Android 5.0 Lollipop set to roll out to Sony Xperia Z3 next month
We already new that Sony would be bringing Android 5.0 Lollipop to the “core” Xperia Z2 and Z3 lines in early 2015, with the first whispers of this timeframe surfacing in October with Sony finally confirming the news in December. Up until now, the Japanese smartphone maker hasn’t been too specific on exactly when the Lollipop rollout will happen. Sony still hasn’t given us an exact date, but they have revealed the update will begin rolling out to the Xperia Z3 next month.
It’s unclear how much longer it will take for the update to reach other members of the Z3 and Z2 family, though it’s still nice to hear that Sony is committed to bringing Lollipop sooner rather than later. We’ll be sure to update you as soon as we learn more specifics of their plans.
How do you feel about how Sony has handled its plans for Lollipop so far — about as expected, moving faster than you expected or somewhere in between? Let us know in the comments.
Sony to roll out Lollipop to Xperia Z3 lineup starting next month
During its CES 2015 press conference in Las Vegas tonight, COO of Sony Electronics Michael Fasulo announced that the company is set to start rolling out Android 5.0 Lollipop to its Xperia Z3 lineup starting next month.
HTC Desire 826 heads to Asia-Pacific with Snapdragon 610
HTC has announced the Desire 826 for the Asia-Pacific region, bringing an updated version of its mid-range smartphone to bear. The 5.5-inch display (at 1080p) is clad in a polycarbonate body and is running a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 610 processor and Android 5.0 Lollipop, sports HTC BoomSound in the new slimmed-down speakers — with Dolby Audio included. It’s also got an UltraPixel front-facing camera to go along with the 13-megapixel shooter on the back. The HTC EYE Experience software is on board as well.
More: HTC
Sony Walkman brand lives on with the ZX2
The Walkman brand has existed for more than thirty-five years. And while it is not nearly as successful as it once was, Walkman still exists today. Tonight at its CES 2015 press conference, Sony introduced the Walkman ZX2. The device is bound to make audiophiles salivate. The Walkman ZX2 supports DSD, WAV, AIFF, FLAC, and Apple Lossless among other types of audio. Aside from connecting to one of the device’s various ports, Sony allows for connecting speakers and headsets with Bluetooth and NFC connections.
For the people that want just a bit more than a music player, the Walkman ZX2 has full access to Google Play. The device is powered by Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Just remember that this is a music player first and foremost; therefore, performance to do anything else is completely up in the air. Set expectations low for playing games and browsing the web.
Sony will release the Walkman ZX2 in the coming months with a retail price exceeding $1,000. The price may be so high due to how much it caters to audio. Or it can be the design of the Walkman ZX2. It has a premium look and feel — the uniquely placed buttons on a curve, the textured rear, the headphone jack with a gold trim. And, unsurprisingly, the Walkman ZX2 has 128GB of internal storage that can be expanded since there is a microSD card slot.
Click here for our full CES 2015 coverage.
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Nikon’s D5500 is its newest entry-level DSLR camera
It’s been a while since Nikon introduced its D5300 DSLR, so what better time to upgrade that model than during CES 2015. Meet the Nikon D5500, the company’s new DSLR, geared toward people who, perhaps, have just started to get into photography. Having said that, the D5500 is no slouch, and thus should have no trouble appealing to some prosumers as well. Nikon’s D5500 features a 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor without an optical low-pass filter, aka OLPF, which is great to produce higher-quality, sharper images. To tie it all together, there’s a 3.2-inch, adjustable LCD touchscreen on the back — an upgrade from the D5300. Nikon says the D500 can handle up to 820 shots per charge with 60 percent flash usage, or 3200 without any at all. While it may look very similar to the D5300 from the outside, the D500 is a definite improvement over its predecessor. It’ll be available for $799 next month, and you’ll have the option to choose between the traditional black hue or a more spicy red colorware.
Filed under: Cameras, Misc, Peripherals, Nikon
CES 2015: The Magellan Echo Fit is Magellan’s latest smartwatch attempt and it looks pretty good
Smartwatches are the name of the game at CES 2015 so far, with wearables coming all corners of the tech industry. Another company that has just added a new entry is GPS powerhouse, Magellan, who has just announced their latest smartwatch, the Magellan Echo Fit, at CES 2015. The Echo Fit sports a healthy amount of internal equipment that […]
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Cricket dials up plus-sized ZTE Grand X Max+
Cricket and ZTE on Monday kicked off their respective CES efforts by announcing the upcoming availability of the 6-inch Grand X Max+. Set to arrive on Friday, January 9, the ZTE Grand X Max+ refreshes the plus-sized model. Chief among the changes are 4G LTE connectivity, better battery, and a wide-angle camera lens.
Priced only $200, the Grand X Max+ packs a quad-core processor, a 6-inch HD display, 3200mAh battery, and up to 16GB internal storage. With a 13-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, 2GB RAM, and microSD expansion, it’s more than enough smartphone for the average no-contract user.
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Magellan announces the RoadMate: a GPS unit built specifically for truckers
Magellan isn’t normally the name that comes to mind when we think of GPS technologies, but the company has a pretty nice announcement for us at this year’s CES 2015. The navigation company has just announced their GPS unit for truckers. Officially dubbed the RoadMate RC9485T-LMB, it’s designed specifically for truckers and commercial drivers, and aims to provide a better navigation experience for those going on long trips.
The RoadMate allows for multiple driver sign-in support, as well as customizable routes and truck preferences. Atop all of these already handy features, the GPS device offers:
- Multiple-Stop Routing lets drivers plan their trip with multiple stops in the order they want or automatically optimizes for the most efficient route, helping to save time and money.
- Free Lifetime Traffic Alerts, sent directly to their GPS unit, lets users plan more precise travel times and ETAs by avoiding traffic jams and other delays.
- Junction View displays a realistic image of the road and highway signs to help guide drivers to the correct lane that the vehicle needs to be in for safe merging and exiting.
- Landmark Guidance gives users an easier way to navigate to their destinations by telling them to turn at familiar landmarks, such as gas stations, stores or other large, easily-seen places instead of only street names that may be hard to locate and/or read.
- Highway Lane Assist helps when navigating complex highway interchanges, ensuring that a driver stays on the correct roadway.
- Exit POIs indicate where truck stops, food, lodging, rest areas, and weigh stations are located at an approaching exit. Integrated Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology allows drivers to safely talk hands free on compatible Bluetooth phones.
The Magellan RoadMate will be available to the public sometime in Q1 of 2015, and will retail starting at $299.99. We wouldn’t doubt it if we saw these devices on the road everywhere within the coming months. Check back to Android Authority for the best coverage here at CES 2015!
Magellan, a leader of innovative GPS devices and content services for vehicles, fitness, outdoor, and mobile navigation, announces its latest commercial series GPS, the RoadMate RC9485T-LMB, at International CES. The Magellan RoadMate RC9485T-LMB is a 7″ Android truck GPS navigation system optimized for independent truckers and professional commercial drivers. It will be demonstrated during CES in the Magellan booth, LVCC South Hall 2 – MP25441.
With an extra loud speaker, an external Audio/Video input for a backup camera and a 7″ glass capacitive touch panel, the RC9485T-LMB ensures a safe and convenient trip for all drivers. Its OneTouch favorites menu offers ease-of-use and allows for a personalized travel experience.
The RC9485T-LMB is compatible with the Magellan SmartGPS Eco cloud, giving drivers easy access to time and money-saving content such as: real-time fuel pricing information, weather (including five-day forecast and overlays), truck speed limit warnings and IP traffic.
“Our new RoadMate RC9485T-LMB Android navigation device offers comprehensive navigation solutions by providing best-in-class software as well as unsurpassed connectivity, and real-time content delivered by our SmartGPS Eco cloud,” remarked Stig Pedersen, Magellan associate vice president, product management. “We are very excited to be showing our new device at this year’s CES and look forward to the positive response from attendees.”
The Magellan RoadMate RC9485T-LMB offers users a host of truck navigation features. These include:
- Multiple Driver Log-in allows drivers to log HOS (hours of service) and driving status, track hours and record state mileage for IFTA fuel logging. Drivers can also conveniently export all logs for reporting and tracking of each trip.
- Customizable Truck Route sets up vehicle profile and calculates routes based on height, weight, width, length, and hazmat restrictions; it guides users according to their route preferences and vehicle profile.
- Multiple-Stop Routing lets drivers plan their trip with multiple stops in the order they want or automatically optimizes for the most efficient route, helping to save time and money.
- Free Lifetime Traffic Alerts, sent directly to their GPS unit, lets users plan more precise travel times and ETAs by avoiding traffic jams and other delays.
- Junction View displays a realistic image of the road and highway signs to help guide drivers to the correct lane that the vehicle needs to be in for safe merging and exiting.
- Landmark Guidance gives users an easier way to navigate to their destinations by telling them to turn at familiar landmarks, such as gas stations, stores or other large, easily-seen places instead of only street names that may be hard to locate and/or read.
- Highway Lane Assist helps when navigating complex highway interchanges, ensuring that a driver stays on the correct roadway.
- Exit POIs indicate where truck stops, food, lodging, rest areas, and weigh stations are located at an approaching exit. Integrated Bluetooth® 4.0 wireless technology allows drivers to safely talk hands free on compatible Bluetooth phones.
Pricing and Availability
The Magellan RoadMate RC9485T-LMB will be available in Q1 with an MSRP of $299.99. Additional information about Magellan’s navigation products is available at http://www.magellangps.com.
About Magellan
Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, MiTAC Digital Corporation, manufacturer of the Magellan (www.magellangps.com) brand of portable GPS navigation devices, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MiTAC International Corporation. Magellan, the industry leader for innovative GPS navigation devices since 1986, globally markets award-winning products in multiple categories including auto, RV, commercial, outdoor, fitness and mobile. Continuing its spirit of innovation, Magellan is developing new cloud-based technologies, wearables, OEM, and B-to-B solutions to meet the changing needs of today’s consumers.
CES 2015: Volkswagen Adding CarPlay Support in Late 2015 [iOS Blog]
Car manufacturer Volkswagen today revealed that it would add support for CarPlay and Android Auto to its vehicles at the end of the year, bringing Apple’s in-car experience to the popular car brand. It’ll debut alongside VW’s new in-car infotainment system, referred to as MirrorLink.
Later this year, VW will introduce the second generation “modular infotainment platform” (MIB II) in the United States. Along with the new infotainment system, MirrorLink™ will also be made available for the first time, integrating the apps and operating layout of numerous smartphones (including Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony) into cars. When MirrorLink™ is introduced, two other interfaces will also be launched under the App-Connect label: CarPlay™ (Apple®) and Android Auto™ (Google®). Simultaneously, VW will also launch CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ in the European market.
When CarPlay was first announced, Volkswagen was one of the few major car brands not involved. The company isn’t listed on Apple’s CarPlay partners page on its website either. However, the CarPlay integration debuting alongside VW’s new infotainment system indicates the German manufacturer may have been waiting until it sorted out the future of its in-car technology before committing to Apple’s.
While VW cars in both Europe and North America will get CarPlay support in late 2015, it’s unknown how much VW’s new infotainment system will cost.
BYOD continues to grow, starting to cover wearables and IoT
A new report from Tech Pro Research shows that nearly three quarters of surveyed companies permit or are planning to permit employees to bring their own devices, BYOD, to work. Acceptance of BYOD is greater in smaller organizations than larger organizations, with IT, technology and education entities leading the way. Government entities tend to be the most reluctant to permit BYOD. For those companies and organizations not pursuing BYOD, security continues to be the primary reason cited for their hesitancy.
In addition to security concerns, respondents to the survey indicated IT support was viewed as a significant drawback to allowing BYOD. Other issues like loss of control over hardware, lack of standardization, and regulatory compliance issues were also major concerns for those who had ruled out BYOD.
As we have seen over the past year, and especially during CES 2015 going on this week, wearables and the Internet of Things are getting a lot of interest from companies that want to get in on these markets. The relative youth of this market category shows up in the survey responses where only 29% had added IoT and wearables into their BYOD plans and policies. Still, that seems like a healthy number for a market that is not yet clear. As more consumers get their hands on these devices and start to figure out how to use them, even for work purposes, this number will likely increase.
source: Tech Pro Research
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