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Why VPN services are becoming increasingly popular

AndroidGuys
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Face it, the internet has become a necessity for every individual. The world wide web has drastically changed over the span of a few years and now nearly everyone is going online. It only takes having a handheld device and a super-fast internet connection to start exploring the world at your fingertips. You can check your emails, interact with friends over social networking sites, or talk to your close ones via video chats in real time.

People share a lot of private data on the internet, hence they require a service that can completely secure the privacy of their sensitive data. This is where a VPN service comes in.

A virtual private network or a VPN encrypts the data which is shared over the internet and keeps it private. The VPN service builds a secure tunnel between your electronic device – mobile/tablet/desktop and your internet connection, keeping you anonymous on the internet so that nobody can monitor your online activity.

People have started using VPN service because they would not want their online activity to be monitored. With online hackers lurking over the internet all the time, it is important to secure your internet connection and keep your data safe.

Let’s have a look at some of the reasons why a VPN service is becoming increasingly popular among users.

Stay Anonymous on the Internet

With the help of a VPN service, you will be able to browse the internet anonymously. A VPN service hides your IP address, thus protecting you from prying eyes and website administrators. Others will only be able to see the address of the VPN server that your device is connected to but won’t be able to monitor your online activity.

High Level of Security

A VPN service provides a high level of security to the information that you share online. The VPN connection encrypts your data and makes it completely secure. You can easily conduct your online transactions and share sensitive information on the internet without having to worry about any online hacker attack.

Access Blocked Content

It must frustrate you a lot when you’re not able to watch your favorite TV show or a movie on Netflix. Or perhaps listen to free music on Pandora. A VPN service makes everything possible for you. VPNs are considered great for accessing blocked content on the internet. It can easily bypass the internet filters and geographical restrictions and make you access anything on the internet. You can access the Netflix library or listen to free music on Pandora from any location if you have installed a VPN service on your device.

Better Internet Performance

If you wish to have a better internet experience or better connectivity,then you should consider using a VPN service. It enhances the bandwidth and the efficiency of the internet connection once it is implemented.

Easy Data Sharing

Some of the VPN services also allow users to share data or information more easily and quickly among themselves, play internet games, or perform any other activity. It makes the data sharing process easier and faster.

Cost Reduction

A VPN service would not be expensive for you because its maintenance cost is very low. Moreover, once you opt for a VPN service, the entire network set up as well as the surveillance does not remain a concern anymore.

A VPN service offers a lot of other benefits to the users and makes their online experience safe and secure. There is a reason why VPNs are becoming popular day by day. They not only provide online protection but also enhance your connectivity. You can either subscribe to a VPN service provider or install a VPN server by yourself. The choice is completely yours.

OnePlus 3T might soon get a Chrome color version

Alexandra Arici
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Bummed out that you weren’t able to grab the OnePlus 3T in Midnight Black? The Chinese company offered the model for a mere second and in limited quantities, so it’s no wonder not many customers managed to get one. Well you shouldn’t be sad, as new color option for the OnePlus 3T has appeared on the horizon. And you might like this one even more.

Remember how Sony launched a Xperia Z5 Premium version in Chrome at MWC 2017? Well a few images showcasing the OnePlus 3T with a Chromium, shiny back have popped online recently. We don’t have an official indication that the product is actually real, but given OnePlus is often unpredictable, it might as well be.

OnePlus currently sells the OnePlus 3T with Gunmetal Gray and Soft Gold paint jobs, but soon a third coloring option might become available.

In case it escapes your memory, the OnePlus 3T comes boasting a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution and a Snapdragon 821 processor under the hood. There’s 6GG of RAM onboard and a 16MP/16MP camera combo, which means the phone can snap some great selfies. The OnePlus 3T has a 3,400 mAh battery with fast charging capabilities and can be upgraded to Android 7.0 Nougat.

Motorola Moto Z2 logo leaks out

Alexandra Arici
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The second-generation Moto Z already popped into the rumor mill a few weeks ago, and this week popular leakster @evleaks has revealed the upcoming phone’s logo. According to the Evan Blass, Motorola is not going to call this year’s Moto Z, the Moto Z (2017) or anything like that. It’s simply going to release it as the Moto Z2.

The current Moto Z family is made up of the standard Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play. All these phones are compatible with Motorola’s lineup of Moto Mod accessories which add extra functionality to the device. We expect the second-gen Moto Z2 to bring its own Moto Mods to the table, as well being compatible with older ones.

An alleged photograph depicting what we now know will be called the Moto Z2, popped up online in recent weeks. Judging by the image, It’s quite possible this year Motorola will drop the square home button, in favor of one that looks Moto G5-esque.

We don’t know much about the new Moto Z2 at this point, but thanks to a Geekbench listing which revealed an upcoming Motorola high-end smartphone, we can tell you the next-gen Moto Z might come packing a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM and Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. The Moto Z was launched in June 2016 and if Motorola continues on the same pattern, the Moto Z2 might arrive in a few months. And quite possibly with Android 7.1.2 Nougat onboard.

Twitter Lite launches to help users save up on data

Alexandra Arici
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Back in 2015, Facebook launched Facebook Lite, a variation of the app designed to deliver a faster experience on slower mobile networks and not so advanced Android mobile phones. Well Twitter is following Facebook’s footsteps and today announced Twitter Lite – a stripped down version of its flagship service, optimized for slow 2G networks.

Twitter notes that “45% of mobile connections are still on lower 2G networks”, so the company has taken the necessary steps to design a Twitter variant that weighs less and moves faste even on outdated devices. According to the company’s product manager, Patrick Traughber, Twitter Lite will be 30% faster and will also include quicker navigation.

Twitter Lite is a progressive web app (PWA) so it works more like a mobile website, rather than a mobile app. So you won’t have to download it on your phone via the Google Play Store.

The new app weighs only 1MB and will supposedly consume 40% less data through the data saver mode that when activated, considerably reduces data consumption. The company is releasing the new app as a solution for developing nations in Asia, India, Latin America and Africa where mobile data continues to be quite expensive.

While the app takes up a minimal amount of space on your device, users will still be able to view their timeline, tweet, send and receive messages, upload images, view profiles and notifications and a lot more.

You can use Twitter Lite though the Google Chrome browser on your device. When you do that, Twitter will provide you with a host of push notifications to let you know what’s happening on your feed. What’s more, in case signal is really bad, offline support can be activated.

Surely Twitter Lite might also come in handy to folks in developed countries who want to be able to use Twitter even when the signal is not so great. For example, while being away from the city, in a remote city.

Twitter has been struggling to gain new users and the company believes emerging markets such as India might be the key to expanding its user database. As Twitter Product VP Keith Coleman told Reuters:

“We didn’t feel like we were reaching these other countries well enough and this will allow us to do it faster, cheaper and with better experience than we’ve had before.”

Starting today, Twitter Lite is available globally via the mobile.twitter.com website on your smartphone and tablet. So go ahead, see what’s happening in the world right now!

Top publishing services for presenting PDF content

Guest Blogger
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You may have lots of useful information about your brand, just waiting to be shared with potential customers. The problem is that if this content is all in the form of PDF files, sharing is not easy to do. The good news is that you easily convert a PDF into a glossy online brochure or magazine that you can share on your website and across social media.

All you need to do is find a means of publishing the content in flipbook format, so that web users can flip through the pages, just like they would a hard copy publication; except that the action is electronic rather than physical. It’s worth taking a look at sites such as nmhytg.com for more information about flipbook options. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the publishing options you may want to consider.

Uniflip

This is a self-service publishing option that enables you to create items such as catalogues, flyers and brochures from your PDF content. Once the flipbook is created you can just copy the web link and post it to your web page or any of your social media pages.

You have the choice of whether you want your flipbooks to be hosted by Uniflip or on another web domain. It’s also worth noting that there are plenty of customisation options available.

Instant Flipbook

Using Instant Flipbook could not be easier. You simply have to upload a PDF to the software and then click once to start the conversion process. The conversion takes just minutes and once it’s completed you have a professional looking, glossy flipbook that you can use.
One of the best things about Instant Flipbook is that you only pay once; when you complete the conversion. You then have complete ownership of the flipbook you have created and can host it on your company’s website if you choose to.

Flipping Book

If you want to use your brand when creating your Flipbook, you can with Flipping Book software. You can also choose to have your flipbook hosted by Flipping Book. If you want to know how your publications are performing you can use the analytics to keep check.

The process is simple and you end up with a publication that looks professional and catches the eye. People are far more likely to pay attention to your content if you present it in an attractive manner. They can simply flip through the pages of your magazine or brochure, and browse through the content, similar to the way they would with a print publication.

Hopefully, you can see how easy it is to publish your PDF content in a way that engages the reader. If you use flipbook publications to provide information, and supporting images and videos, you stand a good chance of keeping people interested. All you need to do is decide which publishing solution to choose.

AT&T adds free HBO to its Unlimited Plus data plan

Alexandra Arici
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AT&T recently revealed it plans to offer a new perk for new and old subscribers of it Unlimited Plus data plan. Starting April 6 –  which is today – AT&T video subscribers and wireless-only customers that also signed up with the plan, will have access to free HBO wireless streaming.

It doesn’t matter whether a customer is subscribed to one of AT&T own video services like DirecTV Now or DirecTV or U-verse, the HBO freebie will still be available. What about those AT&T subscribers who are already paying for a HBO subscription? The carrier will remove the extra charges from the bill going forward.

FCC AT&TBut wait that’s not all. AT&T is also throwing in extra $25 video credit for DirecTV Now, DirecTV or U-verse. The offer will continue to be available, as long as the customers remains on AT&T’s Unlimited Plus data plan.

The deal comes as AT&T is preparing to purchase HBO’s parent company, Time Warner for the sum of $85 billion. So we should expect to see the carrier offer more HBO promotions soon enough.

AT&T’s Unlimited Plus data plan also includes unlimited data, talk and text, 10GB of Wi-Fi tethering per smartphone and the option to connected an additional tablet or another device. After 22GB of data usage per line, AT&T says to expect lower speeds. And with free HBO onboard, AT&T hopes more and more customers will be swayed to jump onboard with this deal.

Veckle’s Type-C cables are absolute gems among USB cords (Review)

Donovan Jeska
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If you’ve never heard of Veckle it’s a sub-brand of iOrange, producer of many different mobile accessories from cables to cases to car mounts. Veckle specifically markets toward automotive accessories, but in my opinion, these cables are actually really impressive for anyone – not just for those on the go.

What immediately caught my eye with Veckle’s cables is the weight – it’s definitely much heavier than the standard Type-C cable that ships with the Nexus 6P. The second thing that I noticed is that the braided nylon exterior feels so, so much better than the cheap plastic of the stock cable. It hangs well and doesn’t re-coil itself, laying nicely and not dragging your phone around. At 2m (6.6′) in length, I found it to be much more freeing than other cables, and the length never seemed cumbersome – a credit to its build quality. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the cable, though is that the ends of the cable – where the connectors meet the nylon – is reinforced by metal springs that prevent the ends from bending too severely.

Let’s talk specs. According to Veckle’s website – and the graphic above – these cables sport aluminum and copper insulation, a data transfer speed of up to 480Mbps, and a maximum amperage of 2.4A – which means it technically won’t deliver the same charging speed as the Nexus 6P’s stock cable, though it should be noted that in my practical experience, I didn’t notice much of a difference. There’s also a reinforced strand in cable that enhances durability – which probably explains the weight (I’m not sure if “Military Bulletproof Fiber” means “Kevlar” or not, but I’d have to assume it does). For what it’s worth, I’ve been using the Veckle cable since it came in and my stock 6P’s cable is languishing in my nightstand drawer with the rum, earbuds and other forgotten chargers.

Veckle cables are available from Amazon – the C-C Cable will run you $13.99, and the A-C cable is $9.99.

How YouTube TV could revolutionize television

AndroidGuys
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YouTube TV has now officially launched in select markets with more to follow in the near future–and it may just change the entire media landscape. With a strong foundation in media content creation and delivery, YouTube is set to shake up the way we look at TV. While I have yet to try YouTube TV for myself, I do know that YouTube currently employs specific technologies that I expect to remain in place when YouTube TV launches.

Technology First

YouTube became popular because of the technology that powers it. Years ago, YouTube was a pioneering service that some people never knew they wanted. Early on, billionaires were afraid to invest YouTube because they didn’t believe that the service could be lucrative, but Google had the foresight to offer a video service that could be unique as well as profitable. The technologies that are available within the giant video service will give YouTube TV some distinctive advantages over its competitors.

circuitry banner

  • 4K: YouTube has more 4K content than any other provider. Period. The people and companies that use YouTube to share videos have latched onto the 4K craze more than any major cable or media company has even thought to. 4K gaming, 4K movies, and 4K sports are infiltrating the homes of people with 4K capable television and most of it is provided by YouTube. The first 4K content I ever witnessed was on YouTube and I expect YouTube TV to offer a wide variety of 4K video.
  • 60fps: High frame-rate video content is a topic of great debate. Classic videophiles and film buffs will swear off films that are recorded at high frame-rates or artificially enhanced to run at 120/240/480hz. But younger viewers and sports enthusiasts find high framerate video to be a blessing in certain situations and media types.

    The younger YouTube generation consumes most of its video content online instead of on a traditional television broadcast. Because of this, these younger viewers are used to watching content that’s often times recorded at 60 frames per second. One of the most popular uses of YouTube for the younger generation is watching other people play video games online, which really benefits from high frame rates in most games.

  • Unlimited Cloud DVR: Most cable companies and satellite video companies now provide at least one DVR set-top box with most services. A lot of people that have used DVRs over the past decade have found great benefit in having a simple to use box that can record multiple television programs to be watched later. But what if you had a DVR that never ran out of space, could be accessed by any connected device, and did not need to be plugged in and connected at home? YouTube TV’s DVR service promises just that.
  • Wireless 5G: Although YouTube is not directly responsible for developing and delivering 5G services, it will greatly benefit from and help promote this new network technology. 5G services are set to arrive in about a dozen cities in 2017. 5G connected devices will have the capability of connecting at 20Gbps downstream and 10Gbps upstream. This is beyond enough throughput to stream high-resolution video and audio to a connected smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Let’s just hope major carriers allow us to keep our unlimited plans.
  • VR/3D: Virtual Reality has been around for quite some time, but is finally starting to gain some steam with Gear VR, Vive, PSVR and Google Cardboard allowing for a wide array of delivery systems. YouTube has made a few steps towards joining the fray by offering VR/3D/360 degree videos for content creators that want to share those types of videos. Many tech insiders and investors are counting on virtual reality to make a big splash in the entertainment and education industries. With YouTube, Alphabet has a direct line to offering virtual reality experiences inside YouTube TV, if they so choose.

Package Options

YouTube TV is set to start at $35 a month. YouTube is promising ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC & will have AMC, BBC America, IFC, Sundance TV, WE tv, and more in the near future. If this advertised price remains as more content is added, this would make YouTube TV very appealing when compared to something like SlingTV, especially with the inclusion of YouTube Red. Sling currently offers 50 channels for $40 a month. This is a fair price considering most viewers can find something to watch inside what’s being offered, but where Sling is lacking is with local broadcasting and the availability of higher frame-rate content and unique programming–at least for now.

abc cbs nbc fox
While details haven’t been revealed quite yet, it will be interesting to see how YouTube TV handles local affiliates

YouTube TV has not announced options for varying packages but has offered a few other details. One of the most appealing being that up to six different accounts can be tied to your YouTube TV subscription. Having the capability to share one account within a family amongst six different users is a great advantage for YouTube TV.

Competition

YouTube TV will be directly competing with traditional satellite and cable companies. While checking Comcast’s website I quickly discovered there are multiple pricing schemes and multiple package offerings. This confusion has led many people to ditch cable and look for other offerings like Netflix and Hulu.

Cable and satellite promotions, bundles, and timed offers have become a huge sore spot in the cable and satellite world. Many customers want TV only and don’t want to bundle more to get fair pricing. My previous experience working for a large communications company has taught me that people want to choose things individually and to avoid price surprises in the future.

AT&T recently acquired DirecTV because both companies saw the benefits of offering data services that could be paired with media properties and access. Currently, AT&T has unlimited data plans that can be paired with television service bundles through DirecTV. I found it to be a great exercise in patience and understanding while reading through AT&T’s bundling options and pricing. Sometimes simplicity is key.

youtube tv couch
Will users use YouTube TV in the living room or stick to computers and mobile devices to watch videos?

The Future

If YouTube TV can offer a great service that’s simple and easy to understand, it may quickly become the best option for existing and future cord cutters and more importantly new customers that have never had cable or satellite services before.

If you have children, like I do, you’ve probably noticed many of them turn to YouTube for their entertainment and edutainment needs. My son is a frequent user of YouTube and my daughter has just started to delve into DIY projects, makeup tutorials, cartoons, science videos and general humor productions–all of which can be found on YouTube. Many children go to YouTube first, before any other service when looking for entertaining video content.

YouTube could benefit greatly if it continues to meld its video content offerings with unique creations and traditional television broadcasts. Moving forward, if YouTube wants to continue to expand its customer base while offering content for multiple demographics, it behooves the company to expand services with things like YouTube TV.

I am very excited to see what type of impact YouTube TV can make on the media market and if YouTube can draw in users from different demographics. Can YouTube TV become the main place to watch all, or even most programming, or will it have a hard time branching out from its roots in new and unique streaming video?

What we know so far: Moto X (2017) edition

Alexandra Arici
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Motorola unveiled the budget Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus at MWC 2017, but it appears the company is looking to introduce another affordable handset later this year. Remember how the Moto X used to be Motorola’s flagship product, until the Moto Z line came along?

While many believed Motorola had abandoned the Moto X for good, it turns out the company has plans to bring back the model this year – but as a middle-range product.

Curious of what the Moto X (2017) might bring to the table in 2017? We have complied every rumor and leak into one comprehensive post, so that you can be up to date with what we know about the new phone so far.

Design

  • Metal body
  • Fingerprint scanner embedded in home button

Based on what we have seen so far, the Moto X (2017) will feature a design language very similar to the Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus. It hasn’t specifically been mentioned in leaks, but we tend to believe the Moto X (2017) will feature a sleek metal body with a physical home button very reminiscent of the one we’ve seen the Moto G5 bring along.

Display

  • Unknown display size possibly 5.5-inch
  • Unknown resolution
Previously leaked Moto X front panel

For the time being, we don’t know much about the upcoming Moto X (2017)’s display. However, we can speculate, that given the fact that the Moto G5 comes with a 5-inch display and the Moto G5 Plus has a 5.2-inch screen, Motorola might want to offer the new phone with a differentiating form factor. And given that older Moto X devices were larger phones, maybe the new Moto X will come boasting a 5.5-inch display (or larger). We expect the screen to boast at least 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution.

Internals

  • Snapdragon 625
  • 3GB/4GB of RAM
  • 32GB/64GB of internal storage

Like the Moto G5 Plus, the Moto X (2017) is tipped to arrive with a Snapdragon 625 processor. The SoC is a middle-range octa-core affair consisting of eight Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz.

The device will be offered in two variants, the most advanced one coming with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage onboard, which is what the new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ also bring to the table. There’s no mention of a microSD card so far, but given that the M5 Plus has one, we tend to believe that the new Moto X will also carry one.

Cameras

  • Main dual camera

How does Motorola plan to differentiate the new Moto X from the Moto G5 Plus, you might be wondering at this point? Well, by the look of things the Moto X will be the first Moto to bring forth a main dual camera setup.

One of the sensors onboard is going to be of 13MP variety, but at the moment we can’t tell you whether the second one will be of the same capacity or not. As for the selfie camera, we expect at least a 5MP snapper, although an 8MP one would be nice.

Other features

  • Google Assistant
  • 5 mm headphone jack
  • Android 7.1.2 Nougat out of the box or maybe even Android O
  • No Moto Mods

Like the Moto G5 Plus, the Moto X (2017) will take advantage of a Google Assistant. While Google promised that all phones running Android 6.0 Marshmallow+ will eventually get its Assistant-treatment, mostly premium devices have seen the AI-driven companion arrive. The Moto X (2017) will expand the availability of the Assistant to more middle-range devices.

We don’t know when Motorola plans to launch the new phone, but if the new Moto X ends up going official sooner rather than later it will probably come equipped with Android 7.1.2. If the rollout will happen later in 2017, chances are the phone might see the light of day with Android O onboard.

It might come as a disappointment to some, but given that the Moto X (2017) appears to have a slightly curved back panel, it doesn’t seem it will be compatible with Moto Mods.

There’s more information to be revealed about the new Moto X including battery capacity, but don’t worry, we will keep you posted.

By the way, Motorola might have inadvertently leaked the Moto X (2017) yesterday in a video celebrating 44 years of mobile communication business. The dual camera on the back is not exactly visible due to blur, but we’re pretty sure this is the new phone. Take a look below:

You can now join the Honor Beta Program, if you’re in the US

Alexandra Arici
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Huawei’s sub-brand Honor just announced the advent of the Honor Beta program in the US. The company is offering a few devices for sale in the States including the Honor 8 and Honor 6X, so with this program Honor hopes to solidify its relationship with followers of the brand.

Honor aims to become one of the best provider of unlocked handsets in the country and the Honor Beta program will certainly help it achieve this goal. Everyone is welcome to apply to join the Beta Program – you’ll just have to be a resident of the United States.

What’s it in for you if you join? Well Honor Beta Testers offers users the opportunity to trial pre-released hardware and software in exchange for their honest feedback. So as part of the Honor Beta initiative, you could be among the first to try out Android O for available Honor models or the any upcoming Honor products destined for the US market.

The Honor 8 is one of the best affordable smartphones on the market and here at Android Guys we really loved to review it. The phone arrives with a 5.2-inch display with 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution and a Kirin 950 chipset under the hood. The SoC works in concert with 4GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.

On the imaging front, the phone takes advantage of a 12MP main camera with f/2.2, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash and an 8MP selfie snapper. The device is upgradable to Android 7.0 Nougat and Honor surely plans to push other future updates to the phone.

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