Posts

Showing posts from May, 2018

The Huawei Watch 2 gets a refresh for the Chinese market

Image
9to5Google The Huawei Watch 2 (2018) is a slightly upgraded version of the original Watch 2. It now comes with an eSIM variant as well as a new color scheme. Other than these two changes, the watch is identical to the previous version. The Huawei Watch 2 is one of the best Android wearables on the market. In fact, it is the only watch that Google uses for testing of Android upgrades within the Wear OS ecosystem. Now, via  9to5Google , the Huawei Watch 2 is getting a slight refresh for the Chinese market. Before you get incredibly excited about getting your hands on a new Huawei watch, you should note that there are very few upgrades to this new version. In fact, Huawei isn’t even changing the name; it’s merely the Huawei Watch 2 (2018). The most significant update to the Huawei Watch 2 (2018) is the addition of an eSIM variant. This version of the watch enables you to connect the wearable to cellular data without the hassle of having to put a nano SIM into a slot on the

The US will get its first taste of Android Go next week with the Alcatel 1X

Image
The Alcatel 1X will be available sometime next week through Amazon, with other retailers to follow. Alcatel announced the 1X during MWC 2018 as the company’s first Android Go smartphone. The 1X will sell for $100 unlocked and work on GSM networks. With ZTE’s Android Go smartphone on the back-burner due to the company’s ongoing issues with the U.S. government, Alcatel looks to fill the void and launch its Android Go -powered 1X smartphone in the U.S. sometime next week. The 1X will first be available through Amazon, though the phone will also be available through Best Buy and Walmart in the coming weeks. Regardless of where it is sold, the 1X will go for $100 unlocked and work on GSM networks. As a refresher, the 1X features a 5.3-inch, 960 x 480 resolution display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, 8MP main camera, 5MP selfie sensor, quad-core MediaTek MT6739 chipset, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, and a 2,460mAh battery. The phone features no fingerprint sensor or face

California Senate defies FCC ruling, passes its own Net Neutrality bill

Image
Wikimedia Commons The California Senate just voted to pass a bill that would put Net Neutrality laws back for Californians. The bill will likely also pass the State Assembly and become law. If it becomes law, it will be in direct defiance of the FCC statutes that will begin in June. Yesterday evening, the California Senate passed a Net Neutrality bill that not only would put the Obama-era rules back in place but would also put an even tighter leash on how ISPs can control citizens’ access to the internet. The bill passed through the Senate by a vote of 23 – 12, via ARSTechnica . As expected, the 23 ayes came from Democrats and the 12 noes came from Republicans. To become California law, the bill will now head to the Democrat-controlled State Assembly and finally to Governor Jerry Brown, also a Democrat. As such, it is very likely the bill will become law in California, the third-largest state in the U.S. Editor's Pick US Senate will force too-little-too-late vo

Android Oreo rolling out now to NVIDIA Shield TV (Update: On hold due to software issues)

Image
Update (05/31): NVIDIA has halted the Oreo rollout for Shield TV devices after stumbling upon a few issues. Writing on the official GeForce forums (via Android Police ), an NVIDIA support representative noted that the update, which is confusingly called the Shield TV Experience Upgrade 7.0, will be temporarily suspended as the company looks to “resolve the issues that have been encountered.” It’s unclear how long it will take for the problems to be fixed, but NVIDIA is optimistic that it will be able to “restart the rollout shortly.” Original post (05/24): The NVIDIA Shield TV is Android Authority’s favorite media streamer (yes, even better than Roku ), and now it’s about to get even better. Starting now, NVIDIA is pushing out Android 8.0 Oreo to all NVIDIA Shield TV boxes. The new Android 8.0 features are wrapped in NVIDIA’s skin for the streamer called Shield Experience Upgrade 7.0. We realize that’s confusing, but we wanted to make sure you understand that if you get an u

Google has seven messaging apps – Here’s all of them and what they do

Image
Since the launch of Google Talk in 2005 , Google has emphasized the importance of people using the company’s services to communicate with one another. In fact, Google thinks it’s so important, that it made more Google-branded messaging platforms than it knows what to do with, each one offering similar functions with minor tweaks. All the different Google messaging apps can be confusing, and it doesn’t help that Google continually disables services , re-brands them , or integrates features from one app into another . But, according to Google (via Computer World ), it will not wrap all the messaging services under one roof: We’ve designed specific products for distinct use cases, so we don’t intend to have one app that does everything for everyone. We think we can better serve our users by creating products that function really well, and users can choose the product that best suits their needs. While this sounds good on paper, it also makes things bewildering for the user when it

Report: India, 5G, and 6-inch displays will drive 2019 smartphone sales

Image
The newest IDC projections for the smartphone industry show significant growth starting after the downturn of this year. The three biggest factors for growth will be India, 5G, and phones with large displays. In 2022, the IDC projects the industry will churn out 1.654 billion smartphones. The International Data Corporation (IDC) just published its projected analysis of the smartphone market from now through 2022. Overall, the IDC expects the market to spiral down slightly throughout the rest of 2018, but then begin a steady climb next year. The three primary factors the IDC cites as driving future smartphone industry growth will be the Indian market , 5G technology , and phones with displays larger than six inches. Overall, the IDC’s report hypothesizes that smartphone shipments in 2018 will likely amount to 1.462 billion units, a 0.2 percent drop from last year’s 1.465 billion units. However, shipments will rise steadily starting in 2019 eventually reaching 1.654 billion u

Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians brings the fantasy RPG series to phones (Update: Out now!)

Image
Update (05/31): Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians is now available to download on Android devices via the Google Play Store. Publisher Ubisoft celebrated the launch with a new trailer (above) showing the turn-based gameplay in action. If you pre-registered to play Elemental Guardians you’ll be able to grab a “special reward” in-game until June 7. The latest entry in the Might & Magic series is a free-to-play title with in-app purchases which range from $0.99 to $99.99 per item. Hit the button below to dive into the fantasy RPG! Download Now: Might & Magic Elemental Guardians Original story (03/15): The Might & Magic fantasy RPG series is one of the longest running console and PC video game franchises. Today, Ubisoft announced it is bringing the series over to smartphones with the worldwide launch of Might & Magic: Elemental Guardians on May 31 for Android and iOS. The game was soft launched in limited markets about a year ago. The first Might & Magic

Nokia sells Digital Health back to Withings (Update: Withings brand will return)

Image
Update 5/31/2018 at 10:53 A.M. EST: Engadget   reported today that the Nokia Health Brand – recently purchased back from original owner Withings, as described in the article below – will re-brand back to Withings by the end of the year. Current Nokia-branded products will remain for sale, but by 2019 Nokia Health products and software will fly under the Withings banner. Withings also stated it will begin developing new products for release soon. Original Article:  Things haven’t gone very well for Nokia’s re-branding of Withings as Nokia Digital Health. Now, it looks like Nokia is selling the Digital Health arm of the company to a surprising buyer: Éric Carreel, the co-founder of Withings. Nokia didn’t reveal the terms of the deal. But judging from the history of the Nokia-Withings business, Nokia likely gave the brand away for a song. The French startup Withings made a name for itself by developing health-related tech products that worked well and looked great. Nokia saw an

Dutch court rules Samsung can legally neglect to update your smartphone

Image
A Dutch court case against Samsung ended with Samsung the victor. The case was over Samsung’s spotty history of updating its smartphones with the latest security patches. The judge in the case ruled that Samsung is under no legal obligation to update its smartphones. A Dutch court today ruled in favor of Samsung when it comes to issuing smartphone updates. Samsung – the defendant in the trial – was accused by a consumer advocacy group of neglecting to keep the software of Samsung smartphones up-to-date for a reasonable length of time. The ruling, via The BBC , gives Samsung free reign to neglect issuing security updates to its smartphones without any legal penalty. The Dutch trial has been running for over two years now , with the famous consumer advocacy group Consumentenbond pushing to force Samsung into keeping all of its smartphones up-to-date with security patches for a full two years after the device is sold. The loss of this case is a disappointing outcome globally

Price Drop! Get 71% off Batband a breakthrough in your listening experience

Image
Innovation never ceases to amaze. Batband, enjoy your music & the world around you with this revolutionary hearable . A device which allows you to listen to music while keeping your ears free. Many of us love listening to music or podcasts during the day, and there are times when drowning out the world is exactly you want to do. In other situations however, this can be inconvenient or even dangerous . Often you need to be aware of your surroundings, such as when you’re on the road. Batband is the answer. It allows you to listen to your tunes or take calls , whilst keeping your ears free for situational awareness. How does Batband work? We’d like to say witchcraft, but the real answer is bone conduction . Transducers in Batband emit sound waves at a frequency that can be conducted through the bones of the skull. These sound waves are picked up by your inner ear , keeping your outer ear free. Clever stuff.  You might be wondering if this means other people can hear