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Linux Launcher brings CLI to your Android Smartphone

Dan Bartram
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Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) aren’t for everyone and if you fall into this category then you might like the new Linux Launcher to bring CLI to your device.

Linux Launcher is an unusual app that will bring a command line interface to your device for those who like that kind of thing, or if you just want people to stop messing around with your phone.

Don’t Miss: Some users experiencing a broken Bixby button on the Galaxy S8

Most Android users are used to seeing a row of icons and widgets on the homescreen but Linux Launcher will replace this with a command line interface just like you’d find in an Operating System like Linux.

It supports the Android commands as well as a number of shortcuts that can be customized to perform quick actions.

Here are some of the commands that work with the launcher:

  • uninstall [app]
  • sms [contact] [text]
  • call [contact]
  • calc [expression]
  • search [google, playstore, youtube, files]
  • wifi
  • flash
  • share [file]
  • mv / cp [file] [dest]

Linux Launcher might not be for everyone and you might just want to use it to mess with your friends, but it’s worth checking out. You can grab Linux Launcher here.

iFrogz Summit Wireless earphones review

AndroidGuys
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The Summit Wireless are an affordable pair of Bluetooth wireless earbuds that promise 10 hours of battery life and a rugged, sweat-resistant design. Priced approximately $35, they’re positioned as the sort of headphones you’d want for running or working out.

The Summit Wireless feature three different sizes of ear tips as well as two sizes of wing adjustment pieces. In other words, you’ve got a wide variety of fits to ensure the earbuds sit comfortably in the ear and don’t fall out when moving about.

The iFrogz peg the headphones with “up to 10 hours battery life” but that is based on five hours of playback at average levels and five hours of standby time. We found that we could get to the five hours of play with no real problems, but they would not have another five hours of standby. After a few times, we found them dying after five hours of listening and around 2-3 hours of standby.

There’s something a little wonky about the standby in general; ours seemed to lose a fair amount of charge if we let them sit for a few days. After a week of not using them, instead of getting the normal amount of playback, we ended up with roughly half of that.

The iFrogz earphones were built well and seem to hold up to moderate wear and tear. Toss them in a bag, throw them on the counter, or stuff them in your pocket; you can be more that a little bit rough with them. The same goes for sweat and perspiration. The Summit Wireless showed no signs of breaking down and performance never suffered.

The battery is found away from the earbuds and is also where you’ll find the controls for taking calls and managing music. Buttons are somewhat limited, but you do have the ability to adjust volume as well as pause and resume playback.

There’s also a clip on the back of the battery and control unit. This lets you fasten the earphones to your shirt sleeve or collar. Do note that there’s not a ton of slack here. It doesn’t allow for much range so don’t put it too far from your ears. On the other hand, it never dangles or gets in your way when bending over or running at a decent stride.

Given the Summit Wireless’s $35 price tag, we didn’t expect too much for sound quality. The 8mm drivers put out an acceptable volume level, but the overall experience left much to be desired.

You won’t find too much range so don’t pick these up if you plan on really diving into your music. But, if you’re running or working out, you likely aren’t paying close attention to the sound. Pretty much everything we tried music-wise ended up sounding very average. The highs and treble didn’t differentiate itself from the bass and low end. It’s almost as if the audio was smooshed together.

If you’re in the market for headphones that sound great, you’ll spend at least twice what these cost. What you’re getting here is convenience, portability, and resistance to sweat.

The iFrogz Summit Wireless are affordable and well built; however, they’re definitely not music-first. If you’re generally rough on your earphones, you’ll like that these can withstand moderate abuse. Moreover, the Earbud Tips for Life limited lifetime warranty gives you free replacements of earbud tips should they get worn or damaged.

Pick up a pair of the Summit Wireless earphones for about $35 from iFrogz; several online retailers offer them for about the same price, if not a few bucks cheaper. Amazon was selling them for $31.99 at the time of publication of this review.

Carezone will help keep your medical info on-track (review)

AndroidGuys
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If you are a person who has multiple medications and/or supplements to deal with on a regular basis, you know that managing doses, refills, and prescription appointment cycles can be a real hassle. And sometimes you can get into a rut where you consistently miss on these, causing potentially real effects on your body.

Enter CareZone, a free app downloadable on the Google Play Store (link here). CareZone is a utility app designed to help you organize your medical life; everything from medication dosing, to appointments, to emergency contacts, and important documents.

The appeal of CareZone is the all-inclusiveness of the app. This isn’t just a medication reminder tool. CareZone has the ability to tie together all aspects of you medical life. Let’s take a quick tour to see everything it can do!

Setup

Now when I say “has the ability”, please read that there is some front-loaded effort required by you the user to get the app truly to the point where it can be of the most use.
The first step is simple enough: download the free app from the Play Store. Then the small amount of work begins. CareZone will ask you to fill out several pages of information; as stated earlier, the more info you put in the more useful the app becomes.

You are given the opportunity to fill out several areas of you medical life, including current medications and supplements (you can also scan photos of the bottles into the app), physician’s contact info, emergency contact info, and health documents (insurance card, driver’s license). You can also add your appointments into the built-in calendar, vitals metrics (such as blood glucose and blood pressure), and to-do lists.

Once you have all this info input, you can then also share you info with family members and close friends, so they can help as much as possible in the event you aren’t able to access it for any reason.

The medication scanning tool is particularly useful, as it asks that you take 4 consecutive photos of each medication vessel (1 per side, presumably). This ensures you have all the information needed by a doctor or pharmacist. I can see someone going to the Pharmacy, only to realize they didn’t have all the needed information to get their question answered. This could help avoid those embarrassing and time-consuming scenarios.

App Use

Using the app itself is very simple. Actually, one of the biggest draws I see to it is that in addition to tracking the medical info on yourself, you can also input and track the medical information of another person, presumably a family member or friend who may have difficulty in maintaining this themselves. This allows a several advantages:

  1. All info is in one place; no more post-it notes strewn everywhere as new info is gleaned.
  2. Their schedule can be in one place and maintained, but without cluttering up your personal or base schedule already on your phone/tablet.
  3. The information is completely shareable with your loved one, so they don’t have to feel like they’ve lost control.

There is one area where the app can be a bit intrusive, and that is in the way of ads for you to use their medication ordering and delivery service. While it may be a darn good service, it does seem like you trip over these integral adds (not pop-ups or splash pages) more often than you’d like, if you’re not interested in this service.

Conclusion

That said, CareZone is a clean, well-designed application, that allows individuals and/or their loved ones to curate an essential medical file for use when dealing with care professionals or emergency staff. It will take a nominal amount of upkeep, but the benefits make CareZone a recommended app for those who can benefit from its mission.

For more information, visit the CareZone website.

Google Maps now shows you where you parked your car

Alexandra Arici
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Remember that Seinfeld episode when Jerry and his crew get lost in a shopping mall’s parking lot trying to find where they left their car? Most of us have been in the situation of not remembering where we parked, but now Google comes to our aid.

The search giant is rolling a new feature in Google Maps which will help drivers identify the location of their car. The new option is available for both Android and iOS users, but can be access in different ways.

In Android, car owners need to tap the blue dot that shows their location on the map and then tap on the “Save your parking”. Once the saving is successful, a label will appear on the map showing the location of their vehicle.

Taping on the label opens up a parking card that can be populated with more info about the parking spot. Back to our Seinfeld example, you can add info like “level 3, spot 35” if you parked in a shopping mall’s multi-floor parking lot. What’s more drivers can add a reminder alert or even an image of the parking spot.

To make it even more simple, if you connect to your car via USB audio or Bluetooth, the parking spot will automatically be added to the map when the phone is disconnected and the user exits the vehicle.

The feature is currently available for use, provided you have updated Google Maps to the latest version.

 

What’s the difference: ZTE Blade Max 3 vs ZTE Blade V8 Pro

Alexandra Arici
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Dual cameras on smartphones are becoming the standard this year, not only in flagships like the LG G6 but also in middle-range devices. Back at CES 2017, ZTE unveiled the Blade V8 Pro – a handset destined for customers who wanted a dual camera phone on the cheap.

Well yesterday, ZTE unveiled another dual-camera phone, the Blade Max 3 which will be sold by US Cellular in the country. Apart from the similarities in the photography department, the two phones bear a sameness in the spec department as well. So in what follows, we’ll discover the differences between the two, in an attempt to help you differentiate between the two models.

Display

6-inch with fullHD resolution vs 5.5-inch fullHD resolution

367ppi vs 401ppi

Customers looking for a phablet-sized phone will probably prefer the 6-inch display of the new ZTE Blade Max 3. By contrast, the ZTE Blade V8 Pro has a smaller – albeit big enough by most standards – 5.5-inch screen. Both models enjoy fullHD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels).

Note that the ZTE Blade Max 3 has three navigation on-screen buttons, while the ZTE Blade V8 Pro features a physical home button, which also doubles as a fingerprint scanner. The Blade Max 3’s fingerprint sensor is located on the back.

Computing power

Snapdragon 625 vs Snapdragon 625

!? RAM vs 3GB of RAM

16GB vs 32GB of internal storage

When it comes to processing power, both phones take advantage of the Snapdragon 625 SoC which is an octa-core affair made up of eight Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.0GHz and Adreno 506 GPU.

US Cellular does not specify how much RAM is onboard of the new ZTE Blade Max 3, but we suspect the phone bundles at least 2GB. The ZTE Blade V8 Pro brings forth 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, while the phablet only takes advantage of 16GB out of the box.

Luckily, the Blade Max 3 has a microSD card slot which allows for memory expansion up to 128GB. But so does the ZTE Blade V8 Pro – actually the phone uses a SIM 2 slot which houses microSD card slot which allows for memory increase up to 256GB.

Cameras

Dual 13MP+13MP vs 13MP+13MP

5MP vs 8MP

The dual camera setup on both phones appears to be similar. The ZTE Blade Max 3’s main camera consists of a 13-megapixel sensor with PDAF (phase detection autofocus) plus a 13-megapixel mono sensor. As for the ZTE Blade V8 Pro, it offers a main camera pretty much along the same lines.

As for selfies, the ZTE Blade V8 Pro boasts an improved 8-megapixel self-portrait snapper, while the Blade Max 3 only has 5-megapixel one.

Software

Android 6.0 Marshmallow vs Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Despite launching only a few days ago, the ZTE Blade Max 3 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, just like the ZTE Blade V8 Pro which was announced five months ago. We don’t know whether either models will get Android 7.0 Nougat further down the line, but we certainly hope this will be the case. Last month, the ZTE Blade V8 Pro received its first software update, but Android 7.0 Nougat wasn’t included. Disappointing!

Battery

4,000 mAh vs 3,140 mAh battery

Given that the ZTE Blade Max 3 has a larger 6-inch display, it’s natural the phone boasts a larger 4,000 mAh battery (of the non-removable sort), while the ZTE Blade V8 Pro takes advantage of only a 3,140 mAh battery.

Value

$199 vs $229

The new ZTE Blade Max 3 is available from US Cellular for $199 a pop. Customers can also grab it for $12.5/month for the next 24 months. We should also note that the phone comes with a DAC (digital-to-analog convertor) for high quality audio – something with audiophiles will certainly appreciate.

The ZTE Blade V8 Pro on the other hand costs $229. At this point it seems the Blade V8 Pro offers more RAM and standard storage option than the Blade Max 3, which justifies the price increase.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7R coming in June with hefty $620 price tag

Alexandra Arici
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Samsung will soon be betting on customers’ fondness for the ill-fated Galaxy Note7 – which succumbed to its fatal burns last year – with the launch of refurbished version of the phablet.

According to a report coming out of ETNews, the Korean tech giant is gearing up to launch the Note 7R (R for refurbished) in its home country sometime in late June. The publication also revealed the alleged price for which the phone will go on sale – approximately $620, down from the original $875 in the country. This difference translates to a 29% price-drop.

Remember me, folks?

Samsung is quite brazen to price the device so high ($30 more gets you a Pixel), as the fiery history of the Note7 might still keep a lot of customers from coming anywhere near the refurbished device, let alone pay 600 bucks on it. However, the causes for concern have been eliminated, as the Note 7R comes with a lower battery capacity. The original Note7 shipped out with a 3,500 mAh juice pack, but the new version will get a 3,000 mAh or 3,200 mAh – if the Gods allow it.

Samsung is obviously trying to recuperate some of its losses, while also striving to salvage still functional components from recalled Note7 units. But the big question is, will customers be willing to take a substantial sum out of their pockets to buy a refurbished phablet? One that has a dark past attached to it? With the Galaxy Note8 in the pipeline, we really don’t see that happening. Unless owning a controversial device is what makes you happy.

 

OnePlus 5 renders tease main dual-camera setup

Alexandra Arici
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With the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6 launch behind us, what is the next flagship to look forward to? The OnePlus 5 should make an appearance sometime this summer and according to the leaks we have seen so far, it’s going to be quite an impressive product.

We’ve already heard the OnePlus 5 will bring about an improved main camera and according to some industry sources the phone should pack a main 23-megapixel snapper. But according to a few new renders coming to us via India Today Tech, it looks like the Chinese company will follow one of this year’s predominant smartphone trends and will implement a dual-camera setup onboard of the OnePlus 5.

The renders were obtained by the publication from persons with knowledge of the device and who have probably even worked with it. Naturally we’re talking about prototype units and not the finished product, but given that the OnePlus 5 should in theory make it out into the world this summer, we tend to believe not much will change.

As you can see in the pictures, the main notable difference is the addition of a dual-camera setup on the back of the phone. What’s more, OnePlus seems to have removed the fingerprint scanner from the back, which suggests that maybe the company is going to implement some innovative, new authentication solution, especially since the phone does not have a physical home button. We handset could have the fingerprint sensor embedded beneath the display, but we’re only speculating.

OnePlus 5 concept

OnePlus’ next-gen flagship will probably come equipped with a 5.5-inch display (with unknown resolution but probably QHD) and a Snapdragon 835 processor under the hood. The product will most likely carry 6GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.

As for the design, the OnePlus 5 smiling back at us from the renders doesn’t appear to bring something new to the table, except the antenna lines present on the OnePlus 3T are now missing from the back.

The sources of these renders say the design is not yet 100% final, so some aspects might change ahead of the phone’s launch that could happen as soon as June.

Verizon intros new prepaid unlimited data plan for $80/month

Alexandra Arici
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Despite its known aversion of limited data plan, Verizon seems to be fully embracing the concept in 2017. Back in February, the nation’s largest carrier introduced Verizon Unlimited – a plan which offers smartphone and tablets unlimited talk, text, LTE data and 10GB of tethering data for $80 per month.

Now Verizon is expanding its unlimited offer with a new unlimited plan for its prepaid customers. The bundle includes unlimited data, text and talk across the US for $80/month. Users will also get unlimited text to more than 200 international destinations, and unlimited talk to Mexico and Canada. And given that this is a pre-paid plan, there are no long-term contract involved.

As usual, the deal comes with some restrictions like video streaming being limited to 480p. Another notable issue with this plan is that it doesn’t include tethering or mobile hotspot features. Big Red also says it may throttle prepaid users, but it did not share any info about a data cap.

The new plan comes to complete Verizon’s list of already existing 2GB, 5GB and 10GB data plans, as well as the carrier’s $30 basic phone plan with unlimited text and talk. Verizon now boasts it’s offering a plan for each and every customer who doesn’t want to be tied down by a long-term contract.

Sprint’s Unlimited Freedom plan now awards the 5th line for free

Alexandra Arici
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This week Sprint has updated its Unlimited Freedom plan with a limited time offer. New customers who are looking to active four lines via the carrier’s unlimited plan, will be able to get the fifth line for free.

In case you don’t remember, Sprint’s Unlimited Plan awards users unlimited data, talk and text plus 1080p streaming and 10GB of mobile hotspot data per month. By contrast T-Mobile customers have to pay extra for 1080p video streaming and the mobile hotspot option, the carrier notes.

To make things even clearer, this is what you’ll get with Sprint’s new Unlimited Freedom promo. Note that the subscriber is required to sign up with AutoPay, which adds $5 of savings every month:

  • Unlimited Data, Talk and Text for $50/month for the first line
  • Two lines for $40/line
  • Four lines for $30/line
  • Fifth line is for free
  • Grand total of five lines is $120

The deal is available until June 30, 2018. After this date, pricing will be updated as follows:

  • Unlimited Data, Talk and Text for $60/month for the first line
  • Line two for $40/line
  • Lines three through five for $30/line
  • Grand total of five lines is $190

Interested in jumping onboard with an Unlimited Plan with one of the carriers in the country? You can check out our detailed article about the major four options you have at your disposal.

Some users experiencing a broken Bixby button on the Galaxy S8

Dan Bartram
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Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 and S8+ with Bixby front and center, but some users are reporting that the dedicated Bixby button included on the devices has started becoming temperamental.

Bixby is Samsung’s new virtual AI assistant aimed at allowing a user to completely control the actions that would otherwise be done with a touch input with your voice. Currently, Bixby is neither using AI or much good at being an assistant, with much of the functionality disabled due to it not being ready for launch. However, the hardware button dedicated to launching Bixby remains fully functional.

In light of the reduced functionality of Bixby, developers took to finding a way to remap the button to launch Google Assistant instead, and succeeded, only for Samsung to push an update to the S8 and S8+ rendering the method useless. Now it seems that some users who employed this workaround method are reporting that pushing the Bixby button only succeeds in launching the Samsung assistant on occasion.

Of those users affected, it seems a single press yields less of a success rate than double pressing the button and also incurs less lag.

It could be that the update Samsung pushed to users to address the remapping of the Bixby button has somehow interfered with the method used to implement the workaround rather than it being a genuine hardware failure of the Bixby button itself. With that said, there is always the possibility.

If you’re experiencing issues launching Bixby via the dedicated button on the Galaxy S8 or S8+, you should try and factory reset your device to see if it fixes the issue. Drop us a comment below and let us know if you’re seeing a similar issue with the Bixby button and if a reset resolved it for you.

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