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Controversial Samsung SDI batteries might power the Galaxy S8

Alexandra Arici
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Samsung has reportedly concluded its investigation into what caused the Galaxy Note7 to explode and will reveal the results sometime in the near future. Now a new report coming of South Korea reveals something unexpected – the batteries inside the Galaxy Note7 might not have been to blame for the huge fiasco.

According to the information, Samsung wants to use Samsung SDI batteries inside its upcoming next-gen Galaxy S8 flagship. Which means the batteries couldn’t have been the culprit of the Galaxy Note7 explosions.

samsung-galaxy-s8-render

Samsung’s initial Note7 investigation found the batteries produced by Samsung SDI were to blame for the overheating issues. However, the replacement Galaxy Note7 units using the batteries supplied Amperex were plagued by the same problem.

Now we’re told the upcoming 5.7-inch Galaxy S8 and the 6-inch Galaxy S8 Plus will both be powered by Samsung SDI batteries. Given that Samsung’s hopes to make up for the Galaxy Note7 debacle by launching a spectacular Galaxy S8, we don’t think the Korean tech giant would be so stupid as to use potentially dangerous batteries again.

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The report says the issue with the Galaxy Note7 was a “strategic defect” but we aren’t given any more details about what exactly that means.

So when Samsung announces the results of the Galaxy Note7 investigation, we’re fairly sure they won’t have anything to do with batteries. Samsung wouldn’t risk botching the Galaxy S8 as well. Such a disaster would practically spell the end of Samsung’s mobile division. Or so we believe.

samsung-galaxy-note7

Despite the Galaxy Note7 debacle, lots of Samsung users remain loyal to the company and say they are looking forward towards the Galaxy S8. How about you?

Casio has a new rugged smartwatch with GPS and Android Wear 2.0

Alexandra Arici
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People are not really buying smartwatches, but some companies continue to produce them in the hopes their efforts will be taken into consideration. Like Casio, a company that has been making wrist watches since 1974 and built quite a reputation thanks to them.

Well Casio also tried its hand at smartwatch making. If you remember the company unveiled the rugged WSD-F10 model last year. Now at CES 2017, Casio has pulled the wraps off the follow-up model, the Pro-Tek WSD-F20 which runs Android Wear 2.0.

So if you have been craving an outdoor watch for quite some time, the Casio WSD-F20 smartwatch might be worth looking into. The new model retains a lot of the features of the previous WSD-F10 but adds GSP functionality.

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The wearable keeps the 50m water-resistance rating and the dual-layer display which allows users to converse battery life by giving them the option to switch to a monochrome mode that just displays the time like in the case of regular watches.

The new WSD-F20 has been made to look more rugged, but all the three side buttons that were available on the F10 are still there. The buttons let users quickly access preferred apps and certain function and tools like the compass or barometer.

Casio improved upon the previous generation, so now the WSD-F20 can track more activities like trekking, fishing, cycling and winter/water sports. On top of that, the watch can display color maps in offline or online mode.

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The map data is delivered via Mapbox, which is the same source used by popular apps like Pinterest, Foursquare or Strava. Casio lets users download the maps in advance, so if you’re going on a hike you can get directions from the watch in advance. The GPS feature can track your whereabouts even in offline mode, which is pretty neat.

The WSD-F20 takes advantage of two watch faces – Location and Traveler – so users can vary between them. A new Location Memory app will let users mark a certain location on the map using markers or text.

Casio might have announced the WSD-F20 today, but the smartwatch will become available starting April 21. Interested parties can pick it up in orange or black for $500 a pop, which is quite expensive. Any takers?

5 important web development trends to expect in 2017 (PROMOTED)

Guest Blogger
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Web development is in constant evolution. Thanks to advances in technology and Internet capabilities, websites can be taken further than ever before. However, it’s not just the technology that causes techniques to evolve. In fact, the mentality of humanity plays a crucial role in development as well.

From a business perspective, many organizations try to take advantage of the most current trends. This is to ensure a profitable experience for all. Because the Internet is full of competition, it’s safe to assume others are making their websites more appealing to the masses whether it’s on a tablet or desktop computer system.

Below are five important development trends for websites everyone should be aware of for 2017. Whether it’s for a monetized blog or operating a reseller hosting program to make money on the side, design can make all the difference on the Internet.

1. Minimalist Designs

A common trend among many is through the use of minimalist design. This is the process of developing a website that centers purely around user input. Designers remove elements and content that are not necessary to streamline the website as a whole.

This does two important things: gives the user a more focused experience and makes the site faster to load.

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Removing various elements in a website reduces the resources necessary to deliver pages to computers and mobile devices. Since hand-held units often don’t have the resolution necessary to see the site as it appears for computers, a minimalist approach may be more appealing for Android users.

Although some will argue that a minimalist design loses its flare for visual appeal, the effect it has made on the Internet is staggering. In fact, many organizations successfully put this practice into reality as it improves traffic as well as visitor retention. Of course, this is also dependent on the type of content and industry that powers the website in the first place.

2. Designing for Experience, Not Just Appearance

Designers of the future are building websites to give visitors more of an experience to remember. Instead of the basic framework of a plain website, there are more elements that are interactive and engaging. This includes things like links that are easy to identify from both computer and mobile device alike.

Parallax designs are when the background scrolls at a different rate than the foreground on a website. This format is being seen more often, especially on landing pages. It gives more of an interaction to boost the user experience.

Cinemagraphs are images that have some form of movement within. They are becoming more popular as the image tends to use far less bandwidth than video counterparts and have more versatility. For mobile users, this can be good for both performance of the site and the individual’s data plan.

Storytelling is becoming another poplar trend by developers. Whether it’s a tale centered around the development of new technology or a graphic novel accentuating a business, stories keep audiences glued to the screen.

3. User Interface Improvements to Engage the Audience

The evolution of the Internet and design also contributes to how the layout of a website is developed. Instead of basic links in a navigation bar, more people are creating a user interface that is more interactive. The experience seems more like controlling an app than an actual website.

Part of this is due to the fact that more people are accessing websites through mobile technology than desktop computers. Buttons and links need to be large enough to touch with a finger on a smaller screen while still having visual appeal on a larger one.

Responsive design isn’t merely about making sure pictures fit on a hand-held unit or that the site looks “pretty” on an Android device. It also involves functionality and ease of use on those units.

It’s all about delivering that experience mentioned earlier and how it impacts the overall flow of the website. Any experience like this should be shared for both computer systems and mobile technology.

4. Scrolling through Long Websites

In the early 2000’s, many experts explained how long-scrolling websites needed to be avoided. Today, this practice is quite common thanks to social media and flat website design. Even those who use heat mapping on their websites notice an improvement of the number of people who view the bottom of the page.

One of the reasons why long-scrolling websites have become so popular may be because of mobile technology. From a user’s perspective, it is much easier to simply scroll through content on a long webpage than to try to navigate on a smartphone. For many, it’s easier to simply use a thumb to scroll through content than try and click various buttons for more information.

Because scrolling websites are growing quite common in the world today, a lot of designers are moving towards lazy loading for content.

5. Lazy Loading

A common trend growing by developers is that of lazy loading. This is when assets of a website are only loaded when they are absolutely necessary. This increases the efficiency as well as speed of a site. This platform will work on any type of platform whether a user is on a shared server or using a reseller hosting account.

In a traditional website, all graphics and content on any specific page is loaded all at once. If there is a lot of material on that page, it could take quite a while for everything to render. Lazy loading is the solution to that while giving the site a superior experience when it comes to loading times.

This form of development helps those on slower Internet connections or older mobile devices. Instead of trying to pull the information all at once, a slower Android or PC can have an excellent browsing experience because the resources are not loaded simultaneously.

Keep a Thumb on the Pulse of Website Practices

Reseller hosting, eCommerce, advertising space and other forms of making money through a website will be affected by upcoming trends. It’s up to the site owner to stay ahead of these and plan for the future. As the competition for visitor traffic is so intense online, any advantage may mean the difference for sales and leads. Don’t assume the design of a 10-year old site is good enough to survive the upcoming years, especially when viewed from a mobile device.

6-7 Nokia smartphones with Android slated for release in 2017

Alexandra Arici
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Those of you who have been really nostalgic about Nokia phones, you’re going to love this piece of news. We’ve already told you Nokia is going to make a comeback to the world of smartphones this year, but listen to this.

According to a few reports coming from Malaysian press, it turns out HMD (the company that develops mobile devices under the Nokia brand) plans to unleash 6 to 7 Nokia Android phones and tablets on the market by the end of the year (at least in Malaysia).

Nokia C1

A long time partner of Nokia/Microsoft in Malaysia, the Avaxx corporation hosted an event to inform partners and investors of this very fact. However, you should keep in mind that although 6-7 Nokia smartphones are going to be launched in the country, it doesn’t mean all models are going to make it out into the US market.

Now, we expect HMD to unveil the first Nokia smartphone of 2017 at MWC 2017 in Barcelona. In anticipation of that, we’ve seen a deluge of Nokia-related leaks in the past few months. At one point, we told you HMD is working on two high-end Nokia handsets with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

nokia-upcoming-phones

The two models should arrive with 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch form factors and sport QHD resolution and the all-new Snapdragon 835.

A competing leak claimed a different story. Apparently HMD is going to unveil two super-affordable models at MWC 2017. Dubbed the D1C the phone should come in 5-inch or 5.5-inch version with 1080p resolution and 2GB/3GB of RAM.

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The two devices will share a few specs like Snapdragon 430 processor with Adreno 505 GPU, 16GB of storage, 16MP/13MP dual camera plus 8MP selfie shooter and Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

On top of that HMD might also launch a tablet or two. The Nokia N1 which was launched a few years back in 2014 was pretty well received by the public, although customers have been losing interest in tablets quite massively over the past year.

Swarovski prepping Android Wear smartwatch with Snapdragon 835

Alexandra Arici
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Interest for smartwatches has been weaning for the last year or so, but maybe device manufacturers have been doing it wrong all along. Smartwatches are accessories that bring a number of functionalities to the table, but when it comes to ornaments like these people tend to put an emphasis on design more often than not.

That’s why 2017 might be the year when we’ll see fashion houses make a bigger push for the smartwatch market. Designers like Michael Kors already offer some Android Wear products and by the looks of it we’re going to see more luxury intelligent timepieces make a debut soon.

At CES 2017, Qualcomm announced Austrian producer of cut lead glass, Swarovski will soon launch an Android Wear smartwatch too.

The wearable will be designed in partnership with Google and Qualcomm and interestingly enough will be powered by the all-new high-end Snapdragon 835 processor, which means it’s going to be extra speedy.

It’s quite obvious Qualcomm is looking to expand the range of devices which are to be powered by its top-tier SoC. The company announced during CES that one of the first Snapdragon 835-pwered devices will not be a phone, but an Amazon Echo-like device for kids called Mattel Aristotle.

swarovski-smartwatch-unboxing

According to Swarovski’s Instagram the device will be unboxed during Beselworld 2017 which is due to kickstart on March 23.

Anyway going back to Swarovski, the company isn’t exactly a stranger to smartwatches. The diamond maker has produced a luxury strap for the Samsung Gear S and one for the Huawei Watch (ladies model).

luxury-samsung-gear-s

It is expected that Google will provide more details about Android Wear 2.0 during the Las Vegas event, as well as announce more Android Wear partners and Swarovski is going to be one of them.

At this time, Swarovski hasn’t revealed any more info about possible specs or pricing information.

New Impulse Wireless Headphones from IFROGZ

AndroidGuys
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These days we want wireless everything. From phones to thermostats, even front door locks are being developed for wireless connectivity. Headphones are one of the hottest wireless items being release as no one likes to be tethered.

Today, IFROGZ is releasing what seems to be a quality, on-ear headphone with clean design at an affordable price tag. Ringing in at just $59.99, the Impulse Wireless Headphones boast 12 hours of battery life, intuitively placed phone and music controls, and a 3.5mm audio jack (in case you feel like going back to 2016). This is a set of headphones I would love to get my ears under.

Specs and Highlights:

  • On-ear music and call controls
  • Built-in mic for quick and easy calls on the go
  • 40mm drivers that deliver rich, premium sound
  • Up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge
  • 3.5mm audio jack option
  • AeroFoam ear pads provide comfortable listening and passive noise isolation
  • Foldable for convenient storage

For additional information or to purchase ($59.99) any of the 3 available colors head over to Zagg.com.

Qualcomm offers a more detailed glimpse of Snapdragon 835 at CES 2017

Alexandra Arici
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Qualcomm gave us a preliminary view of the Snapdragon 835 back in November, but this week the chip giant has revealed all the details about its newest top tier chipset which is bound to power this year’s flagships.

The Snapdragon 835 is the first chipset from Qualcomm manufactured using the 10nm FinFET process. While it’s expected that the new chipset will bring a significant increase in computing power, one of the SoC’s biggest advantages will be conservative power consumption –  which means phones using the new SoC will live significantly longer lives.

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Compared to the previous-gen chipsets, the Snapdragon 835 is about 35% smaller in size and can consume 25% less power, which as we mentioned before translates in more battery life.

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Speaking of battery, the Snapdragon 835 is the first to come bundled with Quick Charge 4.0. So juicing up 835 equipped phones should be 20% faster and 30% more efficient than before.

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Now that we’ve shared the basic info about the Snapdragon 835, let’s see what are the main features the SoC brings to the table:

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  • Kyro 280 CPU with four performance cores running at 2.45GHz and four efficiency cores running at 1.9GHz
  • Bluetooth 5.0 support
  • Adreno 540 GPU carrying support for OpenGL ES 3.2, full OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan and DX12
  • Dual-channel LP DDR4x memory at 1866MHz
  • Support for up to 32MP single and 16MP dual-camera with Qualcomm Spectra IPS, 2x IPS, 14-bit, hybrid autofocus (laser/contrast/structured light/dual-phase detection AF), Qualcomm Clear Sight, optical zoom, hardware accelerated face detection, HDR video recording
  • Quick Charge 4
  • 4K Ultra HD video capture at 30 fps, up to 4K Ultra HD video playback at 60 fps
  • Integrated Snapdragon X16 LTE model with support for Category 16 LTE download speeds up to 1GB/second and Category 13 LTE upload speeds up to 150MB/second.
  • 11ad Multi-gigabit Wi-Fi allowing for up to 4.6GB/second peak speed
  • Officially supports Google Daydream View VR headset
  • Qualcomm Haven security platform features support for fingerprint, eye and face-based biometrics.

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The Snapdragon 835 is a VR optimized chipset (it can also run mobile computing systems with full Windows 10 support) and to prove that Qualcomm revealed the first designs that will take advantage of its power and they aren’t phones. One of them is a AR/VR headset manufactured by ODG, while another is a sort of Amazon Echo alternative for kids called Mattel Aristotle.

snapdragon-835-immersive-visuals

Speaking of which, this year we expect to see the Snapdragon 835 power most flagships. We already heard rumors that the Samsung Galaxy S8, OnePlus 4 (or 5), HTC 11 and ASUS Zenfone 4 will all take advantage of the new SoC and they will certainly not be the only ones.

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The new premium chip is currently undergoing mass production, so we can expect to see the first Snapdragon 835-powered devices to hit the market in the first half of 2017.

E FUN launches two new Nextbook Ares tablets for the budget-minded

Alexandra Arici
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American maker of budget tablets and 2-in-1 hybrids, E FUN is also present on the grounds at CES 2017 to present two new products – an Android tablet and a laptop/tablet combo. Both models feature Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functions and come with a set of pre-installed apps.

We’ll start off with the 2-in-1 hybrid which is called the Nextbook Ares 12 Flip. The device takes advantage of a 12.2-inch IPS display with 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution and an Intel Atom quad-core processor plus an unspecified amount of RAM.

E FUN also throws in 64GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot which can allow for memory expansion up to 128GB. There’s also a 5MP/2MP camera combo, if you’re into the whole tablet photography thing. The Nextbook Ares 12 Flip also has a micro HDMI port and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. The tablet can be converted into a laptop via the Pogo-pin keyboard.

The 2-in-1 device is expected to become available in Q2 2017 for an unspecified price.

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Moving on the Android tablet, the Nextbook Ares 8A let us tell you the slate comes packing an 8-inch IPS display with 1280 x 800-pixel resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio.

Like the hybrid, the Nextbook Ares 8A is powered by an Intel Atom quad-core processor. It takes advantage of 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD card slot). Users can snap images using the 2MP/0.3MP camera duo, although don’t expect any stellar results.

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Other specs include the HDMI port and Android 6.0 Marshmallow pre-installed. E FUN says the battery nestle under the bonnet should deliver up to 8 hours of battery life.

The tablet should become available for purchase in Q1 2017. Once again E FUN is mum about pricing, but the device should be quite affordable (around $78 according to the company’s website).

nextbook-ares-8a-back-view

To conclude, we should mention both Android devices come pre-installed with a number of apps including the Barnes & Noble NOOK app, the VUDU Movies and TV app, Flixster app and Net Nanny which ensures children watch only age-appropriate content.

We expect the two devices to be budget-friendly, so if you need a device to play games, watch movies or read a book, the two new Nextbook devices might be what you need.

T-Mobile dives deeper into IoT with two new Access packs

Alexandra Arici
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T-Mobile has scheduled a conference at CES 2017 a few days from now, but until then the Magenta carrier has some Internet of Things (IoT) related news to share with us.

T-Mobile just unveiled two new IoT Access packs to help encourage owners of IoT devices to get their devices online. The standard plan includes up to 5MB of data/month for $20 per year per device. After that customers will pay only $6 per year per device.

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For those who want more, T-Mobile has a more advanced plan that delivers unlimited data at 64Kbps if you pay $25 per year per device. For a limited time users can get $5 off the first year for each device they bring in.

T-Mobile says it doesn’t matter which plan you choose, as the carrier will cover the costs of the Sequans Cat1 module using bill credits.

The carrier also informs those interested in the developing IoT ecosystem it is continuing to work on the Category M and Norrowband IoT. In combination with T-Mobile’s Cat1 modules available on the carriers 4G LTE networks, these new modules should give users the opportunity to tap into faster data and longer life cycles (in comparison to 2G networks).

By bundling the service and module into one pack, T-Mobile hopes to attract more IoT customers who wish to get their devices online to its network.

Samsung’s new Galaxy A (2017) phones bring IP68 certification, Samsung Pay support

Alexandra Arici
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The mid-range smartphone sector has been getting quite interesting as of late and Samsung’s newest smartphones unveiled ahead of CES 2017 are a testimony of this growing trend.

Introducing the new Samsung Galaxy A lineup which features three models, the Galaxy A7, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 – all IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. There are a few things all variants have in common like sporting sleek metal bodies that are 7.9mm thick and USB Type-C ports.

Interestingly, all three phones take advantage of a feature the Galaxy Note7 used to benefit from and that is Secure Folder. The option allowed users to easily and safely tuck away sensitive info in a folder.

They also run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box (sadly) and offer support for Samsung Pay (thumbs up to that). Let’s see what they each offer in terms of specs.

Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

This is the top of the line model which arrives with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Samsung uses its own chipset crop to fuel the new Galaxy A (2017) family, so the Galaxy A7 draws power from an octa-core Exynos chipset clocked at 1.9GHz combined with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (microSD card slot allows for memory expansion up to 256GB).

The photography department is where things get even more exciting. Just like the OnePlus 3T, the Galaxy A7 (2017) features a 16MP/16MP camera combo, so the phone should snap some great selfies.

The phone runs on a 3,600 mAh battery and will be sold in Black, Blue, Pink and Gold.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

The Galaxy A5 is a tad smaller boasting a 5.2-inch display wth the same 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. It takes advantage of the powers of the Exynos 7880 clocked at 1.9GHz in combination with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (microSD card slot is again present).

Like in the case of the Galaxy A7, there’s two 16MP cameras onboard, but a smaller 3,000 mAh battery keeps the lights on. Customers can grab the A5 in Black, Blue, Pink or Gold.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)

Last but not least is the Galaxy A3 which comes forth with a 4.7-inch display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. The CPU is still an Exynos but this time clocked at only 1.6GHz. Cameras aren’t as advanced as on the A7 and A5, so we have a 13MP main snapper and 8MP selfie shooter – both with f/1.9 apertures (just like the A7).

Other specs include 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage (microSD card available) and a 2,350 mAh battery.

Samsung hasn’t specified anything in terms of pricing. It did say the trio will go on sale in Russia in early January with more markets to be added soon.

However, if leaks are to be believed, the Galaxy A3 will sell for approximately $342, while the A5 will bear a $446 price-tag in Europe. We don’t know the price for the A7 yet, but we expect it to hit the $500 threshold. Samsung’s new mid-rangers are definitely not super affordable. What do you think?

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