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Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) vs LG G6 (Smartphone Showdown)

Alexandra Arici
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We’re not even in 2018, but this week Samsung already announced the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018), which in theory are the successors of the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017).

We say in theory, because the new phones seem to have reduced the gap between Samsung’s middle-range family and its flagship Galaxy S lineup considerably. The Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ are premium-looking devices with specs on-par with some of this year’s most notable flagships. Like the LG G6. So how do they really compare against one another?

On the outside

Samsung’s new mid-ranger features an all-glass body and borrows the InfinityDisplay design of the Galaxy S8, although in a cruder form. The phone has thicker upper and lower bezels, although the signature 18:5:9 aspect ratio is still present. The 5.6-inch display features FullHD+ resolution and is compatible with Samsung’s Gear VR headset – which is a first for Samsung’s mid-rangers. On the back, the fingerprint scanner positioned under the main camera sensor, offers a glance into the future, as we expect the Galaxy S9 to come with a similar arrangement next year.

Moving on to the LG G6, the handset utilizes a rather simple but straightforward design formula with a metal frame sandwiched by a couple different kinds of Gorilla Glass. It has Gorilla Glass 3 on the front and Gorilla Glass 5 on the back. But unlike previous G-series flagships, the LG G6 features a unibody design, which means there’s no removable battery available.

With the LG G6, the company opted for very narrow bezels on the sides, as well as on the top and bottom. Rounded corners are utilized for both the display and the outer frame, and the result is that one-handed experience is pretty great.

Like the Galaxy A8 (2018), the G6 features a new 18:9 aspect ratio screen of 5.7-inch LCD variety with more advanced 2880 x 1440 resolution. The lack of an OLED display means that the LG G6 is not Daydream compatible, so Google’s headset won’t work with the phone. Unlike Samsung, LG hasn’t unveiled any new VR offerings as of late.

On the bright side, the display comes with Dobly Vision / HDR 10 support for viewing all sort of HDR content.

On the inside

The Galaxy A8 is powered by an octa-core Exynos chipset clocked at 2.2GHz and comes with 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal storage (microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 256GB available). A 3,000 mAh battery with Fast Charging keeps the smartphone up and running.

Despite being LG’s first flagship for this year, the G6 takes advantage of 2016’s Snapdragon 821 – a quad-core processor clocked at 2.35GHz working alongside 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage. A version with 128GB of storage known as the LG G6+ is also available. Both include a microSD card slot.

The LG G6 benefits from a slightly larger 3,300 mAh battery than the Galaxy A8. The smartphone also includes IP68 certification and is MIL-STD-810G compliant. In contrast, the Galaxy A8 is only IP68-rated.

Photography

The new Galaxy A8 puts a focus on selfies. It’s actually the first handset in Samsung’s portfolio to feature a dual-camera setup on the front which consists of a 16-megapixel/8-megapixel combo with f/1.9. The back has been reserved to a single 16-megapixel snapper with f/1.7 and phase detection autofocus.

When it comes to the LG G6, the dual-camera lives on the back, as you’d normally expect it to. It’s comprised of two 13-megapixel sensors with f/1.8 and f/2.4 apertures respectively.

When it comes to selfies, the LG G6 might not be able to shine as the Galaxy A8, but it does include a decent 5-megapixel 100-degree secondary camera capable of shooting 1080p video.

Software

The LG G6 ships out with Android 7.0 Nougat with the company’s own LG UX 6.0 on top. LG has commenced the Oreo beta program for the LG V30 in South Korea, so we can assume the LG G6 will be next.

Overall LG’s software has come a long way over the past few years and on the G6, the company has worked hard to optimize it in order to provide the smoothest possible experience. There’s very little bloat on board the phone and LG’s own apps do a great job at showing off the new 18:9 aspect ratio.

A while back LG announced a new Face Print (face unlock) feature will be landing on the LG G6 via a software update.

As for the Galaxy A8 (2018) runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat which is very disappointing for a phone launching now. And with Galaxy S8 owners still waiting for the stable Oreo release, we’ll have to assume it’s going to be a long while until the Galaxy A8 gets the update.

Pricing

The LG G6 is one of the cheapest flagships of this year. For example, you can pick up the phone from T-Mobile for just $500 outright, while the unlocked version (with 32GB) is $699.

The LG G6+ model with 128GB storage is available for Prime members on Amazon for only $449.99.

As for the Galaxy A8 (2018), we don’t know for sure how much it will end up costing, although rumor has it it’s going to launch for €499 / $590 in Europe. Samsung will probably share more details about the device and its availability at CES 2018.

There’s a new Trojan in town and it can overheat your smartphone

Alexandra Arici
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Last year’s Galaxy Note 7 disaster left a burning remembrance in our collective consciousness, which could soon be revived by a new Trojan that was recently identified by researchers at Kaspersky Labs.

According to the report, smartphones infected with the new Loapi Trojan (formerly known as the Trojan.AndroidOS.Loapi) are in danger of overheating thus threatening not only the handset, but users’ safety too.

But to be fair, the Trojan hasn’t really been designed to cause physical damage. Overheating is simply a byproduct of Loapi’s true purpose – mining for Monero tokens and hiking your smartphone to use in DDoS attacks against Web resources. You see, it’s because of the constant load caused by mining modules and generated traffic that the battery inside your phone will become smoking hot.

Infected smartphone

To make matters even worse, Loapi has some bad-ass survival skills. Once installed, it will ask you give it admin privileges. If denied, the Trojan will promptly lock the smartphone’s screen and close the settings window. And when disgruntled users try and install anti-virus app, Loapi will labels them as malware and demand you wipe them off your device. It sounds extremely annoying, doesn’t it?

Well, what are users supposed to do to protect their devices? The usual prevention recipes apply here. Don’t click on dubious ads or visit any shady websites. Oh, and yes, don’t download and install apps from unverified sources. Try and stick to the Play Store. Last but not least, it wouldn’t hurt to install a genuine antivirus app like Kaspersky’s own solution.

Liam Neeson’s voice now gives directions in Waze

Alexandra Arici
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Waze users in the US are being treated to a nice surprise this holiday season. Their favorite traffic and maps app just added the ability to have Liam Neeson’s voice guide you to your destination.

The Hollywood actor has starred in a wide variety of movies from the remarkable “Schindler’s List” to the popular Sci-Fi adventure “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”. But he’s probably best-known for the “Taken” series in which he plays a retired CIA operative trying to keep his family out of harm’s way.

The new voice addition in Waze is meant to promote the star’s latest movie aptly named “The Commuter” which is scheduled to be released on January 12 – you can check out the trailer below. The feature will be available for a limited time, as Liam Neeson will lend his voice to the Waze app only until January 14.

In order to take advantage of the new feature, Waze users in the US will need to fire up the app on their Android (or iOS) phone and go to Settings > Voice Directions and choose the Liam Neeson option (the last one).

Not a fan of mister Neeson? No worries, you still have other voice options to choose from including Jane, Amy, Nathan or …Boy Band.

Amazon Echo Spot now available for $129.99, won’t ship in time for Christmas

Alexandra Arici
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Introduced back in September, the Amazon Echo Spot – a tiny smart speaker with a circular 2.5-inch display – is finally available for purchase. Customers can now place an order for the Black or White version for $129.99 a pop on Amazon.

The mini speaker actually appeared on the Amazon website around Thanksgiving, but it officially launched this week. But even if you can order the Echo Spot today, you won’t be able to get it in time for Christmas.

Amazon notes the Black Echo Spot will be in stock come December 27, 2017, while the White Echo Show will become available at a later date, on January 5, 2018.

The Echo Spot is the latest intelligent speaker to join Amazon’s ever-expanding lineup of smart home devices. The product kind of looks like a little alarm clock with a circular display that can be used to make video calls. Like any self-respecting Echo device, it comes with Alexa on board and can control smart appliances around the house, stream music, place phone calls, order a pizza from Domino and much more.

The Echo Spot is the second speaker released by Amazon to come with a built-in display, following the Echo Show which made a debut back in May. The maxi Echo Show comes with a 7-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, and Dolby-powered speakers and is currently available for a discounted $149.99 (down from the usual $229.99).

AmpliFi’s new Teleport aims to warp you back home (review)

AndroidGuys
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Home networking has come a long way in recent history with the addition of things like mesh networks; Ubiquiti’s AmpliFi has been right at the forefront of that development. In the past, we have reviewed the AmpliFi Router as well as the Amplifi Mesh Point. The most recent expansion of the AmpliFi line is a crowd-funded device they have dubbed Teleport.

The Teleport connects you to your home network no matter where you are, as long as you have access to an internet connection. What does this do? It allows you to access any devices on your internal, home network as well as skirt some of those pesky regional settings for services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc. We will talk more about its advantages later.

Setup

The previous iterations of AmpliFi equipment have been minimal in their setup, well Teleport is no different. Step number one is to get your AmpliFi router set up. The review unit we were provided with came with a router but if you are already a follower and user of AmpliFi equipment then you can use your existing AmpliFi router, provided it is upgraded to the latest firmware

The next step is to synchronize the router and Teleport. This is done by first plugging in the teleport into a wall outlet. Once the light begins flashing in a circle connect to the Teleport’s default Wireless network with any wifi enabled device. Once connected, you will be asked to connect to a network, Connect the Teleport to the network that comes from your AmpliFi router. Once connected you will be asked to confirm the connection between the router and the Teleport (this will happen within the AmpliFi app so make sure you have it up on your phone).

The final step is to connect the teleport to a different wireless network (at a hotel, friends house, or wherever you may find yourself) and watch the connection to your home network appear before your eyes.

What does it all mean?

Put simply, the Teleport device is establishing a Point-to-Point connection from wherever you are to your home network. It is essentially the same tools that allow large corporations to have the same network across facilities in many states or even countries. The Teleport simply accomplishes this on a much smaller scale with less expensive hardware.

What does this mean for you? Technically speaking, you now have access to your entire home network. Anything you do on the internet will appear as though you are doing it from your home. Additionally, you will have access to any device or files that are on your local network (ie. security cameras, thermostats, network storage for videos or music).

Impressions

Being a self-proclaimed nerd, there have been many occasions where I have wanted an easy way to connect to my home network, to troubleshoot something for my wife while I was out of town, to access some local files on one of my computers, or just to get around those pesky site blockers at hotels — ughhhh, am I right?

There are, however, a few things that you need to keep in mind when using this device. Anything you do or stream from your home network is using your network’s upload speed. Many plans here in the US have much slower upload speeds than they do download speeds. This may affect the quality of your stream or interrupt something else that is happening on your network at the same time. It is also important to remember that the connection you are using for the Teleport needs to be fast enough to support what you are trying to accomplish.

My experience with the Teleport was an overall success. I was able to access devices on my local network and confirmed that the internet thought I was at home when using it. Pulling down images and streaming music off of my network storage was a breeze and played with no issues. I was even able to access the Hard Drive of my laptops at home and open any documents that were available there which could be nice for those who forgot to copy a document to their cloud drive before heading out to that meeting. Now, if we could just get AmpliFi to make use of that USB port in the back for network storage or network printing that would be awesome!

As of today, you can preorder your Teleport from the AmpliFi Store for $99 as a stand-alone unit or $229 for the router/Teleport combo.

5 surreal indie games to try out this Christmas holiday

Alexandra Arici
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Christmas is upon us and naturally we’re all quite excited about spending time relaxing with friends and family, but also pursuing some of our hobbies. With a few days available to enjoy as we please, gamers will probably be looking for the best titles to play this holiday.

But with so many games being available for Android, you might be faced with too many options. Well if you’re a fan of indie, surreal titles, below you’ll find some interesting titles we believe are worthy of your attention this Christmas:

Samorost 3

Created by Amanita Design –  maker of titles such as Machinarium and Botanicula, Samorost 3 is a wonderfully-designed point-and-click puzzle adventure game available for Android.

We can’t really describe the magic of the universe created by Amanita here, you’ll just have to try the game out yourself. Samorost 3 features a curious space gnome who uses his magic flute to explore the universe in search of its mysterious universe.

Being a point-and-click type of game, Samorost 3 might prove a bit frustrating to play on Android, not to mention you won’t be able to enjoy the full level of detail that went into creating these curious alien worlds. Fortunately, Amanita Design offers a PC version, as well.

But if you prefer to be lazy on the couch, then you should know Samorost 3 is available on Android for free as a demo. Unlocking the full game will cost you $4.99.

Sometimes You Die

While Samorost 3 taps into our fascination for the mythical and magical, Sometimes You Die has a more sinister story attached to it.

At first glance, the game seems to be a very standard platformer that requires gamers to get a cube through a series of hard-hitting arenas. But there’s a dark twist here: every time you die, you create another cube where the last one fell and this turns out to be the golden key to solving a lot of puzzles and situations throughout the game. Additionally, gameplay becomes even more haunting if you stop and ready the bits of cryptic / helping dialogue behind you.

Download Sometimes You Die for $1.79.

The Rivers of Alice

The Rivers of Alice is an intriguing indie game that features gorgeous graphics and a gripping soundtrack. Like Samorost 3, it immerses the player into a unique and surreal dream world which you must navigate in order to help Alice face her fears with the occasional help of a creature called Sloth. It’s a puzzle game, so you will be required to solve various puzzles and riddles to advance.

The Rivers of Alice is available for download from the Play Store for $1.99.

Fran Bow (Chapter 1-5)

Fran Bow is a creepy physiological horror adventure game which tells the story of a little girl named Fran who suffers from mental issues after witnessing the gruesome and mysterious loss of her parents she found dead at her home.

What’s more, Fran seems to possess paranormal capabilities, as she is able to see things hidden from the view of regular folk.

So if you like puzzles and peculiar hand-drawn 2D Art Style illustrations, this game is certainly for you.

A Fran Bow episode is available for download for $1.96.

Noir

If you’re not in the mood for anything too dark, you could try out Noir instead (ironic, isn’t it?). This is a platformer game based on a pretty simple idea: slide, stick and jump to escape the world! Sounds a bit existential? Maybe it does. Especially given the hazy graphics.

Enjoy the colorful universe with an uncanny twist, as you navigate over 90 levels. Oh, and unlike the other games in this list, Noir is free to download and play. Enjoy!

Instagram alpha program for Android users is now available

Alexandra Arici
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Want to try out the latest Instagram features ahead of everyone else? Then you’re in luck because the Facebook-owned app just opened up an alpha program for its Android app.

An Instagram employee – who was subsequently verified by a Reddit mod – started a thread inviting people to join the new alpha program. The post has since been deleted, which could mean that a lot of users already enrolled in the new program. However, if you like to be part of Instagram’s league of testers, you can still do so.

In order to be part of the alpha program, first join this Google Group. Then visit this link and join the Instagram testing program on the Play Store. It only takes one click, so it’s super easy.

But while the alpha program will let you play with new features before they are rolled out across the world, you might also have to deal with quite a handful of bugs. Fortunately, you can always leave the testing program and put memories of these bugs behind by reverting to the public version via the same Play Store link.

In related news, Instagram recently rolled out a series of new creative tools with which it hopes you’ll be enhancing your snaps this Christmas. You have new Super Zoom effects to play with as well as holiday-themed Face Filters, Stickers and Color filters.

Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus case leaks reveal release date

Dan Bartram
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As the build-up to the launch of the next Samsung device approaches, we’re given a glimpse of some exclusive renders showcasing the cases for the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus.

The renders show off an Olixar case for the upcoming devices that reveal some interesting leaks. From the images, we can see that Samsung has changed the placement of the fingerprint sensor ever so slightly to underneath the camera on the Galaxy S9. On the current Galaxy S8, the fingerprint sensor is to the right of the camera, which was a focal point of discussion due to its awkward placement. It seems Samsung listened and have lowered and centered the fingerprint sensor for the Galaxy S9.

The screen is also slightly bigger on the Galaxy S9 than on the current Galaxy S8 and is expected to be revealed in mid-February.

Obviously, case leaks take a punt at estimating the physicals of upcoming devices in order to be first to market but moving the fingerprint sensor makes sense and is something Samsung is expected to do if not able to embed it under the touchscreen itself.

You can find the new Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus cases by Olixar in a range of colors exclusively at Mobile Fun.

ZTE Axon 7 is getting Android 8.0 Oreo soon

Alexandra Arici
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The popular ZTE Axon 7 was released in 2016 with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box. But despite the phone reaching its end of life (it’s no longer manufactured), the Chinese company has decided it will update the phone to Android 8.0 Oreo in the near future.

Inspired by positive feedback from customers, ZTE announced on its official forums it has already started developing Android Oreo for the ZTE Axon 7. However, owners are urged to be patient, as the company needs more time to perfect it.

ZTE hasn’t provided an exact release date, but the official post title claims that “Android 8 is just around the corner”.

This is very good news for people who are still holding on to an Axon 7. But the bigger question is where is the Axon 8? A few months back, the company promised a successor for the Axon 7 was in the cards, but so far we haven’t heard anything else on the matter. Yet, it’s not like ZTE hasn’t been busy.

The Chinese device maker recently unveiled the bizarre dual-screen Axon M smartphone, which is focused on productivity. The handset is sold exclusively through AT&T for a pretty substantial price tag and in our opinion has little chance of matching the Axon 7’s popularity. So hopefully, the Axon 8 will come along at some point.

Buy the Razer Phone and get a Razer Leviathan Mini Bluetooth speaker for free (today only)

Alexandra Arici
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Interested in purchasing the first phone to boast a screen with a 120Hz refresh rate? Yes, it’s the Razer Phone we’re talking about.

The handset is pretty unique compared to other offerings on the market, so if you’re considering gifting it to one of your friend or even yourself, this might be the right time to buy it.

The Razer Phone comes with a pretty spicy $699.99 price tag, but if you’re willing to spend this amount, Razer will reward you with a freebie.

razer phone

US customers who purchase a Razer Phone today (December 19) will be awarded a Razer Leviathan Mini Bluetooth speaker free of charge. The device normally costs $179.99, although this holiday season, you’ll be able to get it for $99.99 (if you buy it individually).

In order to take advantage of the promotion, customers are required to use the promo code PHLVLUP at checkout.

The first true gamer phone was launched merely a few months ago with a 5.7-inch Sharp IGZO LCD display with 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and a Snapdragon 835 processor under the hood. The product ships out with 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, as well as a dual-camera setup on the back and a 4,000 mAh battery out of the box.

Unfortunately for customers who want to pair the Razer Phone with the official case for the phone, this accessory is now sold out. But you can still get the Razer Hammerhead USB-C earphones for $79.99.

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