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BlitzWolf Wireless Charger; Modern aesthetic, standard specs (Promoted)

Let’s be honest here. Wireless chargers are a dime a dozen. They really fall into two categories – Crap, and Does Its Job. So when I first unpacked the BlitzWolf wireless charger, you can understand my initial ho-hummery – but as I took a closer look at it, I came realize that this wasn’t your run-of-the mill Qi charger.

Build

At first glance, the BlitzWolf Wireless Charger seems like pretty standard affair. But picking it up reveals a more carefully designed product.

An aluminum chassis immediately sets it apart from other wireless chargers, which tend to be plastic. The glass ceramic face feels especially nice, though the silvery BlitzWolf branding is a little jarring compared to the elegance of the rest of the device. The bottom of the charger is home to four rubber casters, which combined with the weight of the charger make for a very stable platform.

The Blue LED on the front of the device is a nice departure from the standard – and bright – lime green LED we normally see. This makes it a solid choice for a nightstand, so you can see at-a-glance that your phone is charging without blinding yourself. As you’d expect, there’s not much else to the gizmo. Like most wireless chargers, it has a singular purpose and no bells and/or whistles.

Performance

In practice, the BlitzWolf Wireless Charger isn’t quite as wonderful as its design might indicate. It performs about as well as can be expected from any wireless charger, but doesn’t bring anything to the table you haven’t seen before.

At 5V, 1A, the BlitzWolf Wireless Charger outputs the same as any Qi-standard charger. Which is, to say, about as fast as standard MicroUSB charging, without any kind of Quick Charge. As such, it makes sense that the device makes use of a MicroUSB port on the back, and only supports up to 5V, 1.5A input.

Like I said – it’s a fairly standard affair. One thing I was impressed with, though, is its ability to charge even through the thick TPU/PolyCarbonate material of a Spigen case on my V30. Many wireless chargers I’ve used in the past haven’t been able to charge through a thick case, but this one did the trick – albeit with a little careful positioning.

Value

At $16.99, the BlitzWolf Wireless Charger is about on par with other devices of its kind. And that’s a good thing, given how well-made and effective the device is. It feels a lot more expensive than it is, and it performs as well as any wireless charger on the market, at the moment. While I’d love to see a higher output or a Type-C USB input, BlitzWolf put out a perfectly adequate wireless charger with a modern, gorgeous aesthetic.

Buy BlitzWolf’s Wireless Charger from Amazon

OnePlus 6 Specs & Pricing

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The OnePlus 6 has finally been announced and the company has revealed the full spec sheet.

READ MORE: OnePlus 6 Announced

The handset sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The display measures in at 6.28-inches and features an aspect ratio of 19:9, including the notch at the top.

OnePlus 6 Specs
OnePlus 6 Specs

Here is the full list of specs:

  • Display: 6.28-inches, 19:9 Full Optic Screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 5
  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
  • RAM: 6GB/8GB
  • Storage: 64GB/128GB/256GB
  • Front Camera: 16MP
  • Rear Cameras: 20MP + 16MP, Sony IMX 519/376K, OIS + EIS
  • Battery: 3,300mAh w/ Fast Charge (5V 4A)
  • Software: OxygenOS 5.1 (based on Android 8.1 Oreo)
  • Extras: 0.4s Face Unlock, 0.2s Fingerprint, Daily Water Resistance
  • Connectivity: 40 Global Bands, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, 4 x 4 MIMO Cat. 16/13 4CA

Pricing & Colors

The OnePlus 6 will go on sale starting May 22nd and will come in three color variants:

  • Mirror Black
  • Midnight Black
  • Silk White (limited edition)

Pricing for the 6GB/64GB model begins at $529 and the 8GB/128GB model is priced at $579. If you want even more storage, there is an 8GB/256GB model which is priced at just $629.

If you want to pick up the OnePlus 6 for yourself, you can do so through the OnePlus website.

The OnePlus 6 has finally, and officially, landed

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After months of leaks and rumors, the OnePlus 6 has finally been announced. OnePlus decided to hold an event in London, England to show off its latest and greatest and it doesn’t disappoint.

OnePlus 6

Thanks to the myriad of teasers from OnePlus, we already knew of many of the features that were coming. The OnePlus 6 sports a 6.28-inch display, with a unique 19:9 aspect ratio, including a notch at the top.

The notch houses a 16MP camera, which is capable of using face unlock and more. This camera sports an aperture of f/2.0, along with automatic HDR and 1080p video recording.

On the rear, OnePlus included a primary 16MP sensor and a secondary 20MP lens. Both lenses sport an aperture of f/1.7 along with phase detection autofocus.

Power

As expected, the Snapdragon 845 SoC is at the heart of the OnePlus 6. This has been coupled with the Adreno 630 GPU to help improve gaming and performance.

There aren’t many surprises when it comes to the RAM and storage combinations. The base model will sport 64GB of storage, along with 6GB of RAM. However, if you want to jump up to 8GB of RAM, you will also get 256GB of storage. There is also a 6GB/128GB combination.

OnePlus 6 Specs
OnePlus 6 Specs

On the battery front, the OnePlus 6 features a 3,300mAh battery. Of course, Dash Charge is back here, aiming to keep you charged up no matter what situation you are in.

A rather surprising move here is the “Daily Water Resistance”. This is the first time that a OnePlus device has ever featured any type of water resistance, although it’s unclear whether it’s an IP67 rating or just “splashproof”.

Software

When it comes to the software, the OnePlus 6 will launch with Android 8.1 Oreo and OxygenOS 5.1. This provides a near-stock experience with a few customization tweaks that OnePlus devices are known for.

READ MORE: Android P Beta Devices

Additionally, the OnePlus 6 will support gesture control, making it possible for you to get rid of the on-screen navigation buttons. This was introduced in beta for the OnePlus 5 and 5T late last year.

You may remember that OnePlus was included in Google’s new Android P beta program. This means that you will be able to join the program and get the latest version of Android on your brand new OnePlus 6.

Pricing & Colors

The OnePlus 6 will come in three different color variants:

  • Mirror Black
  • Midnight Black
  • Silk White (limited edition)

On the pricing front, the handset will cost $529 for the base model and go up to $629 for the 8GB/256GB model. The Mirror Black and Midnight Black variants will go on sale on May 22nd, with the Silk White coming on June 5th.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless

In addition to revealing a brand new flagship killer, OnePlus also had an extra surprise. The company kicked off the event by unveiling the new OnePlus Wireless Bullets.

You may not have known this, but OnePlus headphones have been available for some time. However, these new headphones are the company’s first attempt at a set of Bluetooth headphones.

Admittedly, when these were first shown off, it seemed that OnePlus took a page from Apple with the Beats X. However, the Bullets Wireless is a bit different thanks to some extra features.

Out of the box, these headphones will be compatible with Qualcomm aptX and Google Assistant. Perhaps the most exciting part is that the battery in these headphones.

OnePlus claims that the Bullets Wireless support Fast Charge capabilities. You will be able to get five hours of playback, after just 10 minutes of charging time.

Pricing for the Bullets Wireless starts at $69, which is rather surprising. This comes in at less than half of the cost of the Google Pixel Buds and is very tempting.

How to watch the OnePlus 6 Launch event

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The OnePlus 6 has been in the works for quite some time, and it is ready to be shown off to the world. OnePlus is holding an event in London, England but it’s unlikely that you will be able to attend yourself.

READ MORE: Here’s everything we know about the OnePlus 6

Thankfully, the company will be live streaming the event, meaning you can follow along as the news breaks. To make life even easier, the live stream will be held on YouTube, so you won’t have to worry about jumping through a bunch of hoops.

If you want to follow along on your computer or smartphone, you can simply use the video embedded above. This page will automatically begin playing the event once it kicks off. Speaking of, the event will get started at 5PM BST, 12PM EST, and 9AM PST today!

What to expect

As for what to expect, a recent leak practically spilled the beans on the design and specs. The handset will sport a 6.28-inch AMOLED display while being powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC and up to 8GB of RAM.

The device will also sport a notch at the top, resulting in a rather unique 19:9 aspect ratio. However, OnePlus is expected to include the ability to hide the notch if that floats your boat.

There will be a dual-camera system on the rear, with a primary 16MP sensor and a secondary 20MP lens. Additionally, the device will sport a 3,300mAh battery and will run Android 8.1 Oreo.

Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think about the OnePlus 6 and if you’ll be picking one up.

Google’s Pixel Buds gain new gesture controls

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Rocking a pair of Pixel Buds? Then you’ll be glad to know that Google just announced it has added new gestures to your earphones.

The new controls are accessible when you’re using your Pixel Buds in concert with your Pixel phone or any other Android phone that has the Google Assistant on it.

The Pixel Buds get more versatile

Starting this week, Pixel Buds owners can manually turn their earphones on or off by triple tapping on the right earbud. Make sure you remember it’s the right earbud, not the left or the feature won’t work.

Furthermore, Google makes it easier to skip to the next track by double tapping on the right earbud. Until now using this gesture would have allowed you to hear notifications.

The good news is that Google lets you choose what exactly the double tap gesture will do. So if you want to continue using the double tapping action to hear notifications you can. Google allows you to set up your Pixel Buds the way you want it via the settings menu in the Google Assistant app.

On top of the new gestures, Google also announced an easier way to switch your Pixel Buds connection between your phone and computer. Simply select your Pixel Buds from the Bluetooth menu of the desired device. Your earbuds will disconnect from the device you were using and connect to the other one.

The new gestures are currently rolling out and will be available to everyone by early next week.

The updating process is done without you, so you can go on and use your Pixel Buds as you normally do. The new firmware will download in the background, and the next time you place your Buds in their case, the earphones will install the new firmware. Then you’ll receive an alert on your phone that the updated has been installed.

HTC is working on a blockchain phone of its own called Exodus

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Blockchain is all the rage right now, and it appears HTC is targeting this exact niche with its upcoming smartphone product.

According to TheNextWeb, HTC executive, Phil Chen who previously founded HTC’s Vive product line, revealed that the company is working on a blockchain phone codenamed Exodus. It should ship out to consumers by the end of the year.

So what’s a blockchain phone?

According to HTC’s own vision, it’s a phone coming with cryptocurrency support that’s dedicated to decentralized applications and security.

Bearing this in mind, the Exodus should support Bitcoin, Dfinity and Ethereum, among others, thanks to a universal wallet and secure hardware. HTC also revealed plans to create a native blockchain network to enable cryptocurrency trading among Exodus users.

There are some advantages to using blockchain. It’s basically a ledger that records every single transaction chronologically. The ledger is decentralized, which means there’s no corporation or organization that holds all of its info. Instead, the data is stored across all devices.

The technology has been mostly adopted in the cryptocurrency world and has yet to become a mainstream concept. Although adoption by companies such as HTC (and Huawei, it is rumored) could help change that.

While HTC isn’t the only company that is developing a blockchain-dedicated phone, Sirin Labs recently revealed the price for its Finney phone, it’s by far the biggest company of its kind to undertake the effort.

Like Sirin Labs, HTC is also considering allowing buyers to pay with cryptocurrency to get Exodus. However, the price is yet to be decided.

The news about Exodus comes a few weeks ahead of HTC’s latest flagship announcements. On May 23, HTC is expected to pull the wraps off the often leaked U12+ model.

The phone is rumored to come with a 6-inch LCD display with WQHD+ resolution. Like all major premium phones launching today, the U12+ is set to arrive with a Snapdragon 845 processor, backed up by 6GB of RAM and either 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

Samsung announces new and “vibrant” colors for the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus

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In a move that has become expected nowadays, Samsung has announced new color options for the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. The company made the surprising announcement of “Sunrise Gold” and “Burgundy Red” option.

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These will be joining the rest of the lineup, which includes the following:

  • Midnight Black
  • Titanium Gray
  • Coral Blue
  • Lilac Purple

Before this announcement, it seems that the consensus pick for best color was Lilac Purple. However, a Galaxy S9 Plus in Burgundy Red is sure to turn heads wherever you go.

As one would expect, there is a slight catch for those of us here in the States. Samsung did not explicitly state that these color options would be coming to the US.

Instead, the Gold and Red colors will be launching in Korea and China this month. Other markets including Europe and even Mexico will see these colors “soon”.

Obviously, this could be just Samsung hanging tight before making them available to potential owners in the US. However, I wouldn’t hold my breath for too long, at least until some type of official announcement is made.

Let us know what you think about the new Sunrise Gold and Burgundy Red colors. Are you interested in picking up a Galaxy S9 now? Or are you waiting for a new device?

Oval 2.0 is a smart sensor that can monitor any object/area around the house

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We live in a world were more and more stuff around the house is connected to the Internet. Even so, some things in your home like a drawer or your favorite plant can’t be connected. Yet, you can monitor them thanks to trackers.

Like the new Oval 2.0, a next-generation smart sensor that can turn any ordinary object or area into a smart one.

Coming to replace the Oval 1.0 which launched in early 2017, the Oval 2.0 is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter.

What can Oval 2.0 do?

The new Oval sensors are small, wireless devices that when attached to an object instantly make it smarter. Basically, the system allows users to connect sensors to a gateway that is hooked up to a rooter.

Once connected, the sensors will send signals to the gateway, that can be up to 150ft away. From there, it will take action by alerting the users via the dedicated mobile app, email or text.

With customers’ feedback in mind, Oval Digital completely rebuilt the Oval 2.0, which now includes powerful features like the ability to view the sensors in real time and have access to analytics that reveals household trends. On top of that, Oval Digital claims the sensors can improve behaviors to help increase safety, conserve energy and ultimately save you money.

The uses for these smart sensors are far-reaching, and really come down to the specific needs of the user. For example, Oval 2.0 can be used to monitor cabinets which contain harmful chemicals or the temperature in the baby’s room.

What’s more, Oval 2.0 now connects with mainstream smart home products like the Amazon Echo and Google Home. With IFTTT support, you can pair Oval with hundreds of other devices that provide home automation. So now you can ask Alexa or the Google Assistant whether there’s water in the basement.

Think you might have a use for Oval 2.0? Then head on to Kickstarter and make your pledge.

LynQ is a smart compass that lets you find people when cell phones fail

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Anyone who has ever attended a large music festival can relate to this: losing your friends in the crowd and being unable to contact them due to bad cell phone reception.

Fortunately New York-based startup LynQ behind wants to help solve this real life problem. The company managed to raise nearly $2 million on Indiegogo for a device also called LynQ that lets you keep track of anyone for up to 5 miles, without relying on a working cell network (or Wi-Fi or Bluetooth).

LynQ is smart compass slash tracker which operates across a decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) network. This uses a mix of radio frequencies, a custom antenna, as well as a long-range low-powered chip to keep track of up to 12 people.

Never lose track of your friends again

The tiny device can be attached to your backpack or clothing using a carabiner clip and is weather-proof. It uses the company’s proprietary software to show you each users’ distance and direction from each other in real time on a small screen.

Users can also set boundaries for their group and will receive alerts when someone leaves the safe zone. A messaging feature is part of the package too, which allows group members to communicate with each other through commonly used messages.

So while LynQ will probably become festival goers’ new best friend, the device might also prove useful for families who have kids or love camping in the wilderness. Alternatively a caregiver looking after a person with Alzheimer will also be able to keep tabs on the patient more easily.

Now after 3 years of development and intense field tests across music festivals, theme parks and ski resorts, and US Government field experiments, LynQ is finally going up for pre-order for the general public on Indiegogo. Interested parties can purchase a 2-pack at the super early bird price of $154.

You need at least two LynQ devices to kick the network into action, but there’s no upper limit. Actually, there can be as many as 40,000 devices in an area without any detectable interference.

Hot Take: Honor 10 (Episode 3)

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Welcome to In Brief, our periodic podcast which aims to provide you with all of the important things happening in the world of Android.

In this episode, we discuss the brand new Honor 10 smartphone that was debuted earlier today. We dedicated the entire episode to the new phone in a little segment we like to call Hot Take.

It’s our goal to keep these podcasts short but there’s a reason we call it the 15-minute podcast that’s never 15 minutes. We hope you enjoy the show!

We’re currently beta testing this podcast and doing it in the real world. We’ll iterate and improve and be on track with the formal numbering convention in no time!

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For questions, concerns, or general feedback about the podcast feel free to contact us at podcast [at] androidguys.com.

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