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Pitaka’s MagHive wants to make sure you’ll never forget your smartphone again

Alexandra Arici
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It happened to all of us – leaving the house in a rush without our phone or keys. It can be highly frustrating, but Pitaka – a leader in personal carrying systems – wants to help you remember to grab the things you need before you go.

With its new MagHive smart reminder system in place, which is currently on display at CES 2018, Pitaka says that things like heading off to the gym without earphones will become a thing of the past.

While most tracking apps help users find misplaced items, the MagHive makes sure you don’t forget or misplace them in the first place. How does it work?

The MagHive kit consists of magnetic NFC/RFID-enable, wireless charging base stations with sensor fobs called MagTags. Once your phone, keys and other personal items are paired, the MagHive will be able to start sending out reminders, which are triggered by motion, but also by weather events. Reminders can also be sent to friends and family.

Users are required to install the MagHive mobile app on their iOS or Android smartphones in order to receive the reminders. Or they can use the Display Module which features a 5-inch high resolution screen to see the reminders. It’s a handy alternative in case you’ve misplaced your smartphone and, risk going out without an umbrella.

MagHive is also compatible with Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home devices, so users can employ voice control to make the system even more useful.

Pitaka also notes you can make any item pairable to the system by using MagTag NFC/RFID-enabled fobs for wallets, purses, keyrings and much more. Also, users can add as many modules as they like.

Sound interesting? MagHive will be available in Q1 2018 on Kickstarter, where Pitaka will try to crowdfund the project. But as it’s the case with Kickstarter projects, there’s always a chance the product won’t make it to the market in the end.

DJ Koh confirms the Samsung Galaxy S9 will launch at MWC 2018

AG Deals Team
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There were a few rumors making their rounds that suggested that Samsung would surprise everyone and steal the show at CES 2018 with an announcement of the Galaxy S9. According to ZDNet, that won’t be the case after DJ Koh, president of Samsung’s mobile business, confirmed this information.

Koh confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy S9 will officially be unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2018, which takes place late next month. While Samsung’s next flagship device will be unveiled at MWC 2018, we will also learn more about the release date at the aforementioned event.

Obviously, this is a bit different than last year when Samsung held a completely separate launch event for the Galaxy S8 lineup in New York City. However, Samsung is not coming off of a major debacle, meaning that the company can move at its own pace this time around.

As for what we are expecting from the Galaxy S9, we’re likely to see a slight refinement in the design. The biggest change is likely to come regarding the camera setup and the fingerprint scanner.

Instead of having a horizontally-mounted camera module and fingerprint scanner, rumors and leaks have pointed to a vertically mounted module and scanner. This was the single biggest complaint regarding the Galaxy S8 lineup, and it seems that Samsung has finally listened to its customers.

Surely, the Galaxy S9 will retain the Infinity Display that was introduced with its predecessor, likely measuring in around 5.65-inches. However, the larger Galaxy S9 Plus will come in around 6.2-inches.

Qualcomm’s latest chipset, the Snapdragon 845, is more than likely to be at the helm of the Galaxy S9 lineup. We are also expecting to see either 4GB or 6GB of RAM, along with the possibility of a device with 512GB of onboard storage.

The Galaxy S9 really could be the best Samsung device ever created, but we’ll have to wait until MWC 2018 to see the goods. If you want to learn more about the Galaxy S9 rumors, hit the link here. Let us know what you think about the Galaxy S9 and if you’re excited to see what Samsung has been working on.

Huawei officially introduces the Mate 10 Pro to the US market

AG Deals Team
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While we are still looking to see what LG and Samsung have in store for 2018, Huawei has officially made its US entrance at CES 2018. Huawei took to the stage during one of the biggest events of the year to announce that the Huawei Mate 10 Pro will be coming to the US.

The Mate 10 Pro was originally introduced to global markets back in October of last year, but the company was waiting for CES to officially bring the device to the US. This move is extremely similar to the schedule that Huawei followed with the Huawei Mate 9 lineup, which arrived in the US after CES 2017.

When it comes to the specs, the Mate 10 Pro features a 6-inch OLED display, which features a “FullView” resolution of 2160 x 1080. Powering the device is Huawei’s own Kirin 970 chipset which has been coupled with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

As for the cameras, Huawei has included a standard 8MP selfie camera which features an aperture of f/2.0. Moving to the rear, we have a dual camera setup with a primary 16MP sensor and a secondary 20MP Monochrome sensor, both of which have an aperture of f/1.6.

Finally, the Mate 10 Pro features an amazing 4,000mAh battery equipped with Huawei’s SuperCharge quick charge technology. The device also is IP67 water and dust resistant, and comes with Android 8.0 Oreo along with Huawei’s EMUI software overlay.

Unfortunately, the company was expected to make partnership announcements with the likes of AT&T and Verizon, but AT&T has reportedly backed out of those plans and Verizon is expected to do the same. While Huawei will continue to attempt to create partnerships with US carriers, the company will offer the Mate 10 Pro, unlocked, through these retailers:

  • Amazon
  • Best Buy
  • Newegg
  • Microsoft (really?)
  • Newegg
  • B&H Photo

Pricing for the Huawei Mate 10 Pro will start at $799, with pre-orders beginning on February 4th. The device will officially become available on February 17th, and Huawei is also offering a $150 gift card with each purchase.

For those who are willing to drop a bit more cash, Huawei will bring the Mate 10 Porsche Design to the US market on February 18th. This device is a special edition model and will be priced at just $1,225.

LG G7 expected to launch within the next few months

Dan Bartram
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LG has had a busy week at CES 2018 and the company doesn’t plan on slowing down after the event.

According to sources, the upcoming LG G7 will feature a Snapdragon 845 and is expected to be revealed at Mobile World Congress in late February or early March. Following the reveal, the expectation is LG will launch the G7 on April 20.

The information of an April launch comes from a mobile carrier official from South Korea, which could be anyone from LG Uplus, KT, or SK Telecom. The source also alludes to that LG may, in fact, skip the unveil at MWC due to delays in production since production won’t actually begin until March.

“LG is unlikely to unveil the G7 at MWC,” another official from a local telecom company. “The phone could be unveiled in mid-March before its official launch.”

It would seem a big loss if LG did miss MWC with the G7 but certain production delays could mean LG has pulled the plug to buy some time. The G7 would be the first flagship smartphone to launch under the new leadership of Hwang Jeong-hwan.

A delayed release could see the LG G7 launch after the Galaxy S9, which may be very detrimental to sales.

One thing’s for sure is that we won’t have long to wait to see what LG has in store for us with the G7.

Razer release Project Linda – a laptop that your phone powers

Dan Bartram
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Razer recently showed off its new smartphone as it looks to expand its gaming reputation into more markets. The company isn’t slowing down as it has unveiled another piece of awesome hardware.

At CES 2018, Razer showed off Project Linda that pairs perfectly with the latest Razer Phone. That’s not just a saying, the laptop literally pairs with the smartphone.

The concept isn’t new – we’ve seen Samsung’s DeX dock provide the same functionality, as well as the Motorola Atrix back in the day. Razer takes it one step further and leverages the hardware of the Razer Phone to not only create the laptop environment but also provide a trackpad.

The Razer Phone simply is placed into a slot and a hardware button pressed that will extend a USB-C port into the smartphone. This is the interface that powers the laptop – in fact, the only thing Project Linda offers up hardware wise is some extra battery and extra storage.

Most apps run in tablet mode and will certainly take some optimizing but the main goal of Project Linda is to extend the gaming aspect from the phone to a bigger screen.

While this looks extremely cool, it is just a concept at the minute. It’s hard to say whether Project Linda will ever make it to market but it certainly shows how Razer envisage extending the power of smartphones to a bigger screen.

Google Assistant in 2018: Google reveals what to expect

Alexandra Arici
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Like CES 2017 was about all about Alexa, a large part of this year’s CES seems to be revolving around the Google Assistant.

The search giant has just shared an extensive post in which it reveals its expansion plans for the Google Assistant in 2018. Basically, you can expect a deluge of new Assistant-powered devices to hit the market in the upcoming months. Here’s what to expect:

Speakers, speakers everywhere

In Las Vegas this week, the Mountain View-based company revealed it has inked deals with companies like Altec Lansing, Anker Innovations, Bang & Olufsen, Braven, iHome, JBL, Jensen, LG, Klipsch, Knit Audio, Memorex, RIVA Audio, and SoLIS, so we expect the smart speaker space to get quite crowded in 2018 (not that it isn’t already).

What’s more, Google partnered up with JBL, LG, Sony to enter the smart display market, which will put it in direct competition with its recent arch-enemy Amazon and its Echo Show and Echo Spot products. Apparently, Google is trying to provide customers with more options when it comes to Assistant-fueled products, putting aside fears that then new speakers might end up cannibalizing sales of its own Home, Home Mini, and Home Max products.

TVs

This year, Google’s virtual assistant is going to make it on more TVs. Yes, it’s already available on the NVIDIA SHIELD TV and Sony’s Android TVs, but soon the Assistant will start rolling out to more Android TV models from TCL, Skyworth, and Xiaomi. New products from Changhong, Element, Funai, Haier, Hisense, and Westinghouse are expected to launch this week. Last but not least, LG is slated to debut a series of Assistant-ready TVs later this year too.

Cars

Next stop, cars. The Google Assistant will become available in-vehicle through the Android Auto. Yes, the app already supports voice commands, but with Google Assistant onboard users will be able to do a lot more like request the streaming of their favorite songs from Spotify.

However, the Assistant will be optimized for in-car usage, so that means no asking it to bring up YouTube videos while you’re driving.

Headphones

The Google’s Pixel Buds and Bose QuietComfort 35 II were the first headphones to come with integrated Google Assistant, and now the search giant reveals we can expect more from companies like JBL, LG, Samsung, and Jaybird.

Say hello to Actions

Since there are so many things you can do with the Assistant, sometimes it can be a bit hard to keep track of them. That’s why Google now offers a new way to talk about the Assistant’s capabilities.

Like Amazon’s Alexa has its Skills, the Assistant now has Actions – which were originally announced during Google’s I/O a few months ago. To help you discover the Actions available on your Assistant, Google will let you browse through them via a new directory page, which is also available on your Android phone (or iPhone). Just access your Assistant and tap on the blue corner that shows up in the corner.

Skagen’s first Android Wear smartwatch stays true to the company’s minimalist design principles

Alexandra Arici
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Smartwatches might not be the most hyped tech product category these days, but some companies still believe they have the power to attract their fair share of customers.

It’s the case of the renowned watch maker, Skagen who at CES 2018 debuted a fully-fledged Android Wear smartwatch.

So far the company offered a few hybrid smartwatches – which offered a bunch of wearable-specific features like being able to count steps and measure heart rate, but the new Falster is the company’s first true smartwatch.

On the outside, the Falster boasts a circular touchscreen, a 42mm stainless steel case and comes either with a leather or metal mesh strap. Under the hood, it draws power from a Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, like the majority of Android Wear smartwatches out there.

Since the watch ships with Android Wear on board, users will be able to get notifications for calls, text, and emails on your smartwatch. The watch also allows users to download and install apps from the Google Play Store directly on their wrist.

Other features include activity tracking, music control via third-party apps and the Google Assistant. On the negative side, the watch does not have NFC for mobile payments, GPS tracking or a heart rate monitor.

Skagen says that the Falster benefits from a battery-efficient design. The OLED screen is always-on by default, and using the all-black background on the default screen allows the watch can save up to 20% of every. Skagen also offers a series of minimalist watchfaces in line with the company’s clean aesthetics.

The watch is compatible with all smartphones running Android 4.4 and beyond (and iOS 9 and up) and will be offered with a silver, rose gold or black case. But on all models the dial is black.

Skagen revealed that the Falster will go on sale this month for $275 for the leather strap model or $295 for the metal mesh version.

BlackBerry Motion landing in the US on January 12 with $449.99 price tag

Alexandra Arici
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Announced in October, the BlackBerry Motion was originally offered only in select markets including the UAE region and Canada. Well this week at CES 2018, TCL announced the keyboard-less smartphone is coming to the US.

For those interested in the product, the BlackBerry Motion is expected to land in the States on January 12 as a GSM unlocked model (will work on AT&T and T-Mobile, but not Sprint and Verizon). It will be available for sale online via Amazon and Best Buy for $449.99 a pop.

The BlackBerry Motion is the company’s first dust-and-water resistant smartphone and comes with pretty solid mid-range specs. The device features a 5.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and relies on a Snapdragon 625 processor, backed up by 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

Don’t miss: How does the BlackBerry Motion compare against the BlackBerry KEYone

The phone also includes a generous 4,000 mAh battery and ships with Android Nougat out of the box. Before you say anything, BlackBerry and TLC say that the Oreo update will be available sometime this year. Hopefully not in December.

In related news, TCL also announced a new BlackBerry KEYone Bronze Edition. Like the previous Black Edition, the phone will come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It’s going to be offered as a dual-SIM version and will go on sale at some point in Q1 2018 in select markets in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Which means it’s not going to hit the US anytime soon.

Lenovo’s Echo Show alternative comes with the Google Assistant built-in

Alexandra Arici
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The dispute between Amazon and Google over whether the former’s Echo Show should get YouTube access just escalated to a whole new level.

At CES 2018, we learned that Lenovo and Google have partnered up for an Echo Show rival with the Google Assistant on board.

What’s more, Google announced partnerships with a wide range of manufacturers including Sony, LG, and JBL, so expect more devices à la the Echo Show with Google Assistant in the near future.

Going back to Lenovo’s new Smart Display, it’s available in two sizes – 8 and 10.1-inches – and looks like a tablet with a speaker part fused into the main body.

With Google Assistant on board, users can search for things, check the weather or stream music via voice commands. Additionally, the Smart Display introduces a few new Google Assistant functionalities.

For example, users can view maps of planned routes, initiate video calls with loved ones via Google Duo, stream YouTube videos or pictures from Google Photos. The speakers can be used both vertically and horizontally, with the software automatically adjusting itself to the display orientation.

When it comes to performance, the Smart Displays are kept alive by a Snapdragon 624 processor, aided by 2GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. There’s also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for video calls.

Other specs include Bluetooth Low Energy, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a 10W full-range speaker with dual passive radiator, and dual microphone arrays for accurate voice tracking.

The only difference hardware-wise between the two models is that the 8-inch version features 1280 x 800 resolution, while the 10.1-inch boasts 1920 x 1200 res.

Lenovo’s Smart Display will go on sale in early summer. The 8-inch version will be available for $199.99, while the 10-incher will be offered for $249.99. Both models will be up for grabs in Soft Gray or Bamboo.

Sennheiser announces budget CX 6.00BT wireless in-ear headphones

Alexandra Arici
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Audio specialist Sennheiser is mostly known for its premium sound accessories, but the company does budget products, as well.

Case in point, this week at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, Sennheiser unveiled the CX 6.00BT, a new pair of Bluetooth earphones which will go on sale for only $99.95.

The new in-ear headphones are super light, at only 14 g, and are said to be capable of delivering clear, detailed sound with an enhanced bass response.

The CX 6.00BT have Bluetooth 4.2 and benefit from Qualcomm’s apt-X technology that helps reduce latency. This ensures there’s no delay between audio and video while watching videos with your headphones on.

The audio accessories will ship with a cable that can be worn around the neck, for those who prefer the more traditional setup version to the wireless one. We should also note the CX 6.00BT come with three built-in buttons that lets users control music playback and answer or reject calls. The earphones’ microphone takes advantage of cVc noise cancellation technology for crystal clear calls.

Sennheiser notes the CX 6.00BT feature a built-in battery that can last up to six hours on a single charge. They also support fast charging, so a quick 10-minute charge via USB will give users two hours of battery life. The headphones take 1.5 hours to fully recharge.

The CV 6.00BT headphones will be available this January.

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