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HTC 10 Evo is an international take on Sprint’s HTC Bolt

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HTC today announced the 10 Evo as an international version of the Sprint’s most recent smartphone, the HTC Bolt. Slated to go on sale in markets outside of the United States, it essentially drops the three-channel carrier aggregation in favor of the more common LTE bands used in Europe and other countries.

The HTC 10 Evo features a 5.5-inch quad HD display with curved glass and Gorilla Glass 5 protection, a 16-megapixel rear camera with an aperture of f/2.0, and a 3,200mAh battery. Inside we find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip with 3GB and 32GB of storage space. Users who need more capacity can insert a microSD card up to 2TB.

Other specifications include a front-facing 8-megapixel camera with selfie light, USB Type-C charging port with Quick Charge 2.0, and BoomSound Adaptive Audio headphones. Wrapped in a unibody metal chassis, the 10 Evo comes with an IP57 rating to protect against water and dust.

Pricing and exact availability has not yet been made available. Sprint’s HTC Bolt, for what it’s worth, runs about $600 so we might expect something in that realm.

Take advantage of BlackBerry’s nifty Black Friday discounts

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BlackBerry might not be so popular with customers anymore but the company still offers a few worthy devices. Speaking of which, the Canadian ex-smartphone maker is offering a set of pretty decent discounts for Black Friday.

The Canadian company has already kick started its Black Friday deals which include a couple of Android smartphones and some BlackBerry OS products as well.

BlackBerry boasts 53% discounts on select smartphones and there are some pretty high-end models included in the list.

The cheapest of them all is the BlackBerry Leap which is now available for $159 from the regular $199. The phone has a 5-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution and ships with BlackBerry OS 10.3.1.

blackberry-dtek50Moving along we find the previous-gen DTEK50 has been discounted from a regular $299 to $229. This Android phone already has a successor, the DTEK60 which is not included in the promotion sadly.

Up next we have the atypical Passport models in Silver and Black. The Silver model is now $299 down from $549, while the Black version is $249 down from $499. Both handsets run on BlackBerry 10.3.2.

But we’re an Android site, so we’re going to draw your attention to the BlackBerry Priv – a high-end phone from the Canadian company which runs Google’s mobile OS.

blackberry-privPreviously a hefty $649, the device now features a more acceptable $299 price tag. The devices boasts a 5.4-inch display with 1,440 x 2,560 pixel resolution and a Snapdragon 808 under the hood working in concert with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The phone features Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out the box.

As we were saying above, despite BlackBerry not leading smartphones sales anymore, the company offers pretty nice discounts. By comparison Samsung’s Black Friday promo lists doesn’t impress much. Android fans might want to look towards HTC instead.

Google Home speaker available for $99 (save $30) on November 23

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On the market for a connected speaker? Why not consider buying the recently unveiled Google Home. The devices hasn’t been out long but Google will be offering it with a discount on Black Friday.

Starting on Wednesday, November 23 the Google Home will be available for only $99, down from $129. We don’t know how long the promotion will be available, so if you want the speaker you best wake up early on said date.

google-homeA competitor to Amazon’s Echo, Google’s Home connected speaker aims to deepen the smart home experience. The device takes advantage of Google Assistant whose machine learning capabilities are used to hold conversations and answer questions with context awareness.

amazon-echoThe Google Assistant handles a lot of complicated queries, being able to deliver translations, weather information or set up routes on Google Maps. Google Home is also compatible with Cast, which means users can wirelessly send favorite songs to the speaker for playback.

Now you can have all that in your home for $99. However, if you miss your chance at getting the Google Home speaker from Google itself, you should know that Walmart will also be offering the device for the same price during its Cyber Week Deals which starts Friday Nov. 25 at 12:01 a.m EST.

Sprint LG G5 is receiving Android 7.0 Nougat update

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Not so long ago we told you that the Android 7.0 update started rolling out for users in South Korea. Back then we told you it might be a while before the new build made its way to owners of the LG G5 in the States.

Well it seems that Android 7.0 Nougat is finally landing on the US LG G5 – the Sprint version. User karizmaaa posted a bunch of screenshots on Reddit, showing us how Nougat looks on the LG’s current flagship.

Historically LG has been quite good at delivering updates and finally Nougat builds have started to be released into the wild.

lg-g5-nougat-1-2-3LG’s other flagship, the V20 was released with Android 7.0 Nougat onboard, so this update puts the two premium phones on par, software-wise.

LG G5 users can now enjoy new features like split-screen mode, new quick settings and notification shade plus an enhanced Doze mode.

lg-g5-nougat-7-8-9Interestingly karizmaaa notes on Reddit that LG threw in a built-in DPI changer (measure of a display’s pixel density). You could previously change the DPI via a complicated ADB procedure. However, the Nougat update allows LG G5 users to simply change the DPI of the UI to 544, 640 and 720.

lg-g5-nougat-4-5-6Sprint is the first carrier to deliver the Nougat update to the LG G5 but hopefully more will follow suit soon enough.

Recently Motorola kicked off the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Moto Z and Moto Z Force. More devices are expected to receive the update in the near future.

Samsung for its part has open a Nougat beta testing program for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, so it might be a while before the company’s surviving flagships get the latest taste of Android.

Other OEMs like HTC, Sony or Huawei are also expected to start delivering the update to their flagship products.

Google’s latest figures show that Android 7.0 is installed on only 0.3% of all Android devices. Hopefully the numbers will grow soon.

Instagram gains live video and Snapchat-like disappearing photos features

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Popular image-centric app Instagram just received an update, adding a host of new, useful features. After teasing the feat earlier this month, Instagram announced the new live video feature is official in the app’s Stories section. Other novelties include dispreading photos and video in direct messages and group chats.

Instagram Stories debuted in August allowing users to share each moment of the day via slideshows that vanish after 24 hours. Now users will be able to broadcast live in Stories, as well.

new-instagram-feats-2In a move that reminds us of Snapchat, Instagram says that Instagram Stories live video will disappear shortly. And if one of your followers screenshots your Instagram Story live video, Instagram will let you know via a Notification. You’ll also be allowed to see how many people viewed your video.

Getting started is easy, just swipe right from your feed to open the camera. You’ll notice a new “Start Live Video” button. Let your friends known you are live by pinning a comment everyone can see. On the other hand, you have the option of turning off comments altogether.

new-instagram-feats-4Once you are live a “Live” indicator will appear under your profile photo. Instagram also makes available a “Top Live” category so you know which stories are trending, in case you feel like checking out popular videos.

Instagram now supports disappearing photos and videos for individual direct messages, but also groups. Instagram boasts that over 300 million users take advantage of direct messages on a daily basis. However, you should remember that for the photos/video to disappear you will need to create them with the “Stories” tab.

new-instagram-feats-3The direct messages inbox icon got an overhaul and you can notice it’s now in the shape of a paper airplane. It’s located in the top right corner of your feed.

Instagram is rolling the new features out today, so you should expect to see them soon. You’ll need to update to the latest version of the app.

Here are Walmart’s Cyber Monday deals and promos

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We’re a few days before the Black Friday / Cyber Monday shopping holiday and most companies and retailers have already posted their discounts and promo lists. It’s the case of Walmart which has sent us a detailed view of its Cyber Monday promotions.

Before we tell you what you can expect to find at Walmart, note that Shop Black Friday deals on Walmart stats on Thursday morning. In Walmart brick and mortar stores the discount fest begins on Thursday evening at 6pm local time. Last but not least, Shop Cyber Week deals on Walmart.com open on Friday at 12:01 am EST.

Here’s what you can get:

Cyber Week Deals – starts Friday Nov. 25 at 12:01 a.m. EST

google-home

  • Samsung 60-inch, 1080p HD Smart LED TV – now $579 + $80 Walmart Gift Card (save $1,120)
  • Google Home – now $99 (save $30)
  • Promark P70 VR Drone – now $50 (save $99)
  • Quadrone Hyrid Drone – now $99 (save $30)
  • Fujifilm Instax Mini 75 Instant Camera – now $49 with Mini Film 10pk (save $20.99)
  • Polaroid Cube+ Action Camera with Wi-Fi – now $99.99 (free shipping)

Walmart offers discounts on several other products including robotic vacuums, camping combo sets and clothing items.

  • Cyber Monday Deals starting Monday, Nov. 28 at 12:01 a.m ESTsamsung-65inch-4k-ultra-hd-led-smart-tv
  • Samsung HDTVs with over 50% off
  • Samsung 65-inch 4K Ultra HD LED Smart TV – now $999 (save $1,200)
  • VIZIO 50-inch 4K Ultra HD SmartCast Smart LED TV – now $379.99 (save $148)
  • Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming laptop – now $999 (save $300)
  • Call of Duty Dragonfly Drone with Camera – now $89 (save $10.99)

dell-inspiron-15-gaming-editionIf you’re a fashion lover, then you will be happy to know that Cyber Monday deals at Walmart also include discounts on sunglasses from Prada, Gucci, Miu Miu and on watches from Omega or Michael Kors.

In case you don’t find anything to your liking here don’t forget to check out alternative options including Best Buy, Amazon, Samsung or Geek Buying.

Google’s Popular Time now tells you how crowded a place is in real time

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Don’t you just hate having to go to a shop or a restaurant just to find out it’s teeming with people and there’s no room left for you? Google knows your pain and wants to help. Last year the search giant unveiled Popular Time, a feature meant to let users know when a particular place is the most crowded.

And now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming up, Google has updated the feature so it can deliver live information about the hot spots you’re thinking of visiting next.

Want to head out to a particular location on Black Friday? Then you better check Popular Time and see exactly how busy it is, without wasting any time.

google-popular-time-new-featsUsers will be able to access Popular Time just like before, by searching for a shop or restaurant in Google or Google Maps. But the feature now shows a “live” look at how busy a certain location is. The new update also includes information about how long people spend on average in said location.

How does Google know exactly how crowded a place is? By taking advantage of anonymized location data and searches on smartphones. While the non-real time version is said to have been quite accurate, it obviously couldn’t have accounted for people’s spontaneity. But in case Google misreads the situation, you can send it a correction.

google-popular-time-search-optionLast but not least, Google has added a third upgrade to Popular Time. The feat now shows business hours for different service providers located in the same department. For example, maybe the Cinema at your local mall is opened until late hours of the evening, but the Aesop shop closes at 19:00. Popular Time will show you these discrepancies now.

It doesn’t seem like the updated Popular Time is live yet, but Google will probably roll it out in time for Thanksgiving and the Black Friday shopping spree.

ZTE Axon 7 gets refresh with extra memory and storage

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ZTE today revealed a limited-edition take on its Axon 7 smartphone. Available online as an unlocked handset, customers can pick one up for $499. What’s the difference from the standard $400 version? Extra memory and storage!

The new, and more powerful version of the Axon 7 boasts 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage space. Other hardware, such as the Snapdragon 820 processor, 20-megapixel rear camera, and 3,250mAh battery, are still intact.

axon-7-gold-right-backThe variant comes hot on the heels of another smartphone launch, the OnePlus 3T, which also delivers a slightly tweaked take on an existing model. Both, for their part now include the same memory and space.

Phones like the limited-edition Axon 7 (6+128) offer consumers a serious bargain in the power:price ratio. Cheaper than devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S7, it’s more robust and capable. But, there’s also a trade-off to consider, too.

Software updates and service, for instance. Will ZTE be quick or consistent in rolling out updates? What about if the phone needs repaired or replaced?

The limited-edition Axon 7 can be had from ZTE’s website immediately. It features many bands for LTE networks in the United States, meaning it plays well with nearly all carriers.

Tap-to-pay on its way for Android Wear?

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A bit of digging around done by Android Police suggests that we may finally see tap-to-pay come to Android Wear. Evidence from the breakdown of the latest Google Play Services reveals code related to tap-to-pay, like: “Try holding your watch to the terminal again”.

2016-08-28 12_27_30-Moto 360 2nd Gen - Android WearTap-to-pay uses NFC to transfer data to complete and verify a purchase at a till point terminal. This code points strongly to a tap-to-pay system.

Also found within the code is something that appears to be called “Instant Apps”. Instant Apps was shown off by Google for use on Android, where one can use an app without actually installing it. It’s particularly interesting to see it possibly come to Android Wear.

These developments come at a time when the state of the Android Wear environment does not look particularly healthy – Google has postponed the launch of AW 2.0 to 2017, with several companies also scaling back production.

Android-WearNevertheless, we’re confident that Android Wear will continue on just fine, with a little bit of help from these rumoured software features, of course.

Motorola blesses Moto Z, Moto Z Force with Android 7 and Daydream

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Motorola today confirmed that it will begin pushing an Android 7.0 Nougat update to its Moto Z and Moto Z Force handsets. Starting later this week, the two models will go from Android 6.1 to Android 7.0.

Additionally, the software update brings about support for Daydream VR, the new virtual reality platform from Google. According to Motorola, these mark the first non-Google smartphones to pick up certification for Daydream VR. To qualify for the certification, phones must meet certain hardware requirements, including high-resolution displays, fast refresh rates, and finely-tuned sensors.

The Android 7.0 Nougat update is expected to reach devices globally over the next few days. As for the Verizon-branded Droid models (Moto Z Droid, Moto Z Force Droid), it’s not clear how long it will be until they see the release. Although ready to go from Motorola, it must pass Verizon’s checks before going out.

It is not known if, or how soon, Motorola might release the Android 7.0 update for its Z Play model.