Google Maps provides users the ability to add addresses and save them. Having your home and work addresses on Google Maps makes it easy to get commute estimates, traffic alerts, weather updates and even see pictures and information about places nearby.
Adding a Home address
Let’s begin by adding a “Home” address.
In Google Maps, click on Menu, located in the upper-left hand corner of your screen. See Figure 1.
Fig. 1
Once the menu opens, click on “Your Places.” See Figure 2.
Fig. 2
You now have the option to enter your Home and Work addresses. Click on “Home” and enter your address. See Figure 3.
Fig. 3
Click on Save.
Proceed to follow the same directions to enter a Work address.
Updating a saved address
If either the Home or Work address need to be changed, proceed by performing the following:
From Google Maps, click on Menu > Your Places.
Click on the “X” to the right of the address that needs to be changed. In our example, we will be updating the “Home” address. See Figure 4.
Fig. 4
Once the address is removed, proceed to add the new address and click on Save.
Once your addresses are saved, you can request commute updates from your phone or other Google connected devices.
Learning languages is, in my opinion, one of the most fulfilling things you can do. This is especially true when you are in a country where they speak a different language than yours. The feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction you get after slowly starting to get what it is written on the streets or finally being able of going to the grocery shop without pulling your phone to use Google Translate is extremely rewarding.
Being a native Spanish speaker, I’ve had the luck of learning English, German and Estonian, so I know how hard can it be to learn a new language (especially Estonian, which is very different from Spanish). Thanks to technology and our mobile-centric world, things are a bit easier now, and services such as Duolingo and Babbel have gained popularity, while companies like Rosetta Stone have had to adapt in order to also offer mobile solutions. Developer Edushire doesn’t want to get behind, and has released SpeakTribe, an app which will help you to get started on the beautiful world of the Spanish language.
The app asks for some basic info and then dives right into the content.
The app lets you select between five different levels to begin your journey. Even though it is my native tongue, I chose the beginner level in order to experience the app right from the start, and because there is a chance that most people who are adventuring into the language will choose this level as well.
After that, and some other background information questions, the exercises start right away. There’s no waiting, no choosing, no scrolling, nothing. You are immediately thrown into the exercises. I like this very direct approach: makes things uncomplicated and to the point.
Overview
Through the use of both written and spoken exercises, SpeakTribe aims at slowly introducing you to words and small sentence constructs.
When you speak in your native language, you tend to just take things for granted, but now that I’ve seen how a non-native speaker has to learn the language, I can say that SpeakTribe does a good job in explaining small nuances that Spanish has.
For example, if you want to say “I am Ecuadorian” in Spanish, you would need to say “Soy ecuatoriano.” However, if you would like to say “I am busy,” then it would be “Estoy ocupado” and not “Soy ocupado” as logic would dictate. Even Estonian would say “Ma olen equadorlane” and “Ma olen hõivatud.” God knows why we don’t. And let’s not get started with other aspects, such as age, in which we literally say “I have 25 years” (Tengo 25 años) instead of “I am 25 years old.” It’s a mess.
Interface could be a bit nicer but it gets the job done.
This kind of stuff is well explained throughout your exercises, although I’m pretty sure that it would take a bit of practice to get a grasp on it. Unfortunately, there’s no way of going through all of these tips after seeing them on your exercises, so if you can’t remember it, then tough luck. This is a really bad aspect of the app and one that should be addressed immediately.
Normally, exercises consist of sentences in Spanish accompanied with a highlighted phrase and choices in English. Your job is to choose the correct translation. Sometimes the app will give you hints, sometimes you’re on your own.
Each correct task will give you points, which will all add up in order to unlock the following labels. In between levels, you will have tasks that deal with having to infer stuff after reading a text. These texts normally have a vague investigation aspect to them. They normally use a lot of new words and are an interesting way of practicing the language in a different way than the regular exercises.
Voice
The app will speak to you in Spanish in whichever speed you like.
A big part of SpeakTribe, and a huge part of learning a new language, is speaking and listening. For this, SpeakTribe has added support through Google Text-to-speech engine. It is responsible for talking to you in a nice Spanish from Spain, not from Latin America. For the most part, it works fine.
I haven’t had instances in which the engine didn’t recognize what I said (although that might have something to do with my proficiency with Spanish, but I deliberately pronounced stuff in a weird way and it worked as well). Also, it does a good job in reading stuff on the screen for you, so you can hear how things should come out of your mouth.
In my opinion, the voice tends to pronounce the last syllabes in a weirdly long way. For example, some exercises talk about a friend of yours coming from India, and it emphasizes the “a” a lot. Like “Indiaaaa.” This is not a problem with the app but with Google’s engine, but it is unfortunate since people learning could think that this is the way of pronouncing stuff.
If you think the voice is talking too fast for you, then in each section where there is a possibility of hearing a phrase, there is also a slider which you can move left or right in order to adjust the speed of the voice. I’m sure that this will be an extremely convenient option for a lot of people.
Price
Prices range from $11 to $22.
Normally price is not a category on its own, but it is something to pay close attention to in this case. SpeakTribe is free until a certain level (four, to be precise). After that, you will have to pay. There’s a total of 25 levels you can buy, divided into intermediate levels ($11.00) and advanced levels ($18.26). You can also buy them together at a discount ($22.86).
Now, that is expensive for your usual in-app purchase, but actually it is not that much if you consider how much private lessons cost, but then, it is like comparing manzanas to naranjas. If you compare it to Rosetta Stone, then it is also cheaper, but Rosetta Stone includes stuff such as sessions with other students, phone calls with native speakers and much more content. Then if you compare it with Duolingo, which has a lot more content, gamification and better interface, SpeakTribe doesn’t fare well. Babbel has a similar system, but SpeakTribe’s one-time fee vs Babbel’s recurring subscription gives SpeakTribe a little edge, at least price-wise.
Options
The most important option available is the enabling or disabling of daily words. This feature sends you a notification with a new word in Spanish every day. I think it is worth it to keep it on, since you will learn a new word every day without you lifting a finger.
You are also able to backup your data to the server through your Google account. That way, you can progress through the course on different devices.
Other options available are not as noteworthy, such as toggling sound and vibration and speech recognition strictness.
Conclusion
Overall, I think that you could end up catching some words and understanding some structures with this app. Mastering a language is hard, and you will probably need some kind of interaction with someone else.
The interface is a little on the bland side (especially after using Duolingo), but it gets the work done. The word of the day notification is very useful to create a habit of practicing every day. If you are serious into learning Spanish, then you could definitely start with SpeakTribe. If it works for you, then $22 is not that expensive to continue your lessons. Just don’t expect to understand everything Alejandro Sanz sings in his melodies.
With MWC 2017 behind us, the biggest launch in terms of mobile phones this spring will come from Samsung. The highly anticipated Galaxy S8 is expected to make a debut on March 29.
And with less than a month to go, leaks surrounding the Galaxy S8 have been flowing in from all sides. Some of these tidbits have been confirmed, some have not but if you want to be up to date with what the rumor mill is saying about the Galaxy S8, we’ve made a compilation of everything that (we think) we know about Samsung’s upcoming „hero” product – the phone that will make everybody forget about the Galaxy Note7 fiasco.
Design
no physical home button
multiple variants, all with curved screen
edge-to-edge display
For the past few years, Samsung released a standard Galaxy S flagship alongside an Edge model. Well this year, the Korean tech giant is expected to do things a little bit differently. According to word on the street, both models of the Galaxy S8 will feature a double curved screen in the vein of the Galaxy S7 edge.
On top of that, Samsung is expected to slim down the side bezels in order to give the appearance of an edge-to-edge display. Bezeless screens are the trend this year and products such as the Xiaomi Mi MIX are already in circulation.
According to recent renders, we also know the Galaxy S8 duo will be a bit smaller than its predecessor. The Galaxy S8 will measure 140.14 x 72.20 x 7.3mm which is a bit shorter, thinner and wider than the current Galaxy S7 which stands at 150.9 X 72.6 X 7.7 mm. As for the second variant, dubbed the Galaxy S8 Plus – it should measure 152.38 x 78.51 x 7.94mm. Compared to the current Galaxy S7 edge (150.9 X 72.6 X 7.7 mm), the S8 Plus will be taller and wider.
With the Galaxy S8, Samsung is expected to ditch its iconic home button for the first time. As for the fingerprint display, it will be embedded into the display itself this time around.
Update 01/19/2017: The alleged front panels of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus have leaked today. As you can see, the image confirms earlier information claiming there won’t be a flat Galaxy S8 version this year. On top of that we remark the very thin side bezels.
Update 01/27/2017: Want to take a look at the Galaxy S8 in real-life? Check the image below. According to Venture Beat this is indeed the Galaxy S8 in the flesh. We can spot a fingerprint scanner located on the back right next to the camera. An 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C port and water-resistance have also been confirmed.
02/01/2017 Update: A new Galaxy S8 schematics popped up showing fingerprint sensor and home button on the back of the device, on screen buttons for navigation (soft keys) and 3.5mm headphone jack and USB Type-C port.
The drawing makes reference to 5.7-inch and 6.1-inch screen sizes, although it is widely believed the larger Galaxy S8 Plus will come boasting a 6.2-inch display.
02/07/2017 Update: Checkout the latest Galaxy S8 renders based on CAD designs + video below:
02/22/2017 Update : A photo showing the Galaxy S8’s on-screen Home button have surfaced.
03/08/2017 Update: More pics of the Galaxy S8/Galaxy S8+ have surfaced on Twitter:
03/13/2017 Update : Check out the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ side by side:
03/20/2017 Update: Check out the LG G6 vs Galaxy S8+ vs Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy S7 edge frames:
03/21/2017 Update: See a live video of the Galaxy S8 below:
03/28/2017 Update: See how the Galaxy S8 compares to the Galaxy S7 edge:
Display
WQHD+ display
Larger screen sizes
With the Galaxy S8, Samsung is obviously trying to make up for the Galaxy Note7 fiasco. So this year, the company is migrating its S8 flagship into phablet territory. As the renders showed, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus will come with 5.7-inch and 6.2-inch displays. Older rumors would have us believe the S8 Plus variant might take advantage of a 6-inch display instead. Whichever variant turns out to be true the Galaxy S8 is going to be the largest S flagship to date.
It is also believed at least one of the two phones will feature a 4K resolution, which will certainly come in handy for VR viewing. The standard S8 model might feature a QHD panel just like the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.
Other reports claim the Galaxy S8 duo will stick to 1440p displays instead, while the Galaxy Note8 will be getting the 4K treatment.
Samsung recently teased one of its newest Super AMOLED display which features really slim bezels, in a few videos. So naturally the current speculation is that it will land in the upcoming Galaxy S8.
Update 01/25/2017: According to the latest The Guardian report, the Galaxy S8 will feature an edge-to-edge “infinity” display and an iris scanner. The two versions of the phone are codenamed “Dream 1” and “Dream 2” – the former being the Galaxy S8 while the latter is the Galaxy S8 Plus.
The “infinity” display will cover most of the front of the device, with extremely skinny top and bottom bezels. Sources familiar with the matter say we’re not going to see the Samsung logo on the front of the devices this year.
Update 02/07/2017: Could this be a real-life image of the Galaxy S8? We can see the bottom of the phone houses a 3.5mm earphone jack, Type-C USB port and a speaker grille.
03/13/2017 Update: Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts (emphasis on predicts) the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ with 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch display respectively with feature a WQHD+ (2,960 x 2,400-pixel resolution).
03/20/2017 Update: More live images of the Galaxy S8 probably with screen protectors on board.
03/28/2017 Update: More Galaxy S8 press renders leak into the wild:
Internals
Exynos 8895 or Snapdragon 835
Up to 8GB ofRAM 6GB of RAM
64GB or 128GB or 256GB storage options
microSD card slot (allowing memory expansion up to 256GB)
Like it’s customary, Samsung will launch the Galaxy S8 duo with a choice between two processors, depending on the market. Some Galaxy S8 units will run on Samsung’s in-house Exynos 8895 chipset with Mali-G71 GPU, while others will feature the new Snapdragon 835 beast with Adreno 540 GPU.
The Exynos 8895 is expected to deliver up to 1.8 times more computing power than the S7 on top of optimizations for 4K and VR. As for the Snapdragon 835, you can check out a detailed view of the chipset by following this link.
Just another Galaxy S8 render
ASUS just unveiled the 3.world’s first 8GB of RAM smartphone at CES 2017, so we expect Samsung to follow suit. The standard Galaxy S8 should feature 6GB of RAM, while the Galaxy S8 Plus will get the 8GB of RAM treatment. As for storage options, we see Samsung offering the devices with either 128GB or 256GB on board.
Like last year, Samsung might bundle the phones with a dual SIM hybrid setup which would allow customers to use two SIM cards at once or a SIM card and a microSD card slot.
Update 01/25/2017: Looks like the Galaxy S8 will also have a 64GB storage option.
Update 02/23/2017: The full spec lists of the Galaxy S8+ has leaked in all of its glory:
Update 03/06/2017: Crystal clear images showcasing the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S+ have appeared online. Give them a go:
Update 03/17/2017: The Galaxy S8 will have a 6GB of RAM variant that will go on sale only in China.
Update 03/28/2017: The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ showed up in AnTuTu revealing 64GB storage option.
Cameras
dual main camera
selfie snapper with autofocus
With dual cameras becoming the norm even for middle-range smartphones, it’s no wonder Samsung is expected to join the trend in 2017 as well. If we are to listen to the rumor mill, the Korean tech giant might opt for a setup consisting of a 16MP RGB sensor plus an 8MP monochrome sensor.
Other reports indicate a main single sensor 30MP camera, but this is pretty unlikely if you ask us.
As for the selfie snapper, we expect to see an 8MP self-portrait companion with autofocus capabilities.
Update 01/23/2017: We’re all familiar with the camera bumps on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7, but according to the latest leak that comes to us via Weibo the Galaxy S8 might arrive without one. However, when we checked the numbers in the image we realized the leak got the numbers wrong. The camera bump on the Galaxy S6 is actually 1.7mm and not 1.3mm, while the one on the Galaxy S7 is 0.7mm. So be sure to take this info with a grain of salt, although its sure would be nice to have a Galaxy S8 with a smooth back.
Update 01/27/2017: Venture Beat claims the main camera on the Galaxy S8 will be of 12MP variety with f/1.7 focal ratios.
Update 03/13/2017 : Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts (emphasis on predicts) the Galaxy S8 will feature a single-lens 12MP camera on the back plus an 8MP selfie snapper up in front.
Update 03/16/2017: A Korean source revealed that while the Galaxy S8 will come with 12MP, it will be able to shoot 1000fps videos just like the Sony Xperia XZ Premium.
Update 03/28/2017: Tipster reveals that the Galaxy S8 might come bundling a camera sensor Sony is yet to introduce – the Sony IMX333.
Apple has Siri on its iPhones, Google offers up its Assistant on the Pixels and Microsoft has Cortana. Samsung might be arriving late to the virtual assistant table, but better late than never right?
The Galaxy S8 duo will mark another first – they will bundle Samsung’s new virtual assistant called Bixby. The AI-driven companion will be more powerful than the schematic S Voice and is expected to integrate with most native Samsung apps.
Moving along, it has long been speculated that the Galaxy S8 will drop the 3.5mm headphone jack. Well not according to the latest leaked images which seem to suggest the phone will keep the jack onboard after all.
On top of that, it seems that Samsung will be opting for Qi charging as the standard charging method for the two phones. This means no microUSB or USB Type-C port, which honestly seems a bit bizarre.
The images also show the phone will apparently come with an S Pen accessory just like the Note7. If that the case, it will be interesting to see how Samsung plans to differentiate the Galaxy S8 from the Note8 this year.
Update 01/27/2017: Samsung plans a new range of accessories for the Galaxy S8. The most intriguing one seems to be the DeX. In a Continuum-like move, Samsung will allow users to connect their smartphone to a monitor, keyboard and other peripherals in order to turn it into an Android desktop computer.
On a different note, a new video showcasing two purported Galaxy S8 cases compares them to the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 egde and a Galaxy Note7 dummy to outline the differences. Check it out below.
Update 01/27/2017: Venture Beat leak confirms presence of 3.5 mm headphone jack. Great news!
Update 03/10/2017: Due to limits of iris scanning such as speed and accuracy, Samsung has opted for face recognition to go inside the Galaxy S8. According to a report from The Investor, it takes less than 0.01 seconds to unlock the phone. Thus the company is adding an extra layer of biometric security.
Update 03/13/2017: The Galaxy S8 will be available in at least seven colors at launch including gold, silver, bright black, matte black, blue, orchid and pink.
Update 03/13/2017: Popular custom skin maker, dbrand has unveiled two collection of vinyl skins for the Galaxy S8. Check them out below.
03/14/2017 Update: Here’s the Galaxy S8 in gold color. Also it seems like an Amethyst version will also be available.
03/16/2017 Update: Here’s the Galaxy S8 in Black. Also Samsung confirms the name of the Galaxy S8 virtual assistant – Bixby.
03/17/2017 Update: Turns out the Galaxy S8 will have an iris scanner, and facial recognition tech and a fingerprint scanner. What’s more , according to Bloomberg the facial recognition tech will be used to authenticate mobile payments via Samsung Pay.
03/20/2017 Update: Check out the new pretty colors on the Galaxy S8:
03/20/2017 Update: Earbuds for the Galaxy S8 leak:
03/20/2017 Update: A report from Korea media claims the Galaxy S8 will have a Bixby button without Bixby AI functionality at launch. This will be added later via a software update.
03/22/2017 Update: The DeX desktop dock specifications and pricing info make an appearance. Also check out the Galaxy S8’s power bank:
03/27/2017 Update: Samsung’s official Galaxy S8 accessories have leaked, complete with pricing information.
Samsung Clearview Standing Cover – $65.18
Samsung LED View Cover – $65.18
Samsung Keyboard Cover – $65.18
Samsung Alcantara Cover – $48.88
Samsung Silicone Cover – $32.58
Samsung Clear Cover – $21.72
Samsung 2-Pieces Cover – $21.72
Samsung Screen Protector – $14.11
Samsung Wireless Charger Convertible – $86.91
Samsung DeX Station – $157.53
Samsung Battery Pack (Fast Charging) – $76.04
OS
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Grace UX.
Samsung’s debuted an alternative to TouchWiz on the now defunct Galaxy Note7 and called it Grace UX. Since the new software is in the process of making its way to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge via the new Nougat update, we can speculate the new S8 and S8 Plus will also take advantage of it.
The new UI features a much cleaner interface and overall design, slick background blur when viewing folders and widgets, new swipe features and more.
03/14/2017 Update: Here’s the first look at the Galaxy S8’s Samsung Experience UI, as provided by Sam Mobile:
03/27/2017 Update: Mexican Galaxy S8+ leaked showcasing more software details:
Battery
Battery is a very tricky subject for Samsung after the Galaxy Note7 debacle. Next week we’re waiting to hear the results of Samsung’s investigation into what caused the fires, but according to sources we expect the blame to fall on the batteries.
We hope and pray the Galaxy S8 won’t be plagued by the same issues, especially since rumors revealed the phone might come with Samsung SDI batteries, the same that were initially held responsible for the Galaxy Note7 debacle.
03/13/2017: Leaked Galaxy S8+ battery shows 3,500 mAh capacity
As for battery capacity, some rumors say the Galaxy S8’s battery is going to be the same as on last year’s phone. Meaning we might see a 3,000 power house inside the S8 and a 3,600 mAh one under the hood of the S8 Plus. Which doesn’t really make sense, since we expect the panels on this year’s models to be larger.
Other whispers claim the Galaxy S8 will be kept alive by a chunkier 4,200 mAh batter with fast charging. We hope this will be indeed the case.
01/31/2017 Update: A report coming out of South Korea indicates that the Galaxy S8 will feature a 3,250 mAh battery, while the Galaxy S8 Plus will be powered by a 3,750 mAh one. The soon to be previous-gen Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge have a 3,000 mAh and 3,600 mAh one consecutively.
03/10/2017 Update: Since we are on the topic of battery, here’s how’s the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Note7 compare against each other.
When will I be able to get it and for how much?
Samsung is yet to confirm any Galaxy S8 launching plans, but word on the street has it the company will unveil the phone a day prior to MWC 2017 kicking off.
Another rumor says that due to extensive testing, the Galaxy S8 might be unveiled sometimes in late March with an April release date attached to it. As for pricing, we’ve heard customers might have to take around $850 out of their pockets to purchase the phone. Better start saving now!
Update 01/23/2017: Chief of Samsung Mobile Koh Dong-jin claimed the Galaxy S8 won’t be unveiled at MWC 2017, although he did not provide an alternative date.
Update 01/27/2017: A report by Venture Beat claims the phone will be unveiled on March 29. The phone should become available for purchase on April 21.
Update 03/07/2017: New information coming from Venture Beat indicates that the Galaxy S8’s availability is going to be delayed with one week. So instead of hitting the market on April 21, the phone will make it out on April 28.
Update 03/13/2017: Worried that LG G6 is getting more prime-time than anticipated, Samsung ran an early Galaxy S8 TV ad in South Korean, to remind customers the flagship will be upon us soon:
Also, according to a report coming out of The Investor the Galaxy S8 pre-orders might arrive earlier than in-store units. The phone is scheduled to go on pre-sale on April 7 in South Korea and now it seems those initial orders will start shipping to customers on April 18. Store units are expected to drop or April 28.
Update 03/22/2017: The supposed package box of the Galaxy S8+ bound for Verizon just leaked:
It happened to all of us at some point – trying to Google something but unable to retrieve the results due to a spotty connection or no Wi-Fi at all. It’s very annoying right?
Today the search giant has announced an update for the Google app which to help users overcome that frustration. Starting this week you can start a new search even when there’s no connection available, because the app is now capable of queuing your searches.
What happens is that results are saved as soon as they are retrieved, which enables your query to be immediately displayed after you get back online. While the update doesn’t allow users to perform searches in offline mode, it’s still a step in the right direction.
Lost your connection? Google invites you to put the phone down and go back to your day. In the meanwhile the Google app will monitor the background scanning for proper network connection. When it finds one it will deliver a notification alerting you the search results are in.
Worried that apps running in the background might put a toll on battery life? Google says don’t be as the update won’t drain your battery.
To take advantage of the new feature, make sure you have the latest version of the Google app installed on your device.
Google’s search app is not the only migrating towards offline functionality. Google Translate and Google Maps both offer this option.
Now a new report coming out of VentureBeat reveals that Google has partnered up with LG once again in order to launch two new Android Wear 2.0 devices, baptized LG Watch Sport and LG Watch Style.
According to the information, the watches will be unveiled on February 9, meaning on the same day Android Wear 2.0 goes official.
LG Watch Urbane LTE
Out of the two, the LG Watch Sport will be the flagship. The wearable will take advantage of a 14.2 mm frame, while the Watch Style will sport a sleeker 10.8mm one. The Sport model will be offered in Titanium and Dark Blue, while the Watch Style will be available in Titanium, Silver and Rose Gold – both with swappable straps.
Both come boasting circular displays like traditional watches, but the LG Watch Sport takes advantage of higher 480 x 480 resolution on a 1.38-inch display, while the LG Watch Style will come boasting a 1.2-inch screen with 360 x 360 resolution.
LG G Watch R
The report doesn’t say much about processor, but it does reveal the LG Watch Sport has 768MB of RAM and a 430 mAh battery while the LG Watch Style has only 512MB plus a 240 mAh battery. Both intelligent timepieces will take advantage of 4GB of internal storage.
In the connectivity department, the base model bears the standard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, while the Sport one has 3G/LTE, GPS and NFC which means Android Pay is going to be enabled onboard.
LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition
While so far, Google’s Assistant presence has been limited to the Pixel, let us tell you the two watches will feature this option.
There’s also a digital crown that helps with navigation. The Style features IP67 certification while the Sport has IP68, so both offer some degree of water and dust resistance. Both smartwatches boast hand writing recognition, while the Sport also packs in a heart rate sensor.
No word on how much the wearables are going to cost so far. Will Android Wear 2.0 provide enough novelty to wipe the dust off the wearable market? We’ll have to wait and see. But for the time being it doesn’t seem to us the two LG devices bring anything mind-blowing to the table. Sure, the addition of Google’s Assistant is quite nice, but that’s about it in terms of real novelties.
Today you can venture out with a budget of $100 and actually purchase a smartphone with a solid list of specs. But these low-end devices come with a number of disadvantages, the main one being that it’s unlikely they will ever see software updates.
So if you buy today a phone with Android 6.0 Marshmallow onboard, you should know the Android 7.0 Nougat update will probably never come. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but not many.
Anyway, the Android One initiative came to life in hopes of filling this void. Google wanted to deliver affordable smartphones that offer stock Android experience and timely updates. However so far the program has been limited to developing countries like India, the Philippines, Nepal or Sri Lanka. Well according to a new report coming out of The Information, Google has plans to extend the Android One initiative to the US.
So far Android One has been partnering up with obscure device makers like Micromax or Cherry Mobile to produce the handsets. But in the US things might be a bit different. We’re not given an exact name, but LG might be in the cards (the company has a history of woring with Google for some its Nexus handsets). The first US-bound Android One phones are expected to make a debut before the middle of the year and should cost between $200 and $300, so they aren’t going to be exactly dirt cheap.
It’s exciting to think about all the possible features Android One phones might bring to the table in the US. For example, the phones might take advantage of Google’s own mobile paying service, Android Pay and might be bundled with exclusive services such as the Assistant, which is currently only available on the Google Pixel. The phones might even be fitted with a main dual camera, in the vein of the newly announced Honor 6X.
What would be the features you’d love to see onboard of an affordable Android One handset?
Samsung is apparently having a hard time closing the Galaxy Note7 chapter once and for all. Earlier this month, the Korean tech giant said 96% of Note7 units in the US have been returned. The company has been working with all major carriers in the country including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint in order to push debilitating updates that would prevent the Galaxy Note7 from charging.
On top of that, the software update also blocked the phone from connecting to any existing mobile networks, thus rendering it quite useless. However, it seems that Samsung’s drastic measures left some Note7 owners unfazed.
According to a report coming out of Fortune, Verizon officials claim that “thousands” of its customers are still using the Galaxy Note7 even after the crippling update got unleashed.
It seems that some Note7 users have managed to find a workaround to not installing the update and continue to use the device unperturbed. Big Red has already reimbursed Galaxy Note7 users for the cost of the phablet, so the carrier now says it might look to bill those who are still holding on to the Note7 for the phablet’s cost in full.
On top of that, Verizon warned that all Note7s that are still in use will be put in a special category so all ongoing calls will be redirected to customer service. The carrier will allow 911 calls to go through, though.
If you too are a Verizon customer who is still holding on to the Note7, we urge you to return the phablet. It’s in your best interest to do so, as you are still eligible for a bill credit up to $100 and waived upgrade fee if you do it now.
Samsung is expected to reveal the full results of its investigation into what caused the Note7 fires next week. As a recent report disclosed, we expect the main reason to be related to the battery inside the phone.
So do yourself a favor and return this potentially dangerous device. It’s not worth paying more on it than you already have.
On the hunt for an unlocked phone and don’t want to spend that much money? How would you like to get your hands on one that only runs $59.99?
Ulefone has launched a new promotion which sees its U008 Pro being offered at only $60, a savings of some $40 off the normal price. Typically listed at $99, the savings can also be represented as a 40 percent discount. The deal will be limited to the first 2,000 units sold under the promo.
The Ulefone U008 Pro, as you might suspect, is an entry-level experience. Powered by a MediaTek MTK6737 1.3GHz chipset, it packs 2GB RAM with 16GB internal storage. Screen size is 5-inches with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels.
As for cameras, the back of the phone features an 8-megapixel Sony IMX219 unit which is interpolated to 13-megapixels. The front houses a 5-megapixel selfie camera. Battery capacity is 3500mAh, which, when factoring in the rest of the details, should get consumers a few days of usage.
In terms of software features, the U008 Pro comes with a simulative 3D Touch and customizable launcher. Slide up or down on select icons on the home screen and you’ll find shortcuts and sub-menus pop up. It’s not quite the same as a hard press for 3D Touch, but it still delivers the same end result. Moreover, the home screen and launcher can be tailored by the user with single and double layers, vertical and horizontal sliding, and more.
Before you go adding one of these to your cart, US readers will be wise to check out the carrier bands and supported networks. While it does have some 4G connectivity, it’s nothing you’ll find offered in the United States. With that said, it would still make for a decent first phone for younger kids or those who care little about data outside of Wi-Fi.
The Ulefone U008 Pro is sold in grey, pink, and black; the phone is wrapped in a metal unibody frame with a physical home button. Head to the Ulefone website and get in on the first 2,000 items today.
Keep your pitches low and on the inside and you’ll be golden at least 80% of the time.
They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Then there are people who try and imitate to gain success off of other people’s work. Italy Games has several apps on the app store that are heavily influenced by other popular apps. Real Baseball seems to take most of its cues from another popular baseball app available on iOS, but does it add enough of its own flair to hold it’s own on Google Play? Let’s take a look.
The game starts off walking you through a brief tutorial that teaches you the basics of batting and pitching. The basic controls are to just tap when you want to swing the bat or aim the ball on a grid, then tap to throw the ball. There are multiple modes to choose from, but only quick play and season are open from the start. The rest are unlocked from completing season games.
Overview
Keep your eye on the ball. It’s all about timing.
Quick game or season games are fairly quick. Each game only consists of one inning, so even seasons go by pretty quickly. Most of the AI opponents are pretty easy to trick while pitching. They are pretty good at picking off fastballs but seem to be incapable of hitting change-ups if they are pitched straight down the middle. Batting is a little more challenging as you have to time your tap just right depending on the speed of the ball, but you don’t have to aim towards the pitch or anything, just tap.
Batter Challenge is a typical home run contest. You get points depending on how far you hit the ball, with home runs being the most valuable and increasing your score multiplier. All the pitches fly straight and at a moderate speed, so there’s nothing to trip you up other than your own timing. There’s nothing that is gained through Batter Challenge except for some in-game currency, so to make progress, Season games are the preferred way to go.
Overall, the gameplay is rather dry. You don’t need to aim your bat swings, just tap. You do aim your pitch but you aren’t timed, there’s no skill required, just drag and tap. You can strike out every batter with any pitch aimed low and near the batter. They will miss 99% of the time and if they do hit, they will usually have a poor hit and be out by first base. Batting is just a matter of timing and taping when the ball is just before the base. After a game or two, it becomes mindless.
Can’t wait to catch a Gibnts game this summer!
There are a large number of outfits to purchase, upgrades that improve your batting and pitching, and draft picks that unlock players with better stats, but until you are very deep in the game, these upgrades aren’t necessary at all. There are a few in-app purchases to remove ads or to gain currency fast. Apart from the ad removal, purchasing in-game currency hardly seems worth it because by the time you’ll actually need any upgrades, you’ll be sitting on a pretty big mountain of cash, assuming the game can hold your interest for that long. The only fun part of buying new outfits is the funny translation errors and knock off names of the teams, my favorite being Gibnts in place of Giants.
Conclusion
Real Baseball is a mediocre baseball game where timing your taps is key to success. The AI is very unskilled and will fall for the same tricks time and time again, which causes the game to grow stale fast. While there are a number of upgrades available, none of them are necessary at all, as the game simply provides little in the way of challenge. Between mediocre gameplay and laughable translations, this is a game that can easily be passed up.
T-Mobile, and its prepaid arm, MetroPCS, will soon sell the LG Aristo as part of their smartphone portfolios. The phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat and offers up a 5-inch display, and 13-megapixel rear camera.
Other specifications for the phone include a 1.4.GHz quad-core processor, 16GB internal storage, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Rounding things out are a fingerprint reader, microUSB charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and support for Wi-Fi Calling/
MetroPCS will be the first of the two carriers to sell the phone when it does so on January 23. Retail pricing shakes out to $129.99 but an instant rebate drops it down to $59 plus tax.
T-Mobile dials up the LG Aristo two days later on January 25 with a $144 price tag. Customers can purchase the phone for $0 down and $6 monthly payments over two years. As an added incentive, subscribers can buy a Tech21 case and screen protector at 25% off when paired with the phone.
For the past few years, Samsung released a standard Galaxy S flagship alongside an Edge model. Well this year, the Korean tech giant is expected to do things a little bit differently. According to word on the street, both models of the Galaxy S8 will feature a double curved screen in the vein of the 
With the Galaxy S8, Samsung is expected to ditch its iconic home button for the first time. As for the fingerprint display, it will be embedded into the display itself this time around.
Update 01/19/2017: The alleged front panels of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus have leaked today. As you can see, the image confirms earlier information claiming there won’t be a flat Galaxy S8 version this year. On top of that we remark the very thin side bezels.
Display
With the Galaxy S8, Samsung is obviously trying to make up for the Galaxy Note7 fiasco. So this year, the company is migrating its S8 flagship into phablet territory. As the renders showed, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus will come with 5.7-inch and 6.2-inch displays. Older rumors would have us believe the S8 Plus variant might take advantage of a 6-inch display instead. Whichever variant turns out to be true the Galaxy S8 is going to be the largest S flagship to date.
Other reports claim the Galaxy S8 duo will stick to 1440p displays instead, while the Galaxy 
Like it’s customary, Samsung will launch the Galaxy S8 duo with a choice between two processors, depending on the market. Some 
Update 03/06/2017: Crystal clear images showcasing the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S+ have appeared online. Give them a go:
With dual cameras becoming the norm even for middle-range smartphones, it’s no wonder Samsung is expected to join the trend in 2017 as well. If we are to listen to the rumor mill, the Korean tech giant might opt for a setup consisting of a 16MP RGB sensor plus an 8MP monochrome sensor.
Update 01/23/2017: We’re all familiar with the camera bumps on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7, but according to the latest leak that comes to us via Weibo the Galaxy S8 might arrive without one. However, when we checked the numbers in the image we realized the leak got the numbers wrong. The camera bump on the Galaxy S6 is actually 1.7mm and not 1.3mm, while the one on the Galaxy S7 is 0.7mm. So be sure to take this info with a grain of salt, although its sure would be nice to have a Galaxy S8 with a smooth back.
Other features
Apple has Siri on its iPhones, Google offers up its Assistant on the Pixels and Microsoft has Cortana. Samsung might be arriving late to the virtual assistant table, but better late than never right?
On top of that, it seems that Samsung will be opting for Qi charging as the standard charging method for the two phones. This means no microUSB or USB Type-C port, which honestly seems a bit bizarre.
Update 01/27/2017: Samsung plans a new range of accessories for the Galaxy S8. The most intriguing one seems to be the DeX. In a Continuum-like move, Samsung will allow users to connect their smartphone to a monitor, keyboard and other peripherals in order to turn it into an Android desktop computer.
Samsung’s debuted an alternative to TouchWiz on the now defunct Galaxy Note7 and called it Grace UX. Since the new software is in the process of making its way to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge via the new 
Battery is a very tricky subject for Samsung after the Galaxy Note7 debacle. Next week we’re waiting to hear the results of Samsung’s investigation into what caused the fires, but according to 
Lost your connection? 
To take advantage of the new feature, make sure you have the latest version of the Google app installed on your device.
No word on how much the wearables are going to cost so far. Will Android Wear 2.0 provide enough novelty to wipe the dust off the 
Anyway, the Android One initiative came to life in hopes of filling this void. Google wanted to deliver affordable smartphones that offer stock Android experience and 
So far Android One has been partnering up with obscure device makers like 
It’s exciting to think about all the possible features Android One phones might bring to the table in the US. For example, the phones might take advantage of Google’s own mobile paying service, 
According to a report coming out of Fortune, Verizon officials claim that “thousands” of its customers are still using the 
On top of that, 
Samsung is expected to reveal the full results of its investigation into what caused the 
