LTE version of Nexus 9 shows up in FCC filing
Yesterday was the official launch day for the latest Google tablet, the Nexus 9. Buyers have been able to place orders through a variety of sources like the Google Play store or Amazon and they can even go down to a Best Buy store to pick one up and avoid the wait for shipping. Common to all of these early purchases though is that they are all for WiFi-only versions of the tablet. That could change soon as an FCC filing has surfaced for an HTC tablet device, presumably the Nexus 9, that includes LTE capabilities.
The FCC filing indicates the tablet device supports LTE bands 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, 25, 26, and 41, which covers all of the major U.S. carriers. In addition, the FCC filing shows the device has support for GSM850/1900 bands as well as WCDMA bands 2, 4 and 5. This indicates the device should be capable of roaming on a global basis.
Google Play currently lists an Indigo Black, 32GB model as the only LTE enabled option with the note that it is “coming soon” for a retail price of $599. Now that the FCC has granted their approval, it should not be much longer before Google changes the status to being in the warehouse and ready to ship.
source: FCC
via: phoneArena
Come comment on this article: LTE version of Nexus 9 shows up in FCC filing
Nest Thermostats getting software update this week
Nest has announced that they will be pushing out an update to Nest Thermostat devices this week that includes some new and improved features. Nest says the Auto-Schedule function has been enhanced to learn new schedules and more quickly adapt to new heating and cooling patterns. The Nest Auto-Schedule feature has been one of the device’s key components and an important factor for the company in making an easy to use, “learning” device available for consumers. The feature works by remembering changes a user makes to temperatures and then creating a schedule on the fly from that since their research shows setting thermostat schedules tends to be too much of a chore for most users. Nest says the improvements to Auto-Schedule will help consumers save up to 6% on utility bills.
Along with the enhancements to the Auto-Schedule, Nest has added some Quick View functions in response to user feedback. Now users can access outdoor temp, humidity and other weather condition data with a push on the device’s ring. Users can then turn the ring to get a quick summary of things like how much energy was saved the previous day or what the next scheduled change is for the device. Besides making it easier to access weather information, Nest is also adding this functionality to more countries around the world.
Finally, Nest is adding a System Test routine that users can access to verify that heating and cooling units are working as intended.
If you have a Nest Thermostat, you can check to see if the update has been applied to your device by pushing on the ring. If the weather information shows up, you have the update. You can also check the Energy History. The update is being rolled out over the course of the week, so it may be a few days before it shows up on your device.
source: Nest
Come comment on this article: Nest Thermostats getting software update this week
YouTube for Android TV listed in Google Play Store
Amongst all the excitement this week over the release of the Nexus 9 tablet from Google, there is another device that should start landing in consumers’ homes soon. Android TV is Google latest effort to break into the set top box market after their Google TV effort failed and the Nexus Player is the first entrant for this new platform. Unfortunately, the Google Play Store lists shipping as 2-3 weeks away for new orders. Despite that delay, Google is working to streamline the process for apps intended for the platform to get approval for distribution. One app that is now ready and available in the Google Play Store is the company’s own video platform, YouTube.
Besides enabling Android TV users to access YouTube content on the big screen, this special version of the YouTube app features integration with the Android TV search system. Google also includes recommendations from YouTube that will appear on a user’s home screen.
Anyone out there planning to get a Nexus Player?
Come comment on this article: YouTube for Android TV listed in Google Play Store
Emoji to Gain Expanded Racial Diversity With Skin Tone Modifier Option in Mid-2015
The Unicode Consortium has released a technical report (via Emojipedia) detailing a new method for handling the representation of multi-ethnic groups in emoji. Previous guidelines have stated that emoji people be “as neutral as possible regarding race, ethnicity, and gender”. Unless the emoji calls out specific gender or racial cues, then a “generic (inhuman) appearance, such as a yellow/orange color or a silhouette” should be used in its place.
A forthcoming update, Unicode 8.0, plans to change all of that. It proposes to introduce a skin-tone modifier which could be added to certain emoji, allowing users to send any emotion using any skin tone. Plans even reach as far as to allow emoji couples to feature individually different skin tones. Planned for release in the middle of next year, Unicode 8.0’s skin tone and racial diversity proposals are only proposed drafts at the current stage.
Mockup via Emojipedia
Although the wide acceptance of new emoji is rather slow-going (no major platforms yet support Unicode 7.0 emoji released earlier this year), Apple has shown previous interest in updating the diversity in its emoji lineup. Earlier in the year, Apple’s then-vice president of worldwide corporate communications, Katie Cotton, spoke to vocalized support in working with the Unicode Consortium and updating its emoji character offerings.
“Tim forwarded your email to me. We agree with you. Our emoji characters are based on the Unicode standard, which is necessary for them to be displayed properly across many platforms. There needs to be more diversity in the emoji character set, and we have been working closely with the Unicode Consortium in an effort to update the standard.”
The most recent major change to emoji on Apple platforms was for iOS 6, when the company expanded native support beyond Japan and made the feature accessible to all users without the use of a third-party app.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Conan O’Brien thinks the new ‘Call of Duty’ is ridiculous too
There’s something cathartic about watching Conan O’Brien stumble his way around video-game trade shows, and, naturally, games themselves. He isn’t immune to the bullshit that many of us just kind of put up with in our favorite pastime and puts it front-and-center pretty regularly, albeit comically, in his Clueless Gamer segments. Which is what makes watching him play through Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare so satisfying — spectacle is the mortar that holds the whole game together, and you’d need a crane to properly suspend your disbelief when playing. Naturally, he calls out the absolute absurdity of attending an in-game funeral and being forced to “interact” with the coffin to pay your respects (“this is a real emotional moment for me”).
Better than that is when he loses it after seeing the lifeless rendition of Kevin Spacey’s face appear onscreen: “They hire one of the greatest actors in the world, and then they give him the eyes of a carp that’s been in the refrigerator for three days!” It’s all pretty great, and we’ve embedded the video just after the break. If you want to watch Engadget’s own clueless gamer (that’d be me, of course) play through a bit of Advanced Warfare you can do that right here.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Team Coco
Tour the space station in 3D, or from inside a water bubble (video)
Astronauts aboard the ISS have been sending back space videos for years, but now they’ve stepped up their game: they just beamed back a couple of 3D footage taken by a Panasonic camera. These video clips take us on a 3D tour of the space station and show the astronauts submerging a sealed GoPro into a water bubble floating around in zero-g. By the sound of NASA’s press release, though, we’ll see more 3D videos in the future, as the camera used to take them fares batter in space. See, the radiation out there affects ordinary cams, burning out hundreds to thousands of pixels — enough for them to need replacing every 8 to 12 months. The astronauts noticed, however, that the first $21,000 3D camera brought aboard the station in 2011 remained largely the same through the years.
According to NASA Imagery Experts program manager Rodney Grubbs, when the original 3D camera returned on a SpaceX rocket, they “found the overlay of the two stereo images forming the 3-D picture may have helped lessen the appearance of damaged pixels.” The downside is that you’ll need special glasses to view the videos properly, but you can always tap into your arts and crafts experience from grade school and make your own.
Filed under: Misc
AT&T Announces ‘Next 24’ Payment Plan, Allowing 30 Months to Pay Off Devices [iOS Blog]
Announced today at the AT&T Consumer Industry Analyst Conference, customers of AT&T will soon have another payment option for their wireless phone bills called AT&T Next 24. The plan focuses on lower monthly payments on select phones in the AT&T lineup and a longer grace period to pay them off.
AT&T Next 24 is the newest addition to the company’s Next program that allows customers to purchase qualifying smartphones for $0 down, paying the device off interest-free with monthly payment plans. AT&T Next 24 is a 30-month installment plan and joins the ranks of AT&T Next 12 (a 20-month installment plan) and AT&T Next 18 (a 24-month installment plan).
The new Next 24 plan is available for any current smartphone in AT&T’s selection of devices, and the monthly installments can range anywhere from $10 to $50 depending on the phone selected. If in good condition at the 24-month mark, a device on AT&T Next 24 can be traded in for a qualifying brand-new phone.
For all plans included in the AT&T Next lineup, customers can save $15 each month on that smartphone’s monthly access charge for plans less than 10GB, and $25 per month for plans 10GB or higher.
Beginning today, any customer who switches to AT&T and activates a new smartphone on AT&T Next will also receive a $150 bill credit.
The new AT&T Next 24 service launches November 9.
Amazon Offers Unlimited Photo Storage for Prime Subscribers [iOS Blog]
As part of ongoing efforts to improve its Prime subscription plan, Amazon today announced a new unlimited photo storage option for its Amazon Prime members. The option is part of the retailer’s Cloud Drive service that allows customers to store their files in Amazon’s cloud.
“This time of year in particular, families are capturing thousands of photos of holiday parties, family gatherings and opening presents,” said Greg Greeley, Vice President Amazon Prime. “With free unlimited photo storage, we’re providing one more reason for members to use Prime every day. Prime has always allowed members to conveniently save time and save money, and now with Prime Photos they can save memories too.”
Amazon’s photo storage is accessible via the Cloud Drive Photos app for the iPhone and iPad [Direct Link]. The free mobile app automatically and securely uploads full resolution photos to Amazon Cloud Drive. Users then can view their photos on a variety of devices and share them directly from the mobile app.
This new unlimited Photo storage is one of two new features Amazon has added to its Prime membership after raising the annual cost of the service to $99 earlier this year. Amazon previously debuted its Prime Music streaming service, providing members with unlimited, ad-free streaming from a library of over a million songs.
AT&T Announces New ‘Next 24′ Program, Gives You 30 Months to Pay Off That Device
Some people like them, other people don’t. One thing is for sure, the option to buy your device at full price and pay it off monthly on your service provider is here to stay. With AT&T you had two choices. You had Next 12, which let you pay off the device over the course of 18 months, or Next 18 which let you pay it off over the course of 24 months. The price difference per month between them has usually been $4 or $5. Today AT&T has announced a new program to the mix, Next 24.
Next 24 takes the cost of the device and splits it up over 30 months. Ultimately lowering the monthly out-of-pocket charge per month on your phone bill. If we use the new Moto X 2014 as an example, the current Next 18 program makes the device $21.96 per month. If you were to go with Next 24, you would only add $17.57 a month to your bill.
“Customer response to AT&T Next has been great. With a variety of payment options, they can choose the device and plan that fits their budget,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility. “AT&T Next gives customers flexible pricing options at an incredible value on a reliable network that keeps them connected.”
The new Next 24 program will be available on all devices and customer accounts that are eligible starting November 9th.
Source: AT&T
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post AT&T Announces New ‘Next 24′ Program, Gives You 30 Months to Pay Off That Device appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Landing at T-Mobile November 14th
T-Mobile announced the pricing and availability of the more interesting Galaxy Note Edge. The Un-Carrier will be making the device available for customers to purchase starting November 14th for $0 down and $36.25 a month. It will be available in participating stores nationwide and be found online.
The Note Edge brings you that curved second screen on the right hand side of the device. It has sparked some interest in the community and has received the expected mixed reviews for the implementation of the curved second screen that delivers notifications and dedicated app functions. The Note Edge carries a 5.6-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED 2560 x 1440 display, with the additional 160 pixel side screen. A 2.7GHz Quad-Core processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB internal storage and Micro SD card support. You will find a 16MP rear shooter camera along with a 3.7MP front shooter, It will launch with Android 4.4 KitKat and packs in a 3,000 mAh fast charge battery.
T-Mobile doesn’t have a pre-order page up and running for this one, but they do have a pre-registration page live on their site so you can get more information as the date draws closer.
Source: T-Mobile
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Landing at T-Mobile November 14th appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
AIVAnet 