Suspected LG G3 is spotted in leaked photo, still rocking rear volume Buttons
Rumours surrounding the LG G3 have been seeing quite a lot of attention ever since it was suggested that a new LG flagship could be released as soon as May. While LG has given very little indication if this is the case (or otherwise), leaks have been piling up anyway with looks at its suspected UI and code outputs that give suggested hardware specifications. This time, we’re treated to a photo of the rumoured device itself and most notably you will notice that the device it still adopts the rear volume buttons that were featured on the LG G2.
On the piece of paper behind the alleged LG G3 are some scribblings that seem to suggest that the G3 would be available as 16GB and 32GB versions and also we see the mention of OIS+, a feature that first debuted on the LG G Pro 2. Interestingly, it also mentions both 2GB and 3GB RAM, though it is unclear if this implies there are two versions of the G3 or if this is some kind of planning material. For me, the photo seems a little too posed and too convenient, however, it must be said that the design of the phone does line up with some cases that were leaked just yesterday.
What do you think about the design of the LG G3? Are you considering getting the device when it eventually releases? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: GSM Arena, Aliexpress via Phones Review (1), (2)
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Hulu attempts to block international viewers using VPNs
The blockade isn’t absolute. Hulu is currently checking only for specific internet addresses and not the actual presence of a VPN; if you’re on a dedicated VPN address or use a smaller provider, there’s a possibility that you’ll get around the new limitation. However, that still leaves you in a bind if you’re an American relying on a VPN to protect your privacy. If you want to keep watching, you’ll likely have to shell out for that dedicated address or else expose your internet traffic every time you catch up on Parks & Recreation. VPN companies like Private Internet Access are talking to Hulu about a solution, but we wouldn’t count on one. Shared VPNs by their nature make it hard to identify where someone lives, so Hulu may have to give up some legitimate US customers if it wants to restrict outsiders.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: TorrentFreak
OnePlus One Phone is Official! Galaxy S5 Gets Sparkly! – The ManDroid Show
Happy Friday Android friends. Time to talk a little Android with you. The OnePlus One is finally official, and it looks oh so sexy, and runs like a beast. The GAlaxy S5 gets badazzled, and not by a young girl named Tiffany, but by Samsung. Very interesting, but what can I say; it’s Samsung. Enjoy the show!
News Topics
OnePlus One is official
Galaxy S5 crystal makeover
OnePlus One goes up against the Nexus 5
Galaxy S5 vs. HTC One M8
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Sony Xperia Z2 will be coming to the U.S. but won’t be available from any Carriers
For some people, their next smartphone purchase is going to be Sony’s latest flagship smartphone, the Sony Xperia Z2, however for fans in the U.S., it hasn’t yet been confirmed when the device will become available. Today, we’ve learned that the Sony Xperia Z2 will be coming to the U.S. later this summer, but perhaps most surprisingly the Xperia Z2 won’t be carried by any of America’s networks, not even T-Mobile who exclusively carried the Xperia Z1S. What this means is that the Xperia Z2 will only be available from the Sony online store.
While this situation seems dire (and likely a deal breaker for some), it’s still better than if you wanted to get the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, which Sony has flatly said will not be available at all. The timing, however, is interesting as we have heard from Sony themselves that they are planning to speed up their flagship device cycle meaning the availability of the Xperia Z2 is likely going to be very close to the time the Xperia Z3 becomes available. It’s pretty clear that Sony is not yet focused on making America a prime market for them, instead focussing closer to home in the Asia region, but only time will tell if they bring their devices over to the U.S. in force later on.
What do you think about the availability of the Sony Xperia Z2 in the U.S.? Are you going pick another smartphone based on this news? Let us know what your opinion is in the comments.
Source: engadget via Phone Arena
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The Modulo expandable portable battery comes to Kickstarter after winning Best of Show award at CES 2014
There were a ton of fantastic products on show at CES 2014 in January, many of which have us really excited about 2014 and beyond. One product that drew a lot of attention was the Modulo expandable portable battery created by IDAPT Barcelona, which was so innovative that it was awarded the Best of Show award in the iLounge section at CES. The basic concept behind Modulo is the ability to adapt your battery charging capabilities to your current situation and be able to have a modular battery system. As the next step to bringing Modulo to the world, IDAPT Barcelona has just recently launched their Kickstarter campaign; you can check out Modulo’s pitch video below:
As you can see, it’s a pretty impressive product concept; I particularly like the ability to stick the Modulo to the back of the device you’re charging. In fact, after just 2 days, Modulo has already hurdled its $30,000 target with 34 days to go, and looks like it has the legs to go a long way further too. Probably the best thing about Modulo is its incremental pricing: the full system of 5 Modulo units will provide 10,500mAh with each Modulo contributing 2,100mAh at $20 a pop. While it’s not the cheapest option for that much power on the market, no other portable battery pack offers as much flexibility as Modulo. However, I do question the choice of 1.2A outputs on each Modulo when most battery packs have a minimum of one 2.1A port.
If you are looking at contributing to the Modulo Kickstarter, you can make your pledge on their campaign page here. Let us know what you think about IDAPT Barcelona’s product in the comments below
Source: Kickstarter
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Sony’s online store will be the only place to buy its best phone in the US
Sony’s Xperia Z2 may be a big, powerful slab of a phone, but fans in the United States hoping to snag one in-person or with a contract are out of luck… for now, at least. The company just confirmed that neither it nor its tiny cousin the Z1 Compact will make their way to US store shelves “in the near future.” The news comes as sort of bummer considering that Sony’s Z2 has received pretty consistent acclaim so far, but hey — at least Sony isn’t completely full of bad news. An unlocked version of the Z2 will be available in the company’s online store come the summer, though anyone hoping to nab one a pint-sized Z1 (which is no slouch either) will have to ferret out some alternate sources. At least Xperia fans in need of a fix have at least one option: the Xperia Z2 tablet will be available here soon, and it’s easily one of the best 10.1 Android tabs coming to market.
Filed under: Mobile
Verizon fought the NSA’s metadata collection program but lost anyway
It looks like Verizon’s concerns about government snooping go beyond publishing transparency reports — but also haven’t had much of a tangible effect. The Washington Post understands through both a declassified ruling and sources that Big Red quietly challenged the constitutionality of the NSA’s call metadata collection in January, only to be shot down by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in March.
The company had been hinging its case on Judge Richard Leon’s non-final ruling that the NSA’s surveillance is unconstitutional. FISC Judge Rosemary Collyer, however, argued that Leon’s opinion was “unpersuasive.” She sided with earlier precedents claiming that people have “no legitimate expectation of privacy” when they hand data over to third parties, such as telecoms. Collyer also didn’t believe that the scale of any data collection determined whether or not a search is reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, and rejected notions that metadata was likely to reveal private information. As you might imagine, civil liberty advocates disagree with this interpretation. TechDirt notes that there’s a big difference between targeting one person versus the entire US, that many do expect privacy, and that it’s entirely possible to track people using metadata.
Verizon isn’t confirming that it filed the challenge, which redacts the source of the complaint. Provided that the Post‘s sources are accurate, though, Verizon was the first carrier to dispute the constitutionality of the NSA’s activities; Judge Collyer noted that no other network had tried this before. We don’t know if other firms have attempted something since, but they may not be eager to follow in Verizon’s footsteps knowing the likely outcome.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Internet, Verizon
Via: TechDirt
Source: DocumentCloud, Washington Post
Motorola XT912A benchmark test spotted; is this the 5.2-inch, Android 4.4.3 Moto X+1?
Ever since we first heard of the Motorola Moto X+1, we haven’t heard much more about it besides some customization options which may be available to the device. After a new benchmark spotted on GFXBench, however, we might have a better idea of what the device might have hardware-wise. The benchmark, which is for a device named as the Motorola XT912A possess a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM, a 5.2-inch 1080p display and was running Android 4.4.3.
Joining these hardware specs will be a 12MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. If this isn’t a dead ringer for a Moto X successor, then I don’t know what will be. If this does eventually become the Moto X+1, it looks like the device has improved in all the right areas. And judging by the performance of the original Moto X, the performance of the Moto X+1 should be surprisingly impressive. Having said that, benchmark data isn’t always the best source of leaked information (it can easily be faked) so we’ll have to wait and see if any developments come up in the near future.
Would you consider the Motorola Moto X+1 if it had the hardware of the Motorola XT912A? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: GFXBench via Phone Arena
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Daily Roundup: Nokia joins Microsoft, a traveler’s guide to in-flight WiFi, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Nokia is now officially part of Microsoft
Well, it’s finally official: Nokia is now one with Microsoft. What does that mean for the of the Nokia X and Lumia handsets? Nadella and Co. promised to continue supporting both lineups, but only time will tell, right?
A traveler’s guide to in-flight WiFi
Just as airlines are becoming more friendly towards gadgets, in-flight WiFi is making great strides at 30,000 feet. Read on as Zach Honig, our own resident travel expert, explains the newest connectivity options from several major airlines.
Netflix data didn’t feed House of Cards’ success, ‘the bliss of ignorance’ did
If you were turned off to Netflix’s House of Cards after the serie’s brutal opening scene, you wouldn’t be alone. But regardless of the negative feedback, Beau Willimon, the man responsible for the show’s development, says that his only responsibility is to “tell a great story.”
Watch this six-way trailer for Evolve, the latest shooter from the makers of Left 4 Dead
Turtle Rock Studios, the team behind Left 4 Dead, have a brand new co-op shooter incoming called Evolve. What’s more, the game’s trailer is interactive, allowing viewers to switch between the perspective of each player with just a click of the mouse.
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The new Amazon smartphone will come with a Prime Data plan exclusively on AT&T
Earlier this month, we finally got our first look at the smartphone that Amazon has been rumoured to be working on and while details have been relatively scarce, most rumours point towards a June release later this year. We also haven’t heard much about availability of the device, however BGR apparently has the new low-down.
According to rumour, the Amazon smartphone will come with a Prime Data plan which presumably has some kind of overlap of services with the Amazon Prime program. Some sources are also saying that this Prime Data plan and the Amazon smartphone will only be available on the AT&T network in the US. We can only speculate on why Amazon would have gone with a deal like this, but it does follow a similar strategy offered by its Kindle devices which is to offer Amazon services on a smaller scale. Hopefully the pricing of this new smartphone will also adopt the Kindle’s penchant for great value.
What little we know of this new Amazon smartphone seems to suggest it will have a 4.7-inch, 720p display, some kind of a Qualcomm processor, 2GB RAM and a 13MP rear camera. The four cameras on the corners of the front face (as seen in the photo above) are rumoured to give the device 3D capabilities. While it might not set the world on fire whenever the device does finally release, it’s definitely one of the more interesting devices we’ve heard of this year.
What do you think about Amazon possibly offering its new smartphone exclusively in the U.S. on AT&T? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
Source: BGR via Phone Arena
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AIVAnet 