Home Blog Page 952

V-MODA unveils REMIX, its first ever Bluetooth speaker

AndroidGuys
-
0

V-MODA, makers of high-end headphones and audio devices, today announced its first foray into the world of Bluetooth speakers. Called the REMIX, its a portable unit that comes in two premium finishes: minimal CNC aluminum and luxurious vegan leather.

After developing our critically acclaimed headphones, we felt it was time to evolve, to “remix” the V-MODA sound into a new form… why can’t a speaker achieve the same goals and excel at the same vision?

Looking right in line with other V-MODA products, the REMIX offers up a classy design that complements its capabilities. The speaker isn’t all that large, but it packs quite a punch in the feature department.

Internals include a glass-fiber diaphragm and long coil drivers, and a rear-mounted bass reflex port. At just over 20cm wide, the REMIX is touted for “monitoring duties during mobile recording and production”. Sounds like the real deal, right? Indeed, not only does the speaker promise an excellent experience on its own, but it also packs a secret tool.

Built-in Amp

The REMIX boasts an amplifier inside of it which further enhances the wired analog mode of your favorite cans. The 83mW x 2 amp wattage would push out a much more robust and powerful sound as compared to what you might get from a mobile device.

REMIX product specifications:

  • Dimensions (L x W x H) – 205x65x68 (mm)
  • Weight – 850g (Silver); 710g (Black)
  • Frequency Response – 20-20,000 Hz
  • Wireless Range – 10m (33ft)
  • Battery Capacity – 3400mAh (up to 10+ hours music playback)
  • Speaker Sensitivity – 79 dB ± 3dB at 1kHz
  • Microphone Sensitivity (Omni-directional) – -42 ± 3dB at 1kHz
  • Speaker Wattage – 10W x 2
  • Driver Impedance – 4 Ω
  • Built-In Amplifier Wattage – 83mW x 2
  • Built-In Amplifier Impedance – 12.8 Ω

Other standout features of the V-MODA REMIX include a 10 hour playback time, USB Type-C charging, and Amazon Alexa Echo Dot capabilities. Additionally, the built-in microphone works with Google Assistant, Siri, and Chromecast Audio. Should you have more than one of these in the house, the REMIX lets you chain them together for an even bigger sound.

And that’s not all

In addition to all of the aforementioned details, the REMIX also claims another first. As the world’s first 3D-printed custom speaker, it allows for all six sides to be personalized using jewelry-grade 3D printing. This will let owners add new sides, replace the main housing, or change the front grill.

The 3D printed stuff comes at a premium, of course, with a range of materials availableincluding matte fiber, stell, sterling silver, 14k gold-plated and rhodium, 14k gold, and even platinum. Prices run anywhere from $40 all the way up to $370,00!

The REMIX is now available in Black or Silver for $300.00 (USD), €300.00 (EUR) at V-MODA.com/REMIX as well as through authorized resellers.

Fossil bringing Android Wear 2.0 to all smartwatches on March 15th

Donovan Jeska
-
0

According to Business News, Fossil will begin bringing Android Wear 2.0 to all of its smartwatches (for those following at home, that’s the Q Founder, Q Wander, and Q Marshal) starting on March 15th. Unlike most of the other manufacturers out there, Fossil has committed to bringing the update to all of its watches – and earlier than most, to wit. Moto, for instance, Google’s premier partner for Android Wear, hasn’t committed a firm date to any of its watches, let alone all of them.

And Google, in its typical fashion, doesn’t actually have any plans to make it happen. We all love Google – Google has given us so much in life – but its policy of throwing ingredients out there for the peasants to make their own food at their leisure is much more annoying than, say, delivering gourmet meals to all of us individually.  Sure, that metaphor may be slightly mixed and mostly imperfect, but I think all of us wish Google would take a more active role in delivering updates to the masses.

But let that not detract from the fact that Fossil is delivering – on March 15th – to all of its smartwatches.

Android 7.1.2 might be released in two weeks

Matt Adams
-
0

The beta version of Android 7.1.2 was released near the end of January with some “bug fixes and optimizations, along with a small number of enhancements for carriers and users”. Is this the most interesting release in the world? No, but any progress is good and anytime you can squanch a bug it’s a good day.

Due to some sleuthing by our friends over at AndroidCentral, the date April 3 is starting to pop up as a potential release date for the newest Android update. Why April 3, you ask? Well, it’s actually due to some support documents from Rogers, a Canadian telecom.

Rogers has been testing the rollout of VoLTE on Android 7.1.2., not 7.1.1. We’re now getting word that Rogers expects to roll out an update to enable VoLTE (along with some security updates) on April 3. The latest update of 7.1.1 with the March security update doesn’t enable VoLTE so it looks like it will be included in a release of 7.1.2. when it goes live.

This requires some assumption on our part, but it does add up logically. I’m still hoping we see an out of the blue beta for Android 8.0 soon. It was around this time last year that Google released the Nougat beta, but we haven’t heard much on the 8.0 front yet.

Here’s to hoping.

You can now send money with the Gmail app on Android

Matt Adams
-
0

If you need to quickly send money to a friend, you have a few options. PayPal and Venmo have always been looked at as quick and easy ways to send money around, but Gmail is getting into the game too.

Once only a desktop feature, the Android app is now getting Google Wallet integration too. A buddy asks borrow $20? A friend pays for your movie ticket? Pull out your phone, open Gmail, start a new email, hit the attachment button, and click Send Money. It’s that easy. A Google Wallet popup will ask you how much you’re sending and off the payment goes. If you’re the friend receiving the payment you can even set it up to have payments directly sent to your bank account.

While it is awesome that the feature will work if your friend receiving the money doesn’t have a Gmail account, this feature is locked to the US right now (like so many others). Hopefully, we see a wider rollout soon. While this isn’t a revolution in online payments, it does give people another option and has the added advantage of being on almost every Android device out of the box.

If anyone wants to test out the feature by sending me some money in Gmail, let me know.

Best Buy outs pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

Matt Adams
-
0

We got our first look at the newest tablet entry from Samsung back at MWC 2017 last month. Much like every other Samsung product ever released in this space, we knew it was coming due to a ton of leaks (which were mostly right). The New Galaxy Tab S3 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 9.7″ AMOLED 2048 x 1536 display, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage and Samsung is pricing it as a competitor to the iPad Pro.

We now know that Samsung will match Apple’s $599 price-point for the 9.7″ iPad Pro due to the listing that popped up on Best Buy’s website today. While we know that the Galaxy Tab S3 will compete on price, what may give it the leg up is the included S-Pen. If you’re a Samsung Galaxy Note fan you’ll know all about the little Samsung stylus and the fun you can have with it. Apple also sells a style, the Apple Pencil, but it doesn’t come included with the iPad and will run you an extra one-hundred-freaking-dollars. I actually had to check a few different sources because I couldn’t believe how expensive a stylus from Apple is. Wow.

Anyway, back to the Galaxy Tab S3. Interest in Android tablets is waning, but Samsung seems to be going for the working class with the Tab S3. The stylus should be great for productivity and it will have a hand up in things like expandable storage and display technology (AMOLED vs. LCD). What we don’t know is how much the Galaxy Tab S3 with cellular connectivity will run and the release date. We’d imagine both of those details will pop up soon.

If Samsung is going to go after the Apple iPad Pro 9.7″ with the Galaxy Tab S3, we’re left to wonder where the Samsung Galaxy Note tablet lineup fits now. Will it die? Will it challenge the larger iPad Pro? We’ll have to see.

Sky Map (yes, that one!) is an oldie but a goodie (review)

AndroidGuys
-
0

Remember Sky Map? One of the ol’ standbys of the Android app world?

Of course you do!

Google Sky Map!——wait- No, not ‘Google Sky Map’, but just ‘Sky Map’.

“What do you mean, not Google?”, you ask? Well we’ll get to that in a moment. But for now I’d like to (re-)introduce you to one of the oldest, yet coolest, apps around: Sky Map.

What Is It?

Sky Map is just what it sounds like: it’s a free app (download here from the Play Store) that uses your phone or tablet to look deep into outer space, using your device’s compass, GPS, and/or gyro to locate multiple celestial entities in real time as you hold your device in a given direction.

It’s the original Augmented-Reality game.

Born in 2009 (eight years ago!) in the labs of one Google, Inc. out of Mountain View, CA, it is one of the increasingly rare apps to survive to today’s world.

Let’s think about that for a minute:

Sky Map is about the same age as this thing.
  • 2009 was the year Windows 7 was released, the year
  • Twitter became mainstream, and one year after the very first Android phone (that venerable HTC G1) was sold.
  • Heck, GPS was first born!

OK, so this app has staying power. Now, what about this “not-Google” thing? Everybody refers to this app as ‘Google Sky Map’.

But guess what: Google abandoned this app waaay back in 2012. Since then, it’s been released as open-source software, and has been maintained by a volunteer team of Google engineers. How cool is that? Heck, as of today, I even thought it was still ‘Google Sky Map’. So I’ve learned something today, and should just go to bed now.

App Experience

All that said, the app is pretty straightforward, while still looking and feeling rather fresh. Upon opening the app (after downloading from the Play Store, of course), you breeze through the title screen and are immediately taken right into the app itself (you will be asked for a couple of permissions if you’re on Marshmallow or later, but nothing too snoopy).

You hold your device up in front of you, and the app uses your GPS, compass, and gyro to display the current layout of the heavens before you on your display. The app keeps the display current to your location and time of year, so if you look, say, to the northwest sky on March 6, it will look different in June, then in September, and so on. At night seems to be the natural time to try this app, but it works just as well during the daytime.

Layer settings along the bottom.

The app gives you several levels of adjustment, staring with the overlay of what you can see in the sky. You can toggle on and off the following layers (including their labels):

  • Stars
  • Constellations
  • Galaxies
  • Planets
  • Meteor Showers
  • Horizon line

Looking around the sky with all the layers on, there is a ton of information and items to digest on-screen. The kiddos love looking for the moon, planets, and popular constellations; in that order. The app is extremely responsive as you move around the sky, in elevation, rotation, and vertically. There is also what I call a ‘night mode’, that turns all the colors to simple blank and red, to relieve eye strain.
While you can hold our device in any orientation you choose, I find keeping it in landscape is both most comfortable, and gives the feeling of looking through a pair of AR goggles to see the night sky.

There’s also a settings menu, with some basic location adjustments. Also in this menu, you can select ‘Gallery’ that offers up some nice renderings of interesting objects in the sky.
Another rather neat feature is what’s called “Time Travel” this lets you choose a date and time of day to let you peer into the sky at that time.

Conclusion

Even with being as, well, vintage as it is, Sky Map is still a credibly cool app to have on your device. It’s been a day-1 staple on all my phones going back to my first Android (Galaxy S1, people).

My kiddos and I still pull it up when the conversation steers space stuff, and it always keeps us occupied for way longer than it probably should….we always find something new or interesting in the sky. Even looking down brings good space-related dialogue I, and how the other side of our planet sees things.

I highly recommend you give this a whirl on your device. I’d say you should hurry, but this app may outlive us all, so when it’s convenient should be fine. 🙂

Download from the Play Store here.

Visit the website here.

 

 

LG Stylo3 lands at Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile for $179.99

Alexandra Arici
-
0

It might have flown under the radar, but LG unveiled the LG Stylo3 at CES 2017. The smartphone is affordable phablet with a smart pen attached. However, it will certainly not make you forget about the premium Galaxy Note7.

With this mind, we proceed to announce that the LG Stylo3 has just landed with Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. The phone is available today for $179.99 (plus tax) a pop.

In case you don’t remember, we’ll remind you the LG Stylo3 comes with a 5.7-inch display with 1280 x 720 resolution. It features an octa-core MediaTek MT6750 chipset clocked at 1.5GHz in combination with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (microSD card slot for memory expansion up to 2TB).

The phone also features a 13MP/5MP camera duo plus a 3,200 mAh battery (removable) to keep the lights on. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat, as any self-respecting phone launched in 2017.

LG says the accompanying stylus has been enhanced compared to the LG Stylo2. The fiber tip on the pen is now thinner allowing for more accurate/precise brushes. The accessory reacts intuitively to changes in tilting and is smart enough to detect when your palm is resting – so it won’t misinterpret it as an unintended screen touch.

So if you are looking for an affordable phone with a spacious screen and you wouldn’t mind having a pen too, the LG Stylo3 might just be for you. You can pair the phone up with Boost Mobile’s or Virgin Mobile’s plans.

Boost Mobile offers 2GB of LTE data for $30/month with Auto-Re-Boost. Customers who want more can add 1GB of 4G LTE for $5/month or 2GB or 4G LTE for $10 month. There’s also an Unlimited plan available which will cost interested parties $50/for one line and $30/month for a second line.

With the occasion of the LG Stylo3’s launch, Virgin Mobile is taking the opportunity to announce the DATA LOVE and DATA LOVE+ – two unlimited plans for customers who like to stay connected.

The DATA LOVE bundle is available for $35/month and offers 5GB of LTE, while the DATA LOVE+ costs $45/month and gets you 10GB of LTE.

Tag Heuer and Intel made a super expensive Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch

Alexandra Arici
-
0

As was anticipated, iconic Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer unveiled its first Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch in partnership with Intel.

If you have money to spend then you’re probably going to love Tag Heuer’s new Connected Modular 45 intelligent timepiece which comes with a 1.39-inch AMOLED touchscreen display.

The wrist bound wearable rocks a titanium body covered in 2.5 Sapphire cover glass and takes advantage of an Intel Atom Z34XX processor under the bonnet. The all-metal watch supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC. It also has 4GB of onboard memory and water resistance up to 5ATM (up to 50 meters).

The Connected Modular 45 can be used independently of an Android smartphone and works with Google Assistant. Interestingly enough there’s talk of Intel developing a virtual assistant of its own, which might eventually make it onboard of the smartwatch. The watch also takes advantage of Tap-to-Pay.

Tag Heuer and Intel say the watch features a battery that can deliver a battery life of more than a day.

The new connected watch is a Carrera Model measuring 45mm in diameter. It’s made of satin or polished grade 5 titanium or plated with 18K 5N rose gold, or in black ceramic with or without diamonds.

The new smartwatch will be released 56 different versions. 11 styles will be offered in retail locations while the additional 45 versions will be offered upon request. Tag Heuer says 30 different watch dial options will be available at launch.

For the choice of strap alone, Tag Heuer offers 18 modes available including models made of rubber, natural leather, titanium, ceramic or anthracite grey leather.

However, you need to know that the new Connected Modular 45 won’t come cheap. The wearable’s price will start at $1,600 and up – depending on which version you opt for.

The Connected Modular 45 is actually “modular” as the name suggests. Customers will be able to swap out the smartwatch’s head and replace it with a mechanical one like the Tag Heuer 02T Tourbillon Chronograph or a Calibre 5.

This is certainly not a watch aimed at the masses. While it seems very unlikely that the average Joe will pay $349 for a smartwatch like the LG Watch Sport, it’s even more outlandish to assume that people will rush to purchase a $1,600 wearable.

The new Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45 is most likely at collectors, lovers of Swiss craftsmanship and people who have money to spend on expensive pieces of gadgetry. Will the new arrival deter customers from purchasing the Apple Watch? Probably not, but it’s certainly a stylish alternative to take into consideration for watch snobs.

Samsung promises monthly security updates for unlocked Galaxy phones in the US

Alexandra Arici
-
0

Once upon a time there was the Stagefright. Identified back in 2015, the vulnerability in Google’s Android operating system allowed hackers to access the system without owners being aware of it.

In the wake of the discovery, big shot companies like Google, Samsung or Motorola solemnly promised to deliver monthly security updates, in order to keep the devices safe from harm. But we all know that at least in Samsung’s case that didn’t happen.

Why unlocked phones are cool

We should note that Samsung has released security updates including the Android 7.0 Nougat updates for its Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint versions. However, the unlocked units seem to have been forgotten.

The situation so bad that ZDNET editor, Jason Cipriani send out an email to Samsung inquiring about the company’s strategy related to the unlocked Galaxy S7/Galaxy S7 edge updates in the US. He mentions his S7 edge is currently the December security patch.

Samsung’s response didn’t take long to arrive and it brings back hope for unlocked Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge owners here in the States.

“Due to various circumstances, we have been releasing security updates for unlocked (open) Galaxy devices in the U.S. on a quarterly basis. However, we have now resolved the challenges; and we are committed to releasing security updates for those devices on a monthly basis.”

The email also mentions a March security update will be making it out to unlocked Galaxy S7 and S7 edge units in the US soon enough, although details of what it will include (hopefully it’s going to be Nougat) are not shared.

With just two weeks to go before the Galaxy S8 launch, this is certainly good news. However, Samsung pledged to roll out monthly security updates before and didn’t, so you’ll have to excuse us for being a little skeptical.

This bizarre iPhone case is actually an Android 7.0 Nougat handset

Alexandra Arici
-
1

Kickstarter is a place that hosts a lot of weird projects and ideas, but the one we’re going to be talking up next probably takes the crown.

The battle between iOS and Android has been going on forever, but the Eye aims to show iOS users that Android isn’t half bad by strapping an Android phone on the back of your iPhone.

The Eye is actually a smartphone case that adds a secondary Android 7.0 Nougat phone to the iOS device with which it shares things like speakers, cameras and microphone.

The additional phone comes packing a 5-inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 1920-pixel resolution and takes advantage of an octa-core Helio P20 chipset under the hood that works in concert with 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage that is expandable to 256GB via microSD cardslot. It also has NFC onboard.

Here’s my Android, I mean my iPhone…

The Eye relies on a 2,800 mAh battery is available in two sizes: one compatible with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 7 and another designed to play nice to the iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus or iPhone 7 Plus.

We should also note that when the iPhone is in use the battery inside the Eye won’t be used and vice-versa.

Why would you want an Android phone on the back of your iPhone you might ask? If we’d have to assume, the answer would be for diversity’s sake.  Or just because it’s nice to have a weird piece of technology around to show your friends?

Anyway, if the Eye sounds interesting to you, you can go ahead and make a pledge on Kickstarter right now. For $129 you will be able to get an Eye case with 4G connectivity which is due to ship out in September.

While the Eye has reached its funding goal, the project remains open. If the Eye manages to raise $500,000 the creators will add a 10,000 mAh battery to the rooster. At $3 million, the Eye might get IP67 certification and at $6 million it will offer a dual boot option with Ubuntu.

Windows 10 Mobile will be thrown into the mix at $15 million. It’s quite an ambitious goal for a really outlandish device, but we’ll have to see how the community feels about the project.

So what do you think? Would you strap an Android phone to your iPhone?

1...951952953...1,314Page 952 of 1,314