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Sleek Jet Black Oukitel U20 Plus version coming soon

Alexandra Arici
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Remember Oukitel’s affordable dual camera phone, the U20 Plus? The device was launched not so long ago for a super affordable price-tag.

Oukitel is trying to diversify its U20 Plus with the addition of new color versions. The company announced a new Campaign Gold version on December 7 which is currently available on Gearbest for only $99 through a Flash Sale.

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Now Oukitel says new U20 Plus is coming in Jet Black color. Interestingly enough, Samsung also announced the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge with 128GB in “glossy” Black Pearl.

The Jet Black version of the U20 Plus will be available for pre-sale online by the end of the month.

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As for the spec, the Oukitel U20 Plus has a 5.5-inch IPS display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution with 401 ppi. The handset takes advantage of an octa-core MTK6737T processor clocked at 1.3GHz in combination with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (that can be expanded to 32GB).

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In the photo department, the U20 Plus features a 13MP+2MP main dual camera with LED flash plus an 8MP selfie shooter. The phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

So what do you think? It’s certainly a lot cheaper than the Galaxy S7 edge Black Pearl.

Swappa will no longer sell gadgets on international market, only in the US

Alexandra Arici
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Have an older Android phone you want to sell or want to purchase a really cheap phone? Chances are you’ll go on Swappa to check out the available options.

So far the website has been curating transactions in different markets across the globe including the US, UK, Canada and Europe. But as it turns out, Swappa is in the process of phasing out international markets.

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A Canadian user asked on Twitter why the Swappa Canadian website was display contradicting information, only to receive the answer that Swappa is withdrawing from non-US markets. So only US residents will be able to buy and sell gently used gadgetry from now on.

Swappa made a name for itself as a marketplace which doesn’t sell junk, only qualitative refurbished devices. What’s more, users can choose to sell their phone rooted or flashed with a custom ROM like Cyanogen.

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It works the other way around too. If you’re not exactly a pro when it comes to tinkering, you can opt to buy a pre-rooted or flashed device. Swappa is known for being more secure than eBay and focused on delivering quality products to their users. Surely a lot of international users will be sad to see Swappa go. The company hasn’t given an official reason for why it has chosen to phase out international markets.

 

AsteroidOS wants to breathe new life into your Android Wear smartwatch

Alexandra Arici
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2016 hasn’t been too kind to wearables. Customers are slowly but surely losing interest in this category, which showed so much promise a few years back.

But not everyone is ready to give up on wearables. Like French computer science student, Florent Revest who seems to have a passion for Android Wear devices. So he developed an alternative wearable open source operating system called AsteroidOS.

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Revest released the 1.0 alpha version for AsteroidOS today for the LG G Watch, the Watch Urbane, ASUS ZenWatch 2 and Sony Smartwatch 3.

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Interested parties can download the Linux-based AsteroidOS on their device after unlocking them flashing the custom ROM onboard. However, note that for the time being only the LG G Watch features full support. The other watches currently lack Bluetooth support – which is kind of essential if you want to have a functional smartwatch.

But what can you except from AsteroidOS? Nothing too advanced at the moment. The OS bestows basic functions on your smartwatches like alarm clock, calculator, weather app and Settings menu. There’s another app which allows the syncing of notifications and music control via Bluetooth with any Android phone. But AsteroidOS will indeed refresh the feel of your wearable.

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We can’t help but notice that AsteroidOS doesn’t support any Samsung wearables so far, but maybe in time they will be added to the list. Revest was aided in his quest to build AsteroidOS by members of GitHub and xda communities and the project will most likely attract more helpers in the near future.

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AsteroidOS is still in its infancy, but the project looks quite promising. With major players like Motorola distancing themselves from the smartwatch ecosystem, the future seems uncertain for wearables. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try and improve existing models and that’s exactly what Revest is doing.

Black Pearl Samsung Galaxy S7 edge with 128GB available December 9

Alexandra Arici
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A while ago a bunch of images showcasing a new version of the Galaxy S7 in glossy black leaked online. Now Samsung has officially announced the Black Pearl version of the flagship phone.

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The glossy new color model will be sold with 128GB of internal storage and will become available in select markets starting December 9. Samsung hasn’t specified exactly in which countries the Black Pearl model will be sold yet.

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Naturally the phone will go on sale in Samsung’s home country, South Korea but given that the Coral Blue Galaxy S7 is available in the US, we believe the Black Pearl will be offered too.

The Android device will prove great alternative to the Jet Black iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus which made a debut on the market not so long ago.

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If the Black Pearl is not for you, you can still pick up the Galaxy S7 edge in White Pearl, Black Onyx, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium and Coral Blue.

Samsung is striving to create some hype around its current premium devices, to make users forget about the Galaxy Note7. On top of that, the Korean tech giant is working hard on its next-gen Galaxy S8 which is expected to solve its recent woes.

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The phone should make it out with a 2K display, Snapdragon 835, a selfie camera with focus, virtual assistant and Harman branded stereo speakers. The Galaxy S8 might also ship out devoid of a 3.5 headphone jack and home button.

T-Mobiles unveils new DIGITS service: one phone number to rule all devices

Alexandra Arici
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A year after AT&T unveiled its NumberSync solution, T-Mobile has taken the wraps off a similar service dubbed DIGITS, which allows subscribers to use one phone number across all of their connected devices. For the time being the Magenta carrier will launch a limited, opt-in beta program, with DIGITS becoming fully available to everyone sometime in early 2017.

Just like NumberSync, DIGITS allows customers to use their T-Mobile number across a variety of devices including other smartphones, tablets, wearables and even desktop computers (Windows and Mac are supported).

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Once you register for the beta, the T-Mobile support team will get you started. After you go through all the setting up processes, you will be able to sign in with your phone number and find all your private info (messages, call history or voice mail) waiting for you on the device you logged in.

What’s more, customers are allowed to attach multiple T-Mobile numbers on the same device. So you’ll be able to access numbers from work, home or personal line via a single handset.

With DIGITS, you’ll be able to funnel all your distinct number under a single DIGITS number. With the service in place, users can receive calls to DIGITS even if the phone calls were originally placed to the home line, for example.

Here comes the interesting part, the new service works on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint devices. You will have to download the Digits app and calls will be made through the respective carrier’s network.

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The DIGITS network-level solution is integrated into several phones including the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, but if you have any other phones don’t worry. Your favorite carrier also offers and Android / iOS app that can be installed on any device.

“Simply put, DIGITS is breakthrough technology that won’t be replicated any time soon. This isn’t the first time you can add extra numbers to a device, but this IS the first time you can do it all – multiple numbers on one device and one number on multiple devices – and do it with carrier-grade quality. DIGITS is your real T-Mobile number with every bit of the reliability, call prioritization, services and mobility you expect.”

Mike Sievert, Chief Operating Officer of T-Mobile.

The DIGITS beta trial is free of charge, but once it launches officially the service will be available for a fee. Although T-Mobile didn’t share any information about the specific pricing schemes.

10 geeky gift ideas for your tech loving son

Alexandra Arici
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Christmas is only a few weeks away, so you’re probably wondering what to get your son this year. Well if your kid happens to like tech, then we have a few recommendations for you. Don’t worry, child-friendly tech devices aren’t super expensive and most of them offer an educational component too, so your tech-loving son you’ll be able to learn something while playing with his/her new gizmo.

Verizon’s GizmoTab

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Yeah, tablets aren’t what they used to be. But children still love them, especially since they can be used for games. And parents like them due to the educational apps that can be found of them. So it’s a win-win situation.

For a kiddie tablet, the Verizon GizmoTab features some unusually good specs, so after you send your kid to bed you might be tempted to use the device yourself. The slate has 8-inch display with 720p resolution and a Snapdragon 617 with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

The tablet bundles a large 5,100 mAh battery which means the device will enjoy a long life cycle. The GizmoTab is encased in a bumper which protects it against accidental damages.

The tablet can be bought for $249.99 outright or for $79.99 with 2 year activation plan.

Star Wars Portable Charger

star-wars-portable-charger

Is your boy a fan of Star Wars? If the answer is yes, consider buying him a Star Wars portable charger. Given that most children today have access to a smartphone or tablet, the accessory is just what he needs to keep his device all juiced up for when mommy or daddy call.

The cute charger gives up to 3 hours of extra use time and is only $9.99. You can get it in several variants including Stormtrooper, Darth Vader and Minis Bob Fett.

VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX

vtech-kidizoom-smartwatch

Is your son waiting for you to leave the room, so he can play with your Samsung Gear S3? Then why not get him a smartwatch of his own? The VTech Kidizoom smartwatch from Toys R Us is the perfect gift for children aged 3 to 10.

The wearable includes eight games children can play, plus the ability to download more via the Learning Lodge. The watch features alarm, timer and a stopwatch function plus a calendar and calculator features. Your son will also be able to take pics and shoot videos using the device. The motion sensor embedded within the wearable, will allow children to explore three action challenges.

The colorful kiddie-friendly wearable is available in a range of colors for $59.99.

Holy Stone HS170 Predator Mini RC Helicopter Drone

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For boys fascinated by drones, the Holy Stone Helicopter Drone could make the best tech gift ever. It’s an affordable drone which doesn’t come equipped with a camera. However it’s light and small, so you don’t have to worry your child will get hurt playing with it.

The flying little robot features a setting that can help users adjust the remote’s responsiveness to three different levels. The drone has good performance of wind-resistant control range (about 30-50 meters) and can fly for about 6 to 8 minute before it needs to be popped in for a recharge. The colorful LED lights onboard make flying the drone at night a lot of fun.

The gizmo costs only $42.99 if you pick it up from Amazon.

Minecraft Diamond Sword

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Maybe your son is infatuated with Minecraft and likes to roleplay. Well then the Minecraft Foam Diamond Sword could be the right gift choice for him.

It’s a full size replica from the online Minecraft game made of heavy EVA foam, so that it feels like a real weapon. The toy costs $19.99.

Pokemon GO Plus

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Pokemon GO has captured the hearts of so many children and adults alike this year. If your son is also a fan of the game, why not consider buying him the Pokemon Go Plus wearable.

The wristband connects the phone over Bluetooth and then alerts gamers to new creatures and points of interest. The wearable has proved extremely popular with Pokemon Go players and so it’s quite hard to find a place that’s still selling it.

Luckily at Walmart, the Pokemon Go Plus is still available for $217. It’s a bit expensive given that the pre-order price was set for $39.99, but if you really want to make Pokemon Go loving kid happy, you won’t hesitate.

Doctor Who Tardis Mousepad

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Etsy is home to some of the most creative craftsmen out there. If your child watches Doctor Who and your Christmas present budget is not so big this year, we suggest you look into this personalized mouse mat. It’s hand-made and one of a kind and will only cost you $7.99 plus shipping.

Adventure Time: BMO Mimobot Flash Drive

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What if your boy is a fan of Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time? Well how about getting him this BMO Mimobot USB flash drive. It’s a limited edition USB stick and you can get it only with a few retailers. It offers 8GB of storage and can be bought for $19.00.

Spiderman Molded Bluetooth Speakers

spiderman-molded-bluetooth-speakers

Every boy has a favorite superhero and if your child loves Spiderman, then you can buy him a super cool Spiderman Bluetooth speaker.

This one costs $29.40 and features a built in rechargeable battery that can play up to 8 hours of music on one charge. The device can connect to mp3/media devices via Bluetooth.

Tech Will Save US – Mover Kit

tech-will-save-us-mover-kit

We conclude this list with an educational tech gift for your son. Tech Will Saves us has number of project kits that aim to teach kids about tech.

This one will allow nerdy sons to create their own wrist wearable. If you know your son is interested in how things are built, skip the VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch and get him the Kit instead.

Packed with sensors and lights, children can learn how to develop their own apps for the device via an intuitive coding interface walking them through the process. The Kit costs $75.

Grate Shopping Guide left me hungry (Review)

AndroidGuys
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Overview:

Grate is a shopping assistant app where you can scan product barcodes and have reviews and information shown to you along with Amazon reviews. \

Developer: Botond Kopacz

Cost: Free

Impressions:

Grate Shopping Guide is advertised as a handy shopping guide for you to use while food shopping. Simply scan the product barcode and up will pop a collection of reviews from users and Amazon about the product, letting you know how it is and if you should buy it. A handy app to have, especially if you may be shopping for something unfamiliar, so Grate is worth the download, right? I’d have to say definitely not right now.

My experience with Grate has been frustrating, to say the least, with the app crashing consistently and most of the features not working properly. The barcode scan works well, when it doesn’t force close the app, and brings up the correct item that I was scanning, but that’s about it. The settings don’t seem to open, and the other features like search also don’t work. Essentially, in it’s current state, the app is simply a barcode reader.

Grate is supposed to bring up both user reviews and, if applicable, Amazon reviews of the product you scan but neither come up. I suppose that part of the issue with that is that the user reviews are reliant on people actually using the app and reviewing the products. The Amazon reviews, on the other hand, just don’t show. I’ve checked the food I’ve scanned and all of them have reviews available on Amazon, so it must be an app-side issue.

Functionality-wise, Grate isn’t great either. The app consistently crashes after scanning, and won’t work until you close it completely and restart it. I get a few good scans before it fails each time. Nothing else in the app seems to work at all, settings and the individual tabs don’t work at all, just bringing me back to a blank screen. The only things that work are the sharing and review tabs for the app itself. Also, the camera interface isn’t fantastic as it lacks any focus or zoom features to help you get the barcode in frame better. I will say that the app can quickly decipher even poorly framed barcodes, or upside down ones as well, it took only a second or two to get the product page up. Overall, the app is just kind of broken.

I do have some positive things to say about Grate, however. Visuals in the app are nice, with material design and a nice, clean look. Also, the app is quick and responsive when I got it to actually work. There are also no ads to be seen, which is excellent for a free app. I do wish Grate offered a “shopping list” feature where you can save the items you scanned in a list, or make a list of products and let you search for them in the app’s review section.

Conclusion:

Conceptually, I like the idea of what Grate offers. It could potentially be pretty useful for people concerned about the products they buy, and could also be a handy shopping list app that also provides handy information about the goods on your list. Unfortunately it just doesn’t work much at all right now, and should be avoided until the developer has had a chance to address the issues in the app and make it functional again.

Download Grate Shopping Guide from the Google Play Store

Check out these fantastic deals on phones at Sprint

AndroidGuys
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Time to purchase a new smartphone? Is this an upgrade from an existing device? We want to help you out either way.

To save you money, we’ve gathered up all of the promotions we could find from Sprint. Regardless of where you’re thinking of going for service, or what phone you are looking to pick up, you owe it to yourself to check below.

What follows is a mix of phone, rate plan, and accessory promotions worth checking out. It might not be an exhaustive list, but it’s a good collection of what’s currently offered through Sprint.

Although we’ve listed known expiration dates, we have no idea how long some of these other deals will last.

Sprint Deals

The Two-Year Upgrade: Nexus 6

Donovan Jeska
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Released back in October of 2014, the Moto-made Nexus 6 is looking a little gray at the temples. It’s still a powerhouse, but if you still have a release-day model, you’re probably looking at the Google Pixel and drooling a little. While Pixel is the obvious upgrade, it doesn’t exactly conform to the pricing conventions that the Nexus line established.

Here are a few phones that do – at various, convenient price points.

Under $200: BLU Vivo 5R

BLU (Bold Like Us – cute.) is a company you may not have heard of; it’s an American manufacturer that’s cut its teeth on making solid phones at an extremely cheap price point. The Vivo 5R is the closest thing BLU comes to making a flagship device, and while it won’t blow any of the major phone-makers out of the water, at $199, it’s a steal.

[graphiq id=”bJXUijEKYkJ” title=”BLU Vivo 5R” width=”500″ height=”748″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/bJXUijEKYkJ” link_text=”Graphiq” ]

 Under $300: Moto G4 Plus

Motorola’s G-Series is one of the best values out there right now. When combined with the fact that Amazon sells a variation of the model with ads for cheaper, it becomes almost inexcusable to spend anything more than $300 on a decent phone. I bought my mother a G4 on Amazon’s Black Friday deal for $139. Honestly can’t beat that deal. The Plus is even better, and worth the $249 easily.

[graphiq id=”834QRccQ1Gl” title=”Motorola Moto G4 Plus” width=”500″ height=”748″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/834QRccQ1Gl” link_text=”Graphiq” ]

Under $500: OnePlus 3T

As I mentioned in my Showdown this weekend, the 3T is not only a damned good value, it’s a strong competitor when matched up against Google’s monster, the Pixel. With specifications that rival most flagships, very few weaknesses (the display is not as awesome as it could be, for example) and a Nexus-worthy pricetag ($439), OnePlus is the true successor to the Nexus Crown – not Pixel.

[graphiq id=”ewis3WY9DY9″ title=”OnePlus 3T” width=”500″ height=”748″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/ewis3WY9DY9″ link_text=”Graphiq” ]

 

Under $800: Google Pixel

Any upgrade guide would not be complete without Google’s latest-and-greatest. While Pixel may not be the high-spec, low-priced unicorn we all hoped and dreamed for, it still offers a number of exclusive features that the Nexus 6 doesn’t have – fingerprint gestures (and a fingerprint sensor, for that matter), unlimited photo storage, and a much improved camera mean that $649 should buy you two years before your next upgrade.

[graphiq id=”1xceTgxGyO1″ title=”Pixel” width=”500″ height=”748″ url=”https://w.graphiq.com/w/1xceTgxGyO1″ link_text=”Graphiq” ]

Pandora makes a play for Spotify with upcoming Pandora Premium

AndroidGuys
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Music streaming service Pandora has unveiled its latest offering, an ad-free, an all-you-can-stream plan. Called Pandora Premium, it’s a $10 per month option which taps into millions of tracks.

If you thought Pandora already had a commercial-free option, you’re right. Pandora launched Pandora Plus, a $4.99 plan back in September. So what’s the difference? As it looks today, the Pandora Premium service will be much more aggressive in recommending tracks, particularly when a listener hits the end of an album or playlist.

The Pandora Premium relies on information collected by the Music Genome Project with roughly one billion data points per day. In other words, it’s super smart and ties music together in ways you cannot imagine. By doing so, it can understand and anticipate a listeners preferences.

Like the Pandora Plus plan, Pandora Premium includes unlimited skips and downloads for offline listening. Look for the new $10 plan to launch sometime early next year.

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