Earlier today, Agustin Fonts of Google announced that Nougat 7.1.1 has started to roll out:
Today, and over the next several weeks, the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus Player, Pixel C and General Mobile 4G (Android One) will get an over the air (OTA) software update to Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Any devices enrolled in the Android Beta Program will also receive this final version.
Long-press an icon to launch into various parts of an app.
As always, though, remember that these rollouts often come in waves, over the course of a few weeks – so you may not get your update immediately. This release will bring a few new features from the Pixel phones over to some older devices. Specifically, we’ll see “Launch Actions” – actions that can be performed by long-pressing an icon on the homescreen – a GIF-enabled keyboard (in Allo, Hangouts and Messenger), and gender-and-racially diverse emoji.
While far from the most robust update Google’s ever released for Android, I personally find the Launch Actions to be quite useful – especially if they become widely integrated among app developers. If they find success, perhaps Google can implement it as a software (read: no hardware necessary) solution to Apple’s 3D Touch.
In today’s digital landscape, photos are one most precious commodities. Everyone is snapping selfies to remember where they were or asking a stranger to take a family picture to add to the album they will make of their trip, usually all with their mobile devices. Today we are here to show you how to use Google’s Photos app to automatically backup and edit an unlimited amount of pictures and videos.
Prerequisites:
There are a couple or requirements before we can begin backing up your photos.
You must have a Google account linked to you mobile device.
Google has done a great job of making this a very simple, and user friendly process.
Launch the Photos application
Tap the hamburger menu button in the upper left hand corner of the screen (it is inside the search bar)
Tap the settings option
At the top of the screen tap the “Back up & sync” option
Tap the grey slider next to “Back up & sync”
Once you tap the slider, you will see additional options appear on the screen. To take advantage of Google’s “free unlimited storage” option, make sure the upload size is set to “High quality” (6).
Make note of the options at the bottom. If you, like me, do not have an unlimited data plan, it may be a good idea to disable any of the Cellular data back(7) up options. Also, for those battery conscious users, consider enabling backup “While charging only”.
What apps do you use for photo management and backup? Are there any apps you would like us to help you use better? Leave us a comment below with your ideas.
The mobile phone industry faces few “technological” limitations it cannot overcome, yet battery technology continues to plague our mobile devices. While we have not developed a new technology to replace our current battery tech, there have been huge strides in software and hardware optimization to make sure our devices are as efficient as possible. DU Battery Saver – Power Saver is one piece of software that you can download on the Google Play Store that claims to offer such optimizations.
Review Usage:
This entire review took place on the 128GB Google Pixel XL. I took usage statistics with my device for about a week before installing and using the DU Battery Saver – Power Saver for five days. While daily usage was not identical day to day, I did not add or remove any apps during the testing cycle since background app usage may skew results significantly.
Installation and Usage
The DU Battery Saver – Power Saver is easy to install, and the interface is simple yet deceitful. The large Optimize button will allow you to “optimize” you device for better battery life, and the Mode button will turn many of your settings off or down like screen brightness, screen timeout, vibrate, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sync, and the haptic feedback while also restricting phone calls and messages. I found this to be the most useful part of the app. I was able to create unique modes with custom settings to maximize battery life. Take note though that I was creating these modes as I found the preconfigured modes to be far too aggressive for everyday use.
Other than Mode and Optimize, the rest of the UI exists to sell users DU coin, advertise, and give you information your phone can already tell you. We will start with the Smart Tab that appears to give users fine control over schedules, lock screen apps, and other settings, but they all turn out to be useless to users before purchasing these features with DU Coins. Next, there is the Phone Cooler button. On multiple occasions after extended gameplay and TV show binges, I tried to use this feature to see what it was about, but I received nothing but ads. The Charge button lets you know if your phone is fast charging, trickle charging, or full. Monitor is a less detailed version of your battery settings panel, and Boost is just a button you hit when you want to see yet another ad.
After playing with the app a bit, I felt very cheated by the interface. I understand that the app industry is a business and that the ad revenue produced by people viewing and clicking on ads is what keeps the free app industry afloat, but DU APPS STUDIO, the creators of DU Batter Saver – Power Saver, were extremely deceitful with the layout of the app, using the allure of additional functionality to generate revenue.
Battery life improvement
While the interface may not be annoying, many would be willing to forgive this if the app did what it said and users phones saw significant battery improvement. In my experience, my results showed there was little to no improvement with one day, in particular, seeing rather poor battery life.
This is a screenshot from the second day I had DU Battery Saver installed on my Pixel XL. Note the similarity in screen on time and difference in remaining battery life
To establish how effective/ineffective the DU Battery Saver is, I will look at the average screen on time throughout the two weeks when I reached the 10% battery mark (I was always within 3% points). I will then break it down into day-to-day usage. Just a note, this is not the most definitive way to test the effectiveness of this app, but it is a way that will provide satisfactory results while staying within the testing time frame I have set. To more effectively evaluate this app’s ability, it would require more data over a longer period with much more rigid controls in place.
Pixel XL screen on times (Without DU Battery Saver)
5h 42m
5h 50m
5h 31m
5h 38m
5h 41m
Average screen on time: 5h 40m
Pixel XL screen on times (With DU Battery Saver installed)
5h 58m
5h 9m
5h 55m
5h 52m
5h 47m
Average screen on time: 5h 44m (5h 53m if you exclude the score in red)
After my two week test period, the numbers yielded about a thirteen-minute difference between my screen on times (excluding the outlying data in red). Without allowing the app to shut off my phone calls, messages, or other basic features that make my phone useful to me, I saw a 13 minute gain and spent my week squinting at a very dark screen due to lack of backlight.
Conclusion
After testing the DU Battery Saver – Power Saver, the app does little in the way improving battery life unless you are willing to sacrifice basic functionality. Combine the lack of battery improvement with abundant ads and I imagine users will find there is little offered by this app. For those looking to give it a shot, you can grab DU Speed Booster for free in the Play Store.
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 AT&T. 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 AT&T.
Although we’ve listed known expiration dates, we have no idea how long some of these other deals will last.
Today, The Taiwanese chip maker Mediatek announced the most powerful SoC of the X20 family: the Helio X27. This new processor takes over the X25 as the currently highest-end SoC in the X20 Series, and it’s aimed for high end smartphones. Let’s see what this new product brings to the table.
The MediaTek Helio X27 (MT6797X), like its predecessors, provides three processor clusters, each designed to more efficiently handle different types of workloads. The premium MediaTek Helio X27 features a maximized clock frequency across all three clusters, with an unequaled maximum of 2.6GHz on the most powerful ARM Cortex-A72 cluster. Much like adding gears to vehicles, dividing the cores into three clusters provides a more efficient allocation of tasks for optimum performance and extended battery life.
In addition, the MediaTek Helio X27 includes the latest MiraVision EnergySmart Screen to further enhance power efficiency. In the camera department, it features a built-in 3D depth engine for depth of field processing, as well as multi-scale de-noise engines for faster response time between shots and unprecedented detail, color, and sharpness — even under extreme conditions.
The display can be refreshed at up to 120 fps for crisp and responsive scrolling of web content and maps, and with an ARM Mali-T880 MP4 GPU up to 875 MHz, it yields uncompromised performance in games with high-resolution graphics.
A few of the more important manufacturers have been watching with big interest at this SoC, but some of the most promising emerging brands from China have moved towards this solution. In particular, we’ve learned that UMi, the company which already made a deal with Mediatek for the launch of the first Helio P20 smartphone (the UMi Plus E), may as well launch the first Helio X27-powered smartphone very soon. Likely this is because of high sales of the Plus E having not gone unnoticed by MediaTek.
We also know the Chinese company has a device ready to be released in December, which is labelled as the “Z” according to UMi official Facebook. Might this be powered by the new X27 processor?
We will see what the next days and weeks will tell us, but one thing is for sure: exciting times ahead with those X27-powered smartphones ready to be unleashed!
Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. This time of year it seems everyone’s weekends are filled up with tree decorating, family meals, and Christmas present shopping. While we may be in a slow time for new tech products, the news hasn’t stopped. We saw some headlines this weekend that you may have missed. Let’s check them out.
The newest BlackBerry Android shows its face
Our friends over at CrackBerry brought us new pictures of the long-rumored BlackBerry device to run Android and feature a QWERTY keyboard. These are unconfirmed pictures and rumors, but we may be seeing BlackBerry going back to its roots with a permanent hardware keyboard adorning the front of the device. You may remember that BlackBerry released the Priv last year with a slider keyboard and a focus on security.
Source: CrackBerry
We don’t know quite yet what the focus of this newest device will be. It seems that BlackBerry’s strategy will be to target business professionals and enterprise due to the massive security suite atop of Android. Hopefully, this newest device will sell a little better than the disappointing Priv.
Google On gets a facelift and a new name
If you have a Google Onhub router you’re probably familiar with the Google On app. Built to setup and control the Onhub, the On app was simple in its function. But, it’s getting a bit of an upgrade! You may remember that Google recently upgraded and renamed the Google Cast application to Home. The search giant is doing the same thing for Google On.
The newly updated app is now known as Google WiFi. The reason behind the renaming is much the as Google Home: A new product is being released that hooks into the app’s controls. For the Cast application it was Google Home and now we’re seeing Google’s WiFi Mesh Router’s release prompting the On app’s update. The new router will be released tomorrow for $129 and you can pick one up on the Google Store.
Blu solves it spyware problem by going Google
Florida-based Android OEM Blu has had a tough couple of weeks. After the release of the super popular R1 HD, security firms started looking into just what was going on under the hood of Blu’s devices. What these firms discovered wasn’t pretty. Security outfit Kryptowire caught the update software in Blu’s phones sending the contents of customer’s text messages back to a server in China. Yikes.
Blu has tried hard to be transparent about the leak. The software from Shanghai Adups Technology Co. was the last bit of software on its devices that it didn’t have access to. Blu also claims to have email evidence back up its claim that it didn’t want customer’s privacy violated and Adups chose to ignore that. Blu has released a statement noting that all devices released from December onward will come with Google’s update software.
As for current owners of Blu’s devices, they will be receiving an OTA update that eliminates Adups’ ability to gain access to the text message information. And just for good measure, Blu also hired Kryptowire (the company who found the flaw) to monitor its devices to make sure nothing fishy would continue on.
While it’s troubling that Blu had this issue in the first place, the response has been as good as possible. The family-owned business is trying its best to do right by its customers. Hopefully, those considering Blu devices realize how hard the company is working to regain trust and vote with their wallets.
If you’re looking for more news, check out our News and Rumors section. You can also check out our hands-on of the Blu Vivo 5R and the full review of the amazing Blu Pure XR, a $300 flagship-grade phone.
Just before the OnePlus 3T came out, word on the street surfaced saying that the OnePlus 4 with a Snapdragon 830 onboard is expected to arrive in June/July 2017.
Well now a freshly squeeze rumor claims OnePlus will skip over the OnePlus 4 and next year will unveil the OnePlus 5 directly. Hmm, if this sounds familiar it’s because it is.
Recently leaked Galaxy S8 model numbers seem to suggest the phones will ship as SM-G950 and SM-G944 and not as SM-G940 and SM-G944 as it would be expected. Why’s that?
In Asian countries the number is considered to be unlucky. The practice to jump over this number is so widespread it has has even gained a name. It’s called “tetraphobia”. Although Samsung didn’t shy away from releasing products like the Galaxy Note 4 or Galaxy S4.
But maybe the folks at OnePlus are a bit more superstitious and afraid of jinxing their next-gen smartphone by baptizing it with an “accursed” number.
Anyway, the OnePlus 5 is expected to come boasting a stylish ceramic body made by the same people who produced the casing for the Xiaomi Mi MIX. The OnePlus X already packs a zirconia ceramic finish, but we’re sure a lot of folks out there would love a better specced ceramic phone from OnePlus.
Other rumored specs include a 5.5-inch display with QHD resolution (most likely), a new Snapdragon 835 under the hood (or maybe the Snapdragon 830 since it’s reportedly still happening) and 6GB of RAM. The OnePlus 5 should launch with Android 7.0/7.1 Nougat out of the box.
Have a Gear S2 smartwatch lying around somewhere? Then you’d better take it out now. Samsung is currently pushing the Gear 2 Value pack update which brings a ton of goodies and new features imported from the new Gear S3.
The update will bump up the watch to Tizen version 2.3.2.1. Expect it to weigh around 133MP and become available worldwide in the upcoming weeks. Although Samsung has started rolling it out for major markets today.
Update your Gear S2 and you now get to use the Reminders app and Anti-Barometer app, two apps that were exclusive to the Gear S3, up until now. What’s more, users can now use the rotating bezel to do much more like taking or rejecting a call or dismissing alarms and other notifications.
Do you like to scribble on your watch? Done! With the new update, Samsung adds Handwriting Mode supports. Wearable owners can now write with their finger in English, Korean and Chinese and not have to wait for each word to be converted into text. Users can also sketch, send fun emojis or dictate messages.
Did you acquire the Gear 2 due to its health-centric capabilities? Well then you’ll be glad to know that S Health has been updated to automatically detect more activities like walking, running, cycling, elliptical or dynamical workout.
The wearable now features auto count detection for squats, lunges, crunches and star jumps. S Health also offers a stretching guide that delivers inactive time alerts.
The update also adds third party widgets for USA Today, Uber and Yelp. Users will probably notice new and updates widgets for contacts, weather, S Health and more.
The Samsung Gear 2 might even come in handy in a life-threatening situation, as the wearable is capable by sending out a SOS message by pressing the Gear 2 home button three times. The watch will send the Gear 2 owner’s location to emergency contacts via Glympse.
Do you love playing on your smartwatch? Now users can download up to 100 titles from the Galaxy App store including the new Monster Vampire and Stack.
Go get your Gear 2 and check it for notifications.
Samsung is expected to make public the results of its investigation into what made the Galaxy Note7 prone to explosion towards the end of the month. While we wait on that, a new report coming out of Instrumental reveals a possible answer.
A series of tests were performed on the Note7 which revealed the problem lay with the “aggressive battery design”. What does that mean exactly? Well Samsung obviously wanted the Galaxy Note7 to have a bigger battery life than the Galaxy Note 5. But it didn’t want to make the phablet larger to make that happen.
With that in mind, Samsung probably pushed the boundaries of battery design too much. The Galaxy Note7’s fuel cell housed a positive layer made of lithium cobalt oxide and a negative layer made of graphite. If the negative and positive layers come in contact with each other, the end result would be an explosion or fire.
The culprit might have been that Samsung tried to make these layers way too thin. The report says that the battery inside the phablet was continually being compressed which caused the negative and positive layers to squeeze together.
We should remind you that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission came to a similar conclusion after conducting its own investigation a few months ago. According to the organization the phablet was shipped with a slightly bigger battery than its compartment. So Samsung tried to squeeze in a larger battery than the spaced allow which produced compression.
The current report points out the issue should have been spotted in safety tests, but Samsung broke the rules and handle its own testing. The conclusion is that Samsung shipped a dangerous product in the end, so the industry needs better quality control tools in order to prevent faulty product launches like this from ever happening again.
But even if the Galaxy Note7 cost Samsung a lot of money, customers’ loyalty to the brand seems to be unaffected, as a new poll demonstrates.
In a few weeks, we’ll also know Samsung’s own findings on the matter, although we expect them to bear similar in nature.
Want a taste of augmented reality, but you’re not into playing games like Pokemon Go? Well then why not take a virtual tour around the history rich White House?
Yes, the Presidential mansion just got itself a personal AR app called “1600” – in reference to its physical address, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
All you need to get started is download the app of course and a 1 dollar bill. When users point their device at the bill, the app will focus on George Washington’s face in order to create a miniature version on top of it.
White House Press Secretary, Josh Earnest announced the new app via an official blog post saying:
“President Obama has used traditional events and new technology to open up the doors of the White House to more Americans than before. That’s why we teamed up with White House Historical Association and Nexus Studios to create this augmented reality experience – to educate and inspire Americans to learn all about what the People’s House stands for.”
There’s not much to do with the app right not. You can view the White House from various angles, but you can’t interact with the scale model or explore all rooms. However, the app might be subjected to updates soon.
What you’ll get is a narrated, visual tour through the seasons and various official events, like the White House Easter Egg Roll. Users can also tap on certain areas of the White House to unlock hidden “Easter eggs” including past presidents.
Other than Mode and Optimize, the rest of the UI exists to sell users DU coin, advertise, and give you information your phone can already tell you. We will start with the Smart Tab that appears to give users fine control over schedules, lock screen apps, and other settings, but they all turn out to be useless to users before purchasing these features with DU Coins. 
Next, there is the Phone Cooler button. On multiple occasions after extended gameplay and TV show binges, I tried to use this feature to see what it was about, but I received nothing but ads. The Charge button lets you know if your phone is fast charging, trickle charging, or full. Monitor is a less detailed version of your battery settings panel, and Boost is just a button you hit when you want to see yet another ad.
