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Verizon starts sales of Pixel phones, but the Pixel XL 128GB is not available

Alexandra Arici
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Google’s brand new smartphone duo – the Pixel and Pixel XL – have just landed in brick and mortar Verizon stores.

But if you were planning to purchase the 128GB version of the Pixel XL, you won’t like what we’re about to tell you next. Verizon’s Jeffrey Nelson announced in a Tweet the Pixel XL 128GB is already sold-out (most likely through pre-orders). All other models are still currently available including the 32GB of the Pixel and Pixel XL and Pixel with 128GB onboard.

Buyer’s Guide: Verizon

The Google Store also lists the Pixel XL as out of stock (every model), so the chances of picking up the 128GB Pixel XL seem pretty slim at this point. Unless Best Buy starts offering it.

The Pixel XL offers a slighter larger screen, 5.5-inch compared to 5-inch and a beefier battery (3,450 vs 2,770). It also comes boasting a more advanced QHD resolution compared to the Pixel’s 1080p.

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If you haven’t pre-ordered your Pixel from the Google Play Store, you can still go pick up one of the available models at Verizon. However, take into consideration to phones will come pre-installed with a suite of the carrier’s apps and with a locked bootloader.

On the bright side of things, customers can purchase a Pixel 32GB for $27/month over 24 months or $649 outright. As for the 128GB version, the phone is sold for $749 upfront or $31.24/month over 24 months, while the Pixel XL 32GB can be yours for $769 outright or $32/month over 24 months.

To customers who have a 10GB (or more) data plan, Verizon will offer a $25 per month credit toward a 24-month payment plan. Which means that instead of paying $27 per month for a Pixel 32GB you’ll end up spending $2/month. Which is indeed quite tempting.

Kodak launches the Ektra – an Android smartphone with analog camera feel

Alexandra Arici
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Kodak, once one of the world’s biggest camera makers, has been trying to enter the Android smartphone market, for a few years now.

The photography equipment maker unveiled its first smartphone at CES 2015. The device, named IM5 bundled a pretty mediocre set of specs, so ended up mostly being ignored by Android fans. But Kodak it’s not giving up on its plans to offer a mind-blowing Android smartphone.

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This week Kodak unveiled the Ektra. If the name sounds familiar that’s because Kodak has named the new Android product after its iconic 35mm camera from the 40s.

And unlike the utterly uninspiring IM5 (even the name is a boring one), the Ektra is quite stunning and vintage-looking. Despite being a brand with a long history, Kodak has little influence in today’s photography world. That’s why the company is trying to dab into different waters for a change.

As it was to be expected, the Ektra is a photo-centric smartphone. The main snapper itself features a 21MP sensor with f/2.0 lens and Optical Image Stabilization. It offers Phase Detection AF and 4K video recording. Kodak also throws in a dual-LED, dual-tone LED flash which lives on the back of the device. The phone also takes advantages of a substantial 13MP selfie camera. Naturally Kodak has bundled an impressive palette of image editing features.

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Kodak chose to partner up with Bullitt – a smartphone maker for hire –  for Ektra, and the company has chosen Snapseed as its default photo-editing app.

Kodak allows users to complement the handset with leather phone accessories that look very much like old school camera cases. Actually the phone itself gives off strong analog camera vibes, visually.

In the specs department, the Ektra fears a lot better than its predecessor – the IM5. The phone features a 5-inch display with 1080p resolution and a has a octa-core MediaTek Helio X20 chipset working in combination with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (a microSD card slot allows for memory expansion). The phone is kept alive by a chunky 3,000 mAh battery which shouldn’t exhaust itself too quickly.

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Ektra will ship out with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, but at this point we don’t know whether the phone will be treated to 7.0 Nougat or not.

On the outside, the Ektra employs a lot of plastic. There’s faux leather on the back, but the plastic sides are made to look like they boast a metal finish. A handy Kodak shutter button allows the camera app to launch immediately. A half-press is all it’s needed to activate focus.

For the time being, Kodak will offer its second smartphone in Europe for €499 a pop. And if things go well, the company might think of brining the Ektra in the United States, as well, sometimes in early 2017.

Verizon launches LG V20 and LG Stylo 2 V

Alexandra Arici
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Verizon just introduced two new LG-branded phones that are going to be sold under its banner. The high-end LG V20 and budget-friendly LG Stylo 2 V are available starting today online, but will be hitting brick and mortar stores on October 27.

The LG V20 is currently being eyed by many, in the wake of the grand Galaxy Note7 fiasco. The high-end phone was launched in September 2016 and bundles advanced specs. It comes equipped with a 5.7-inch touchscreen display with 1440 x 2560 pixel resolution and 531ppi.

The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor clocked at 1.6Ghz in combination with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (expandable up to 256GB via microSD card slot). In the photography department, the LG V20 takes advantage of a hefty 16MP main camera and a 5MP selfie shooter.

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It comes with Android 7.0 pre-installed and a 3,200 mAh removable battery. The LG V20 might be just the prefect Note7 alternative and Verizon is selling it for a very attractive price. Interested parties can acquire it for $672 outright or by embarking on a two-year plan with the carrier and paying $28/month.

Compared to other carriers, Verizon offers a very good deal. AT&T sells the phone for $830 without a contract, while T-Mobile asks for $769.

What’s more Verizon offers three LG V20-related promotions.

  1. You can get $300 back when you buy the LG V20 on device payment and trade in select smartphones (available for a limited time only)
  2. Purchase the LG V20 on a payment plan and get a pair of premium H3 earphones by B&O Play ($149 value)
  3. Buy the LG V20 on device payment and you can get the LG Stylo 2 V for $1/month with a 24 month plans attached

As for the second phone which is making a debut today, it’s a mid-range affair destined for customers on a budget.

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The phone features a spacious display of 5.7-inch with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution. It draws power from a octa-core 1.8GHz CPU in combination with 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card up to 128GB). The LG Stylo 2 V takes advantage of 13MP rear camera plus a 5MP front snapper. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

As the name suggest, the phablet comes equipped with a stylus, so you can scribble your thoughts on the device whenever you want. The phone can be bought for $10 a month for 24 months or for $240 without a plan.

Buyer’s Guide: Verizon

Android 7.1 Developer Preview arrives on the Nexus 6P, 5X and Pixel C

Alexandra Arici
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Not so long ago, Google said the Android 7.1 Nougat Developer Preview will soon be making its way to the Nexus 6P, 5X and Pixel C. Google kept true to its word and this week the new build started rolling out to owners of these devices.

The timing is perfect, given the fact that the Google Pixel and Pixel XL are officially hitting US stores today. Customers will be able to pick up the phones, which come with Android 7.1 pre-installed, from Verizon and Best Buy.

Google is taking an incremental approach with this update. Remember that Android Marshmallow never made it beyond the 6.0.1 version, so Google going straight to Android 7.1 seems to indicate there are some fairly big changes bundled up in the release.

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According to the official Android Developers blog, the new Developer Preview introduces a suite of new features like application shortcuts and circular image support, wallpaper metadata, storage manager intent plus image keyboard support. On top of that, there’s an updated SDK and tools, documentations, samples, and emulators plus device system images for running apps on supported devices.

To get started Google instructs users to:

– update to Android Studio 2.2.2

– download API Level 25 platform, emulator system images and tools (the final API Level 25 SDK is available for download via the SDK Manager in Android Studio)

– install the API Level 25 SDK and update the project’s ompileSdkVersion to 25 to build and test against the new APIs

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There are a few ways you can get your hands on the Android 7.1 Nougat Developer Preview. The first and easiest variant requires users to sign up for the Android Beta program and accept the update over the air.

Another solution is to download the entire factory image in the form of a .TGZ file and flash the image to the phone using the flast.bat method. Or you can download the OTA zip file instead.

Google reminds us the Android 7.1 Nougat Developer Preview is a beta version, so you’re invited to test and identify device-specific issues.

The search giant said an update will be issued in November, with the public, consumer-bound Android 7.1 build coming out sometime in December.

LeEco makes its US debut with a pair of ‘disruptive’ smartphones

Scott Webster
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The US smartphone market just got even more competitive today as manufacturer LeEco made its formal stateside debut. But, to term them as a hardware maker would be only partially correct. Rather, this company has its hands in a whole host of things, including cloud-based tech, content duration, and more.

I was fortunate enough to attend LeEco’s coming out party which was held earlier today in San Francisco. Together, with what must have been hundreds of media, analysts, and other guests, I watched the company tell its back story and glimpse into the future.

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If you’ve never heard of LeEco (formerly LeTV), you’re not alone. Prior to roughly a year ago, I had not either. It was not until last fall, when we made a conscious effort to focus on unlocked smartphones and global brands, that I learned of them. What I discovered at the time was that the company was innovating on the phone front ahead of big name rivals.

Around for just over a decade, LeEco is a content and platform driven brand that also designs its own hardware. It’s not unlike a blend of Netflix, Google, Amazon, Samsung, and even Tesla; this sentiment was echoed by LeEco today.

At CES in January, LeEco was on hand to display its then-latest flagship, the Le Max Pro. Seemingly from out of nowhere came this unknown brand as the first to offer Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820. Moreover, LeEco was among the first companies to embrace the USB Type-C standard and fingerprint readers.

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Fast forward to today and the debut of the Le Pro3 and Le S3. The former is a flagship device through and through while the latter is a mid-level model that speaks to the Everyman user.  Each is unlocked and sold direct to consumer through LeEco’s store, LeMall.com. Both are priced “disruptively” and offer incredible hardware value propositions.

The Le Pro3 , available in Gold and Gray, is a 5.5-inch full HD experience with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. Additionally, it has 4GB RAM,  64GB storage, and a 4070mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. In other words, it’s equipped for performance.

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Other specifications include a 16-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front-facing shooter, fingerprint reader, and Dolby Atmos sound. Svelte at 7.53mm, the Le Pro3 has an aluminum chassis with Gorilla Glass protection.

Whereas most phones in this hardware realm are going to run $500-$700, the Le Pro3 comes in at an incredibly attractive $400. However, if you sign up for the LeRewards program, you’ll be able to knock a $100 off, bringing it down to only $300. You are not going to beat that. Not today, at least.

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The Le S3 is also a 5.5-inch phone, but it’s specs are more modest. Here you find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 CPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, and a 3000mAh battery. In terms of cameras, it offers up a 16-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front-facing combo.

The Le S3 also includes a fingerprint reader, USB Type-C, Dolby Atmos, and Gorilla Glass protection. The aluminum phone comes in a variety of color options: Gold, Rose Gold, and Gray. All told, it’s a damn solid phone, and is worth every penny at $250. But, sign up for the LeRewards program and you can shave $100 off the cost.

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The Le Eco phones run Android 6.01 with a custom user interface, EUI. Strangely, though, LeEco didn’t make any reference to Android in today’s presser. Instead, it opted to focus on its own services and software that’s also found across other products, including TV’s. Understandably, it wants to put the emphasis on the content available both live and on demand.

If you are interested in getting your hands on one of these phones, you’ll have to wait a short bit. LeEco has something special lined up for November 2 where it promises to announce a key content partner. In the meanwhile, head to LeMall and get signed up for the LeRewards program.

New Electronic Arts game released – Plants vs Zombies Heroes

Andrew Orr
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Electronic Arts has released the newest release in the Plants vs Zombies game series. Called Plants vs Zombies Heroes, it promises to offer hours of new gameplay in the form of a collectible card game. For the first time ever, you can now choose to play on the zombie side, as well as continuing the tradition of playing on the plant side.

You can collect and choose from 20 Plant and Zombie Heroes and unlock special powers along the way. If you choose the Plant side, you will be playing as the masked Green Shadow hero. If you choose the side of the Zombies, you’ll play as the hero Super Brainz.

Teams

Every Hero needs a team to back them up. Build up your team by collecting both new and old PvZ characters – over one hundred. You can strategize by choosing teammates that are compatible with your Hero, and experiment with combos.

You can also use the Auto Team-Builder to quickly create teams, strategies and have your teams automatically upgraded with new characters.

Adventures

Every battle you takes you further into the PvZ map – over 40 levels in single player mode. Whichever side you choose, there will be plenty of foes and bosses to defeat with special powers and abilities. Defeat bosses for legendary rewards.

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Play against other PvZ players in real-time battles to test your teams’ might. You can earn rewards by defeating your friends, family, or players around the world. Complete Daily Missions from Crazy Dave to build up your gold reserves.

Availability

Plants vs Zombies Heroes is available worldwide. To celebrate the launch of this fun new game, Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 and Plants vs Zombies 2 are having special Lawn of Doom events. You’ll find special Halloween content and customization options.

Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2 is having a time-limited Halloween treasure chest hunt every day until October 31. You’ll also find a special new boss hunt and 14 new Halloween customization items.

In Plants vs Zombies 2, you’ll find 12 new Halloween costumes and the return of the Halloween plants Jack O’ Lantern and Ghost Pepper, as well as a new plant called Witch Hazel.

Watch the video here:

Google Play Link

 

Google launches new ad campaign via SMS

Andrew Orr
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Google is making it easier than ever for businesses and customers to connect with each other. The company is creating a new tool that connects advertisers with customers over SMS through Google search ads.

The Ad Campaign

The new ads will center around message extensions. A message extension lets people view an ad, click on it, then lets you directly contact the business with a text. Depending on the ad, you can book an appointment, get a quote, ask for more information, request a service, and more.

These message extensions rely on SMS in order to work, so this means that the new tool will only work with mobile ads. The next time you search Google for something like “hotels in New York” you’ll see a message icon as part of the ad that invites you to directly message the business, similar to Facebook’s work with businesses in Messenger.

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This latest move is part of Google’s mobile-first strategy. Multiple products, from Android Instant Apps, Google Assistant and even the new Google logo revolves around making it easier for mobile users to use Google’s services.

If it’s easier for businesses to connect with customers, the companies will likely continue using whatever medium made this possible. In this case, Google is once again wielding its might in the advertising arena. This can only be taken as a direct shot to the likes of Facebook and Pinterest. Even Twitter has started revamping its ad system.

How To Set It Up

If you’re a business owner wanting to use this new system, it’s easy to start using message extensions for your ads.

  1. Sign in to your AdWords account.
  2. Click the Campaigns or Ad group tab.
  3. Click the Ad extensions tab.
  4. Click the View menu, then select “Message extensions”.
  5. Click the Campaign or Ad group tab, then select the campaigns or ad groups you want to add the message extension to, and then click Done.
  6. At the bottom of the table, click + New Message.
  7. Enter the information for your message ads:
    • Business name: The name of your business.
    • Phone number: A phone number that’s capable of sending and receiving text messages.
    • Extension text: The text that will go in your click-to-message ad.
    • Message text: The message text automatically shows in people’s messaging apps when they tap to send you a message. (For example, the message text might be: “I’d like to know more. Please text me back.”)
  8. Click Advanced to restrict the message extension to certain dates or hours of the day.
  9. Click Save.

Google releases its Wallpaper and Pixel Launcher into the Play Store

Matt Adams
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Today Google appeared to be gearing up for the imminent release of the Pixel and Pixel XL by adding listings for the Pixel Launcher and Wallpapers into the Play Store. Google has made it a point in recent years to move whatever it can into the Play Store and out of the core OS so updates can be pushed as soon as they’re ready so it’s not a huge surprise that we’re seeing the new apps hit the store now.

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Google Pixel Launcher

The Pixel Launcher is currently not available for much of anyone to install- even some frustrated Pixel C customers. The Pixel Launcher- built for Android 7.1, will feature Google’s new Assistant, the new swipe up gesture to open up the app drawer and a new weather/date widget.

You will be greeted with suggestions for your most used apps while in the App Drawer much like in the Nexus Launcher. But, what you won’t find the Nexus Launcher (at least for now) are long press actions. When long-pressing on an app icon, more options will appear to quickly navigate within that app. Do you want to quickly go to your Direct Messages in the Twitter app? Long press the icon, select that option and be taken directly to them. The functionality is a lot like Apple’s Force Touch technology without the haptic feedback engine.

The new Wallpapers app is available for more than just Pixel devices thankfully. The app is certainly a Google app through and through. While it doesn’t seem to have the most customization options out there, it does offer several well-polished options that will just work.

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A heavily featured option within the app is the ability to set different wallpapers for the home screen and lock screen. We’ve seen this functionality in Android for years, but Google wants to make sure you know that you can pull it off with its new app too. You can also select the “Daily Wallpaper” option to have Google pull from a selection of wallpapers to give you something fresh every day.

Will you be installing the Wallpapers app on your phone today or are you going to stick with your current setup? Let us know down in the comments what you think of Google’s newest apps.

UNITEK Aluminium wireless Bluetooth speaker: Big sound in a little package (review)

Derrick Miyao
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I’m sitting on a flight and heading on vacation to Maui for a week. While packing for my trip it was hard to contain myself from bringing along every single device along to entertain myself. Portable power bank, laptop, headphones, smartwatch, and a Bluetooth speaker are what I chose to bring to the sunny weather in Maui.

I brought along a Bluetooth speaker from UNITEK mainly because it is the smallest one I own and has enough sound to keep me entertained in my hotel room. Beyond the sound, the great part about this UNITEK speaker is its low price of $16.99 at Amazon.

Design and Build

The UNITEK speaker is small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. If it wasn’t for its thickness, I could easily throw it into a pocket. However it does slide into my backpack side pocket rather easily as it is just a driver and battery encased in metal that is eerily reminiscent of Apple’s products. That’s not a bad thing as Apple product have great sandblasted finishes that are chamfered with polished edges, and this speaker is no different.dsc04858

The version I have is Rose Gold and although it’s not the first color I’d normally choose, it does look nice nonetheless. It also comes in silver and gold too if you fancy a different shade.

The speaker grille is painted white metal that is sturdy enough to withstand and bumps and drops you can throw at it. The bottom is also white, but it is made of plastic which houses the microUSB charging port, slot for a microSD card, power button, and controls for volume and tracks.

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It’s a simple design that looks luxurious while being ultra portable at the same time.

Sound
So how does $16.99 sound?

Surprisingly when kept in context of how small the speaker is, it actually sounds pretty good. What is surprising is how much bass this little sucker puts out. You can feel the driver vibrating when holding it in your palm, and when you set it on a solid surface, it reflects more sound from the surface beneath it.

This gives it a fuller and louder sound. If you’re expecting this speaker to compete with the competition that costs five times as much, don’t get your hopes up. The size alone limits how much sound this speaker can output, but for its size it is rather entertaining. The sound is good enough for two people to enjoy in a hotel room and it only takes up a little bit of space in your backpack.

When playing music you’ll also notice a nice blue LED light that illuminates the perimeter of the bottom of the speaker. It adds a nice ambiance that lets you know the speaker is powered on and is a nice touch most other speakers do not have.

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Overall

The price alone already makes the UNITEK Aluminum speaker attractive at $16.99 at Amazon with free Prime Shipping included. The metal body that mimics Apple products also gives this speaker an attractive look that is sure to please anyone. The sound that comes from this single driver Bluetooth speaker is also impressive when you keep in it context of the price. It’s not going to blow your socks off, but it does make for a great travel device that won’t consume more than a few inches in your bag. It’s a heck of a deal when you consider the whole package.

Learn more about the UNITEK Aluminum Bluetooth speaker at amazon.com.

A smart and simple 3-port charger from UNITEK is a great value at just $8

Chrome Canary Channel now available for Android

Alexandra Arici
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Good news for Android fans comes this week, as Google just announced it is now giving users the chance to check out new versions of its Chrome web browsers via the Canary channel.

For those who aren’t so familiar with the topic, Chrome is available in four builds. First off, we have the Stable channel or the main public client, then there’s the Beta channel, a space plagued by few bugs and rich in new feats. Actually the Beta gets said new feats approximately one month before the Stable build.

Furthermore, there’s the Dev channel where developers test out the newest features and the Canary channel. Google’s Chrome Canary is the bleeding experimental version of Chrome and starting this week it’s available to Android users too. Google has been offering Canary to PC and Mac users for quite some time, but now Android fans are finally getting the same treatment.

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Chrome Canary for Android gives users a chance to try new features enhancements and bug fixes before they go mainstream. But consider yourselves warned –  these builds are shipped automatically and don’t undergo prior manual testing. Which translates into the builds being quite unstable, so much they may even stop working for several days at a time.

However, Google has made a point in mentioning the Canary team is dedicated to fixing major issues in order to ensure the channel is usable at all times.

Those interested in giving Canary a try, can head on to the Google Play Store and download the app from there. Google says new Canary builds are going to be coming in every weekday and possible even during weekends. The search giant warns users should take into account that constant updates will be taking up more than 100MB of space every week.

 

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