship, the HTC 10, has been officially announced and is about to take its impending charge into the hands of consumers worldwide. For the company – which has been on shaky ground for some time due to stiff competition – it’s a new direction that’ll hopefully bring them back to good fortunes, to the days when they were largely regarded as the premier force in the Android space. One of the more delightful aspects of the HTC 10 is its updated design, which again is a testament to the company’s meticulous approach when it comes to design. They’ve always been highly esteemed in the industry, producing slick looking devices that have been seared into the hearts and minds of smartphone fans all throughout the world. However, the more we think about the HTC 10’s new look, the more it’s made us think about all the memorable Android smartphones HTC has produced throughout the years –