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Google Assistant might be coming to Chromebooks

Alexandra Arici
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Virtual assistants are everywhere – most of them live on your phone, but some reside inside your home-connected speaker, your wearables, and even your fridge.

Now it appears laptops might be next in line to get virtual assistant support. ChromeUnboxed reports that Google is working on a new Chromebook product dubbed “Eve” which will supposedly come with a with the Google Assistant onboard.

The latest “Eve” code commits reveals the Chromebook will take advantage of an extra key that’s being referred to as the “Assistant key”.

Pixel 2 Chromebook

At this point, it’s quite unclear how this function is going to be implemented. Unearthed evidence suggests that users will be able to summon the Google Assistant either by using the Assistant key or a keyboard shortcut, but also by virtue of a voice command.

The same blog unearthed details about “Eve” in the past. Older information suggests the Chromebook will be a convertible boasting a touchscreen display with 2,400 x 1,600 resolution with 3:2 aspect ratio, backlit keyboard, and stylus. The laptop is also expected to also integrate a fingerprint sensor, improved trackpad, and an Intel Kaby Lake processor.

While the “Eve” is shaping up to be a flagship product (it’s been a while since the last Pixel Chromebook) it’s still unclear whether Google (or an OEM partner) is actually working on it.

Details about a Chromebook codenamed “Kevin” that Google was developing in partnership with Samsung leaked out last year in similar fashion. So it’s quite possible we might get to see a Google Assistant-infused Chromebook make an appearance on the market soon enough.

Samsung Note7 Fandom Edition reportedly launching on July 7

Alexandra Arici
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Rumors that Samsung was looking to launch a refurbished Galaxy Note7 edition have been floating around the web for some time.

A few release dates were thrown around at some point, but so far the device failed to materialize. Now a report coming out of the Wall Street Journal reveals the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 dubbed Fandom Edition or FE will make a debut on the South Korean market on July 7.

WSJ also notes the new phablets were made from refurbished parts and will include a smaller 3,200 mAh battery.

Remember me?

We’re told Samsung plans to ship 400,000 Galaxy Note7 FE units, but at this point, it’s unclear whether these phones will be offered in other markets as well.

Last year, Samsung was the subject of a huge scandal which involved its latest (at the time) flagship product, the Galaxy Note7 catching on fire. The Korean tech giant was forced to recall around 3 million units while ceasing production of the phablet altogether.

But according to the WSJ report, in a few days the Galaxy Note7 will be making a comeback – with a hefty price tag of approximately $616 attached.

Pricing aside, with the Galaxy Note8’s announcement being just a few months away, we have to ask: does releasing the Note7 FE even make sense anymore?

Mobvoi’s first Ticwatch with Android Wear coming to Kickstarter this summer

Alexandra Arici
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When it comes to smartwatches, the Apple Watch, Samsung’s Gear S lineup and Google’s host of Android Wear devices dominate the market in the United States. But outside its borders, smartwatch makers are popping out like mushrooms after the rain.

A good example of such smartwatch manufacturers is Mobvoi with its Ticwatch 2 product which was successfully funded on Kickstarter. The watch offered plenty of features, as well as great aesthetic quality – and to top it all an affordable price tag of only $199.

Ticwatch E

So far Mobvoi’s smartwatch lineup relied on the custom Ticwear OS, including the international Ticwatch 2. But good news, this summer the company plans to release two new series of smartwatches, the Ticwatch S and Ticwatch E – both of which are going to be powered by Android Wear. The watches will land on Kickstarter soon. Here’s what Mobvoi revealed in an official email:

“This summer, we are proud to present you Ticwatch S•E, our new watch series that represents the whole team’s efforts, as well as responses to your valuable feedbacks.

Powered by Android Wear™, Ticwatch S & Ticwatch E series comes with all the essential hardware design tailored for a sporty active style.

The best of all, you can bring one beautiful new piece home with less than $100 through our Kickstarter SUPER EARLY BIRD SPECIAL. The specific launch date and time of the Ticwatch S & E Kickstarter campaign, as well as more exploding details on the product and the price,  will be revealed in the coming emails.”

Ticwatch S

The two collections have already been listed on Mobvoi’s official website, but they are listed as running Ticwear OS. Even so, the global versions should come with Android Wear out of the box. According to the listed specs, the watches take advantage of OLED displays, MediaTek 2601 SoCs, NFC (so hopefully Android Pay is going to be onboard the models slated for Kickstarter), GPS and IP67 certification.

According to a recent place release, (at least) the Ticwatch S will also be able to accommodate SIM cards in order to allow users to use their watch to call, use data services and receive notifications, even as their smartphone is out of reach.

So what do you think? Would you be interested in funding Mobvoi’s first Android Wear smartwatches?

Google News now boasts a new, cleaner look with emphasis on Fact Checking

Alexandra Arici
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How long has it been since you visited the desktop site for Google News? Well, this might be the perfect time to do so, as Google has just rolled out a major overhaul of the site, focused on increased accessibility and cutting down on clutter.

As you can see the new Google News layout consists of a user-configurable sidebar, a list of Story Cards – which display quick info tidbits at a glance –  and extra information including weather reports and commonly-searched keywords.

The Cards also allow readers the opportunity to gain more insight on the topic by offering quick access to Related Coverage. Clicking on the “Full coverage” option in a Story Card will bring up the full story.

At the top of the page, you’ll see a new navigation bar with sections for Headlines, Local, For You – a tool which personalizes your news feed based on your particular set of interests – and US-related topics.

Google also included a new Fact Check option – so far available only for US readers –  in the sidebar, which makes it easier to judge the reliability of a story. The algorithm for selecting videos has also been improved, as well as the built-in player.

If you’re curious to see how the new Google News looks like, you can go ahead and check the website right now, as the changes have already been implemented.

New renders show off what the Galaxy Note 8 will look like with dual cameras

AG Deals Team
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As we get deeper into the Summer, we are learning more and more about Samsung’s 2nd 2017 flagship, the Galaxy Note 8. We’ve seen a few spec leaks and renders here and there, but thanks to @OnLeaks and 91Mobiles, we now have an all-new set of renders.

These renders portray a slightly different picture than what we have seen recently, regarding two major aspects. Previous renders have shown a dual-camera setup which is placed vertically, while this new render shows the camera sensors to be placed horizontally.

Additionally, there have been a lot of rumors and murmurs that the Note 8 would be the first to feature an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. However, more recent reports suggest that Samsung’s not ready to release the technology as of yet, leaving users with a fingerprint scanner placed to the right of the camera module.

As for other pieces of information these renders confirm, it seems that the Note 8 will pack a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED display, with at least a 2K resolution. USB Type-C will lead the charge (literally) for the 3,300mAh battery, with the 3.5mm headphone jack placed to the left. On the right, we find a microphone, speaker, and the traditional S Pen slot.

Other spec rumors suggest that we’ll see the unannounced Snapdragon 836 at the helm in the US, with the Exynos 8895 powering the global variant. Samsung is also likely to up its game in the memory department, as the device has been tipped to include 6GB of RAM

If you want to see everything we know so far about the Galaxy Note 8, check out the full breakdown here.

Cover your whole house with WiFi with these signal extenders

Matt Adams
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One of the most frustrating things in the world is taking a few steps forward and losing your WiFi signal. In one spot, you’re completely fine and in the next, no bars. There’s a room in my house that when the door is open, perfectly fine signal. Close that regular old hollow wood door and you get nothing!

To fix this, you have a couple of options. First and most expensive, you can set up a true Mesh network. Our JD Snyder recently took a look at Ubiquiti’s Mesh system and came away impressed. If you don’t want to completely scrap the hardware you currently have, you can pick up a WiFi Repeater or Extender for pretty cheap.

Our friends over at LightInTheBox are running a special right now on a couple of repeaters that we think you should take a look at.

The first repeater is on sale for only $10 right now. It has the option to work either as a wireless repeater or in Wireless AP mode with an Ethernet cable attached to it. It supports 802.11 a/g/b/n and has a two-year warranty. It also comes with both US and EU plugs so it’s ideal to take with you on trips across the pond.

The second repeater is also on sale for about $10 right now and supports speeds up to 300Mbps. It supports Wireless-N and runs on the 2.4 GHz network to get through walls and obstructions easily. It also supports WPA2, WPA and WEP security protocols and has a software wizard for easy setup.

This is Sponsored Content and as such may not reflect the views of AndroidGuys.com.

Gretel’s $50 A7 adds Sexy Red and Sunny Blue to the lineup of colors (Promoted)

Matt Adams
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Have you heard of the Gretel A7? Well, not many have so don’t feel too bad. But, Gretel has quietly been producing some really interesting devices. The A7 is a $50 budget device that the right specs to make it an option in 2017. Today, Gretel announced that it’s adding two new colors to the lineup, bringing the total number up to seven.

Before today, you could pick up the Gretel A7 in Black, White, Silver, Orange, or Yellow. Now you have the option to pick it up in “Sexy Red” or “Sunny Blue” as well.

Here’s how the specs shake out for the Gretel A7:

  • Display: 4.7″, 1280 x 720, IPS LCD
  • Processor: MediaTek MT6580A
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Storage: 16GB
  • Camera: 8MP main camera, 2MP front-facing camera
  • Battery: 2000mAh
  • Dimensions: 5.49 x 2.63 x 0.37 in
  • Weight: 127g
  • Operating System: Android Marshmallow

As you can see, the Gretel A7 is by far not a spec monster in 2017, but when you consider it only costs about $50, it offers some functionality at a basement price. It should be more than enough of a phone to get on Facebook and Instagram, take some pictures, and do some Snapchatting. Sounds like the perfect device for your child’s first smartphone or an elderly family member’s first upgrade from that flip phone.

Gretel has focused on durability since we know how clumsy teens and the elderly can be. You can watch in the video below as a Gretel A7 goes up against a Porsche Cayenne in a durability test. Pretty crazy stuff!

If you’re interested in picking up a Gretel A7, head over to AliExpress and pick one up today. We’ve been told that the two new colors, Sexy Red and Sunny Blue will ship on July 3.

This is Sponsored Content and as such may not reflect the views of AndroidGuys.com.

Android Studio 3.0: Seven latest features which Android app developers can’t afford to miss

Guest Blogger
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In today’s era, mobile technology is ruling everyone’s life and mobile apps have become the prime necessity of people. Most of them prefer Android platform mobiles as there are large number of great and innovative Android apps built at the most affordable pricing.

Android Studio has always been a preferred IDE for Android app developer community as it provides certain tools that help build Android apps on every Android device with less development time. Recently, Google announced the latest version of Android Studio-3.0 with a vast number of features in it. The best mobile app development companies across the globe keep track of these version updates to stay ahead of competitors. The latest version of Android Studio-3.0 is strongly integrated with the Android Development Platform. It accelerates the flow of app development and provides enhanced tools for building creative Android apps to Android app developers.

Let’s have a look at some of the stunning new features of Android Studio-3.0

Introduction of Android Profiler

In the version of Android Studio-3.0, includes an interesting new window design known as Android Profiler. With the help of this, the developer will be able to get real-time data of the apps. In this the Android Developer can get the benefit of three different timelines such as CPU Profiler, Network Profiler, and Memory Profiler. Hence, any of the windows can be clicked to get the complete details.

Support for Kotlin Language

At present Kotlin is the fastest growing programming language. All the mobile app developers had been demanding for this – and at last the (Integrated Development Environment) IDE has extended support for this new programming language Kotlin. Now the developers can use the inbuilt conversion tool in Android Studio-3.0 and add Kotlin code into their existing Android app. This tool will also help to convert the Java file to Kotlin file.

Support for Java 8 Language

In Android Studio-3.0, here the developers can update the project and convert it into the new Java 8 language tool chain support. They will need to modify the source and target compatibilities to 1.8 in the project structure dialogue.

Updated IntelliJ platform

Android Studio 3.0 has updated the edition of the IntelliJ platform to 2017.1.2. It consists of a variety of features like semantic highlighting, draggable breakpoints, Java 8 language refactoring, and inclusion of parameter hints and much more.

Instant Apps Support

The IDE has come up with enhanced new version to support the latest mobile technology. Now it is possible to make instant apps using Android Studio 3.0. There are basically two modules included in it so that the developers can build instant apps without any effort. The two modules you will find it in the “New Module Wizard” they are App Links Assistant and the second is Modularized Refactoring Action. In near future we are likely to see people using Android smartwatch to do everyday tasks by using Android Instant apps.

Enhanced Building Times

In this edition of Android Studio 3.0 has mainly focused on enhancing the speed of app projects including various modules. This version has come up with breaking API changes to the Android Gradle plugin. This Gradle plugin has helped to significantly bump up the building timings. Here the Android Studio 3.0 has tried to be the faster IDE.

Improved APK Debugging

With the help of this latest Android Studio 3.0, it is possible to debug an arbitrary APK. You need to link the sources to the APK debugging flow. Hence, this will make the debugging process high-fidelity and help Android coders while profiling, analyzing and for debugging too.

Conclusion

This latest version of Android Studio-3.0 has given a great prospect for Android mobile app developers by contributing these much-needed features. The above listed features will help Android app developers build Android apps that are fast, efficient and bug-free.

Author Bio: Jennifer Warren is a content maven associated with Goodfirms.co, a USA-based research and review platform for app and web development companies, helping them establish. She has more than 3 years of experience in extensive project research and is associated with many websites. She is mainly focused on finding more ways to embed technology into daily life, making it more resourceful.

Amazon adds the Nokia 6, Moto E4 to its lineup of Prime Exclusive Phones

Alexandra Arici
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You’re probably familiar with Amazon’s line of Prime Exclusive Phones which awards Prime members big discounts on select phones. Well, today’s Amazon updated the portfolio to include a few new additions.

The most notable one is the Nokia 6 – which was introduced back at MWC 2017 in late February. Initially, the phone will be available only through Amazon in the US with a $179.99 price-tag for Prime members.

Amazon is also taking the opportunity to announce a trio of Alcatel phones and the new Moto E4 as part of its discounted Prime member-friendly tribe. You can see what each of them brings to the table below:

Nokia 6

Price: $179.99 (regularly $229.99)

•    5.5-inch fullHD IPS laminated display
•    Snapdragon 430 SoC
•    3GB of RAM
•    32GB of internal storage (microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 128GB)
•    16-megapixel main camera with PDAF / 8-megapixel selfie snapper
•    Fingerprint sensor embedded in home button
•    Dual Dolby Atmos speakers
•    Android 7.1 Nougat
•    3,000 mAh battery for up to 18 hours of talk time
•    Matte Black/Copper
•    Compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile networks

Alcatel IDOL 5S

Price: $199.99 (regularly $279.99)

•    5.5-inch fullHD display with 2.5D curved glass design
•    Snapdragon 625
•    3GB of RAM
•    32GB of internal storage (microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 512GB)
•    12-megapixel main camera with dual-tone flash / 8-megapixel selfie snapper
•    Fingerprint sensor
•    3.6-watt front-facing speakers plus VR launcher
•    Android 7.1 Nougat
•    2620mAh battery for up to 16 hours of talk time
•    Compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile networks (compatibility with Sprint, Verizon networks will become available this summer via software update)

Alcatel A50

Price: $99.99 (regularly $149.99)

•    5.2-inch HD display
•    Quad-core processor (?)
•    2GB of RAM
•    16GB of internal storage (microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 128GB)
•    13-megapixel main camera with dual-tone flash, f/2.0 / 5-megapixel selfie snapper with LED flash
•    Android 7.0 Nougat
•    2,800 mAh battery for up to 13 hours of talk time
•    Compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile networks
•    Bundled with LightUp SNAPBAK LED cover it costs $129.99

Alcatel A30 Plus

Price: $79.99 (regularly $129.99)

•    5.5-inch HD display
•    2GB of RAM
•    16GB of internal storage (microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 32GB)
•    13-megapixel with image stabilization / 5-megapixel selfie snapper with LED flash
•    Android 7.0 Nougat
•    3,000 mAh battery for up to 12 hours of talk time
•    Compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile networks (compatibility with Verizon will arrive this summer via software update)

Moto E4

Price: $99.99 (regularly $129.99)

  • 5-inch HD display
  • Snapdragon 427
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB of internal storage (microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 128 GB)
  • 8-megapixel with autofocus / 5-megapixel selfie snapper with flash
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • Android 7.0 Nougat
  • 2,800 mAh battery for up to 12 hours of talk time
  • Unlocked for all major carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint

When will these devices be available? You can place a pre-order for any of them starting today. The Moto E4 will begin shipping to customers on June 30, while the Nokia 6 and Alcatel phones will start going out on July 10.

Virgin Mobile says it will continue to support its Android user base

Alexandra Arici
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Last week, Sprint-owned Virgin Mobile announced it will stop selling Android smartphones and will instead be offering only iPhones, as well as a new iPhone-exclusive unlimited plan dubbed the “Inner Circle”.

But while the news was greeted with enthusiasm by some, Android phone owners under the carrier were understandably starting to get worried. In a statement today, Virgin Mobile apologized for the confusion and pledged to continue to offer Android users both service and upgrades for the foreseeable future.

Bye-bye, Android!

The carrier also revealed that device upgrades for Android customers will be available through mid-2018. But what happens after that?

Virgin Mobile aims to redirect its Android users to its sister company, Boost Mobile which still offers an extensive portfolio of Android phones. The carrier says that later this year, it will provide its Android user base with a hassle-free way of switching to Boost Mobile – if they so desire.

Welcome to Boost!

Customers will be able to keep their current plan/phone or switch to any current Boost Mobile and plan/phone. It’s going to be up to them.

With the latest announcement, Virgin Mobile has shown that while it’s serious about making an exclusive commitment to Apple, it’s not completely pulling the rug underneath Android users.

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