Huawei, a big smartphone manufacturer from China plans to enter the U.S. market with contract- free phones.
According to The Wall Street Journal, we will be getting a new phone line from Huawei, entering the smartphone market in the United States sometime this year. Huawei is one of the world’s largest smartphone makers, as it sold 75 million devices last year, but not many were sold in the US.
Huawei will introduce us to their Honor phone line which originally was released in China in 2011. Their latest Honor 6 phone can be purchased on Amazon.com, but it comes via third party sellers at a reasonable price of $359USD. For the reasonable price you get an 8-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 5 inch 1080p LCD display, and a 13 megapixel camera. The Honor line is expected to be sold unlocked for contract-free use.
Huawei is not planning to take on the likes of Samsung and Apple directly, as their marketing budget is no where near those two powerhouses, so they will be relying on digital advertising versus traditional media like television. Companies like HTC and LG who are barely, if at all profitable, probably aren’t too happy about another manufacturer to compete with, but as a customer nothing drives technology and lower prices like stiff competition.
Whatever Huawei does, I hope they do not create a silly invite system like OnePlus did with their phone. That hype got old real fast.
Source – WSJ
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Audi’s Q7 comes equipped with a fully integrated tablet
Not only will you be able to pick up a smartwatch designed specifically for an Audi vehicle, but the company is also including an integrated tablet into this year’s Audi Q7. The tablet sports a 10.1-inch screen and a Tegra 4 processor, so it’s fairly well equipped for a tablet in 2015. The coolest features aren’t in the internal hardware, though.
The Audi tablet has a matted display that was specifically designed to resist vibrations from a moving vehicle, and the screen won’t shatter if the car is in an accident. The tablet is designed to function as an entertainment hub for passengers in the backseat, but it can also let backseat drivers change up waypoints on a map and send them to the main console for the driver, and it has full control of music and media that’s playing.
It’s not completely clear if the tablet runs Android, but considering most devices like this typically do use Android and Audi went with Android Wear for the accompanying smartwatch instead of building something in-house, Android seems like a safe bet.
You’re not going to be able to pick up one of these tablets to use around the house, but if you purchase an Audi Q7, you’ll be able to play around with one of the coolest ideas for tablet integration with a vehicle.
source: Engadget
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Samsung predicts more declining profits in Q4 2014 guidance report
Samsung has issued its guidance report for the fourth quarter of the 2014 fiscal year, and profits continue to be on the decline from just a year ago. However, it appears that Sammy does expect to at least see a bump in both sales and profits over its previous third quarter report.
Android Central Podcast – Live from CES!
Live from CES 2015 at 5:15 p.m. PST!
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Dyson’s new vacuums don’t need you to clean the filter
Sure, your vacuum cleaner might not need a bag anymore, but you’re probably still cleaning or replacing its filter every now and then to make sure you’re sucking up as much dirt as possible. You shouldn’t have to if Dyson’s new Cinetic Science vacuums live up to their hype, though. Both the upright and low-slung versions use rapidly vibrating flexible tips (350 times a second) to prevent dust from blocking the aperture, making sure that all those crumbs and stray hairs reach the bin without any kind of filter maintenance. Supposedly, the Cinetic Science line will operate at peak performance even after 10 years of duty.
Like most things Dyson, you’ll be paying a healthy sum to get one of these maintenance-free machines for yourself. The compact Cinetic Animal will start at $550; you’re looking at $600 (£460 in the UK) for the Cinetic Big Ball Animal you see below, and $700 for an allergy-friendly variant of the Big Ball. QVC will start selling the vacuums in the US on January 15th, while everyone else in the country will have to wait until March 1st.
Filed under: Household
Source: Dyson
Dropbox update gives users the ability to export files to an SD card
Just because C.E.S. is taking over the news by storm, doesn’t mean we forgot to report on other useful information. Dropbox released an update recently, version 2.4.7.14, which gives the ability to export files to an SD card. This is particularly important for business travelers who need to work without a wireless or WiFi signal since cloud access requires an internet connection. It’s also important to those of us(ME), who don’t pay for extra space on Dropbox.com. When I near my storage limit I can transfer some of my photos to my SD card on my tablet and store them there.
In addition to the ability to export files to an SD card, Dropbox also can now edit office documents and save them back to Dropbox. Dropbox is definitely my go to for cloud storage for work purposes in addition to Google Drive for my personal matters.
As with most updates, they also sorted out a few bugs to make your experience better.
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Sony introduces six devices that are all Google Cast for Audio ready
On Monday, Google launched Cast for Audio. It allows users to mirror audio content to speakers and other multimedia devices. As a launch partner, Sony has introduced six devices that are all Cast for Audio ready.
Hit the break for a description of each. Click here for our full CES 2015 coverage.
Sony Premium Hi-Res Bluetooth Speaker (SRX99)
- Sophisticated sound with 154 Watts digital amplification
- Seven speakers for immersive sound (45 Hz to 40 kHz)
- Dual passive radiators and Magnetic Fluid Speaker for incredible sound
- DSEE HX and ClearAudio+ technology deliver rich sound
- Bluetooth audio streaming with AAC and aptX support
Sony Premium Hi-Res Bluetooth Speaker (SRSX88)
- Sophisticated sound with 90 Watts digital amplification
- Expand your listening with powerful multi-room capability
- Enjoy endless music entertainment with Google Cast for audio
- Stream music wirelessly w/Bluetooth & NFC connections
- Wi-Fi audio streaming with DLNA and AirPlay support
Sony Hi-Res 7.1 Sound Bar w/Wireless Subwoofer (HT-ST9)
- 7.1 channel sound bar w/wireless subwoofer
- Expand your listening with powerful multi-room capability
- Coaxial left, right, and center speakers for Hi-Res sound
- HDMI with HDCP 2.2 for copyright protected content
- Easy set up with 3 HDMI in/1 out and ARC support
Sony Hi-Res 2.1 Sound Bar w/Wireless Subwoofer (HT-NT3)
- 170W 2.1ch TV sound system w/integrated dual subwoofer
- Stream content wirelessly with Bluetooth & NFC connections
- Single HDMI TV Connection with inputs for 3 HDMI devices
- Elevated chassis designed for strong bass performance
- Elegant glass finish supports up to 66 lbs & 55″ TVs
- Supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats
Sony 7.2 Ch Hi-Res Wi-Fi Network A/V Receiver (STR-DN1060)
- 7.2 Ch. 1155W A/V Receiver (165 W x 7 @ 6 ohms, 1 kHz, THD 0.9%)
- Optimized chassis and internal circuitry for incredible audio performance
- Built-in Wi-Fi with DLNA and AirPlay capability
- Enhanced usability via rich GUI and streamlined remote
- Supports high-resolution file playback via LAN, HDMI, and USB
Sony 7.2 Ch Hi-Res Wi-Fi Network A/V Receiver (STR-DN860)
- 7.2 Channel 1050W A/V Receiver (150W x 7 @ 6 ohms, 1 kHz, THD 0.9%)
- Optimized components and circuitry for fine-tuned audio response
- Built-in Wi-Fi with DLNA and AirPlay capability
- Enhanced usability via rich GUI and streamlined remote
- Supports high-resolution file playback via HDMI
Click here to view the embedded video.
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iPod Shuffle Shipping Times Worsen as Retail Stores Run Out of Stock
Supplies of Apple’s lowest priced iPod, the $49 iPod shuffle, are temporarily dwindling as shipping times on Apple’s website drop to 7 – 10 days and Apple Retail Stores run out of stock around the country, reports 9to5Mac.
According to multiple sources, supplies of the iPod Shuffle are dwindling across Apple’s physical retail and online channels. In fact, Apple has warned its retail employees that Shuffle supplies will be short for an unspecified period of time and that customers seeking to buy a Shuffle via a retail store should be directed to Apple’s online store.
The other two iPod lines, the nano and touch, aren’t seeing the same dwindling of supplies as they both display 24 hour shipping times and are available now in most of Apple’s retail stores. It’s unclear why the shuffle is seeing supply problems, but one possibility is that Apple is seeing a temporary shortage of iPod shuffle components, impacting the company’s ability to make new iPod shuffles.
New York City appears to be the city mostly suffering from the iPod shuffle shortage, while the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and Chicago seem to have a sporadic number of stores without any stock.
Apple hasn’t updated the iPod shuffle since September 2013. In early 2014, CEO Tim Cook said that the iPod was a “declining business”. In September 2014, Apple discontinued the iPod Classic due to the difficulty in purchasing parts to manufacture it and a shrinking audience for the device.
Turning my Nexus into a Yahoo phone
The other day, I felt like trying something totally strange and different. As I happily use my Nexus 5 throughout the day, I have gotten to the point where I rely on Google more than I thought I did. After realizing this, it hit me how much my Android phone has really become a “Google phone”.
Many of you are probably thinking, “uh, yeah? That’s what a Nexus phone is” to where I respond, “WHAT IF… this here Google telephone was mutated and transformed into something of the opposite race, a completely different species… a Yahoo Phone.
I never use Yahoo, but I don’t know why. I don’t have a reason not to, other than Google has been good enough and convenient for me. It also works wonders when I’m using Google’s services on the software that they designed. But Yahoo has many apps on the Play Store too, including a homescreen launcher. So with the options there, I gave it try and downloaded EVERYTHING Yahoo. Aviate Launcher, Yahoo Search, Yahoo Mail, Weather, you name it. You never know if you haven’t tried it, right?
Let’s go.
I created a new Yahoo account, setup Yahoo Mail, got my Weather location setup… I was ready.
I’m not here to review these apps or Yahoo in general, but for the most part I was pleased with how Yahoo’s apps operated and worked. I noticed a bit more ads on apps than Google’s services, such as more ads on Yahoo’s news columns, as well as ads top-and-center on Mail. But whatever, Google does it too to an extent.
Yahoo Search has been alright for me, but Google has done a much better job making Google Now a fluid an intuitive experience on an Android phone. Upon installing Yahoo Search, you can even replace Google Now at the bottom of your screen if you swipe up from the home button, even if your phone isn’t rooted (which I did not know). My favorite app of Yahoo is the News Digest app, which I made App of the Day a while back. It represents Yahoo’s best design yet in an app and makes catching up on the news actually kind of fun.
The backbone of my experience immersed in yahoo was Aviate, the home screen behind it all. I tried it out a long time ago when it was in beta and before Yahoo bought it, and many things have improved. I like how the left side of the launcher resembles Google Now and Blinkfeed, but allows you to add your own widgets to it. I like having my favorite apps on the main page. I also like the categories of apps on the right side of the launcher. It’s a fun and productive launcher to use, but ONLY AFTER I installed Android 5.0.1. When I was using it with Android 5.0, the “memory leak” issue was truly killing Aviate, and it frustrated the crap out of me. Just about every time I pressed to go back home, it would take a few seconds to load the launcher, even though it should be running in the background.
Whether the issue was fixed after Yahoo released a Nexus 6 compatibility update, or Google fixed the problem with Adroid 5.0.1, I’m not sure, but it works great now.
Right now I’ve switched back to my preferred Action Launcher 3, but I enjoyed my time using Yahoo on my phone. Not that the apps and services were bad, it just mainly has to do with Google offering a little bit more. I do encourage you guys to try using something different on your phone that you’ve never used before. Consider it a small New Year’s resolution.
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Apple will reportedly expand iOS beta testing to include Apple Store employees
We’ve already seen Apple open up testing a tad more with a public beta program for OS X Yosemite, and now it looks like the tech giant is set to open up a bit more on the iOS front as well. According to a new report, Apple will soon extend testing of pre-release iOS builds to its retail store employees.
The report comes from 9to5Mac‘s Mark Gurman, who says the following:
Apple will begin providing select retail store employees access to upcoming versions of iOS in order to widen its pre-release testing program, according to multiple sources. The program will begin in the near-future with an upcoming iOS release, perhaps version 8.2, which is slated to be released alongside the Apple Watch.
If true, hopefully this increased testing base helps to cut back on crippling bugs like those that plagued iOS 8’s initial builds.
Source: 9to5Mac
AIVAnet 