Samsung Unpacked official for the rest of us: March 1 in Barcelona
Just to confirm this morning’s reports from our Eastern neighbors, Samsung has officially sent out invitations to an Unpacked event March 1 in Barcelona leading into Mobile World Congress. Widely expected is the Samsung Galaxy S6, but it wouldn’t surprise us to see something else drop as well.
The event kicks off at 18:30 local time, which makes it noon in New York and 9 a.m. on the west coast. And we’ll be all over it. Samsung looks to be livestreaming it as well.
Nexus 5 back in stock, 16 and 32GB models
Find yourself craving a handset with stock Android onboard, but not keen on the Nexus 6’s size or price, and not exactly convinced by alternative options like the OnePlus One either? Right now you’re in luck, as the Nexus 5 is back in stock on Google Play!
The black Nexus 5 is currently showing as in stock in 16 and 32GB iterations, priced at the same $349.99 and $399.99 as always. At this point we can’t confirm if other countries that were out of stock are also seeing more units today, but there’s a good chance this only applies to those of us in the states. For those that order, the Nexus 5 should ship out within 1 to 2 business days. Just like with the other times it has been restocked, we imagine that only a limited number of handsets are available, so you’d better move soon if you are at all interested!
Now that it is a year old, is the Nexus 5 still worth buying? Considering the Snapdragon 800 has held up pretty well, I’d say so. It is currently my own personal daily driver, and I absolutely love this phone (camera and battery qualms aside). For those interested in learning more, be sure to check out our Nexus 5 ‘revisited’ post as well as our original review.
Samsung event teaser hints that ‘what’s next’ is a curvy Galaxy
Samsung’s pre-announcement clues are sometimes cryptic at best, but it’s not being especially subtle this time around. Hours after Tinhte first revealed that something was up, Samsung has posted a “what’s next” teaser for a March 1st Galaxy Unpacked event in Barcelona whose centerpiece is the shadowy profile of a curvy-looking device. While it’s not perfectly clear what this image represents, it bears an uncanny resemblance to the right-hand side of the Galaxy Note Edge, where the smartphone’s signature curved display tapers off. Seeing as how Samsung isn’t about to re-unveil a phone, our money’s on the teaser alluding to a Galaxy S6 with an Edge-like screen, whether it’s optional (as SamMobile rumored earlier) or standard issue. Whatever shows up, it’s pretty obvious that March 1st is going to be a very busy day in the Android world — we’ll be sure to attend those events and let you know what Samsung, HTC and others have to offer.
What’s next? The answer will be revealed March 1st at #Unpacked. #TheNextGalaxy pic.twitter.com/h6wve2BFWJ
– Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) February 3, 2015
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung
Companion app released for 2015 NBA All-Star Game
Thousands of basketball fans from around the country will head to New York City in less than two weeks for the activities surrounding the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. Both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets will co-host as the city is home to the teams. The game itself will be played at Madison Square Garden while Barclays Center has other weekend activities. Since there will be so much going on in such a big city, the NBA has launched a companion app. The NBA All-Star NYC App is a complete guide with schedules, ticket information, and point-to-point directions. Of course, the league is paying attention to fans that will not make it to New York City. The app also has news and NBA Game Time content. And, as a bonus, there is a map containing the history of basketball in The Big Apple.
The 2015 NBA All-Star Game takes place on February 15 with preceding events starting February 13.
Hit the break for the gallery and download links.
Come comment on this article: Companion app released for 2015 NBA All-Star Game
Raspberry Pi 2 brings improved hardware, Win 10 support, and more
In 2012 the first iteration of Raspberry Pi arrived on scene, giving us an ultra-tiny and ultra-affordable mini-computer that had potential that was limited only by the owner’s imagination. Since then, there have been revisions to the original that have bumped up the RAM or added more ports, but for the single core 700 MHz ARMv6 processor has remained the same. Thankfully, a massive upgrade has now been announced, dubbed the Raspberry Pi 2.
Set to sell at the same $35 price tag as the original, the Pi 2 offers a ARMv7 quad-core processor at 900MHz and is coupled with 1GB of RAM. The result is an upgrade that is said to offer about 6x better performance than its predecessor. Even better, it is almost completely compatible with any accessories and applications made to work with the original, though some of the edge cases reportedly may need to be tweaked in order to work.
As for the OSes that will play nicely with the Pi 2? While the older hardware limited the number of OSes that would work with the Pi, its successor is said to be handle both Ubuntu and even Windows 10. While we’d expect Ubuntu to be free, interestingly enough Microsoft has also partnered up to offer a free version of Windows 10 that will play nicely with the Pi 2’s ARM-based hardware. Few details on Windows 10 for Pi have been revealed just yet, though Microsoft says it will share more about the effort in the months to come. Beyond this, it’s pretty likely a number of Linux and Unix-like operating systems will also end up ported to the Pi 2, and we can also likely expect Android ROMs to surface. While the older Raspberry Pi did technically have Android ROMs for it, the limited hardware resulted in a very poor experience. Hopefully things are a bit smoother this time around.
So when exactly will we be able to get our hands on the Raspberry Pi 2? Right now actually! The device is available through various Raspberry Pi partners as we speak. Of course we wouldn’t be too surprised if demand is high enough that they become hard to get at first, so we’d act sooner rather than later if you don’t want to wait.
For more details on what to expect from the Raspberry Pi, be sure to check out the Raspberry Pi.org website.
White House wants its top agencies to have digital task forces
The US’s web-based health care portal didn’t launch as planned, to put it mildly, but the digital task force created to salvage that mess (and prevent others) showed that it’s possible to have modern, responsive government services on the internet. Accordingly, the White House wants more — as part of its proposed fiscal 2016 budget, the Obama administration is asking for $105 million to give each of its top 25 agencies a digital team of its own. The hope is that these new divisions, along with a bolstered central task force, will both improve your experience dealing with government bureaus online and help fend off malicious hackers.
It’s too soon to know if the strategy will work. Just because it helped Healthcare.gov doesn’t mean that you’ll see that success repeated 25 times, after all. However, the White House has had at least some success with its recent technology-centric reforms. To some degree, the budget itself is proof — in keeping with open data policies, you can read about the proposed spending on Medium and check out the raw budget data on GitHub. At the least, the gesture shows how an internet-savvy government is quickly becoming more of a necessity than a nice-to-have luxury.
Filed under: Internet
Via: The Hill
Source: White House Blog
Words on Tour
It just seems as if there is a never ending splurge of Candy Crush clones and an endless amount of Word Games. I just so happened to come across this game by accident. I was playing the newly updated Words with Friends when an ad popped up on my screen. “Download Words on Tour for free and Play Now,” the advertisement read. Curiosity overcame me and I downloaded it right away. As if I needed another game to distract me from my already busy schedule. However, once I started playing it, I was hooked.
Just like Candy Crush, each level of the game requires you to complete a specific task before moving on to the next. Such tasks include: collecting stamps, collecting so many different word tiles, completing a phrase, and getting a token to the bus. But the thing is, you only have so many moves you can make. While the game is free for download, what’s a game without in-app game purchases? Words on Tour makes it possible for you to buy coins and bonus tiles to help complete difficult levels. If you don’t want to purchase any tiles, one could always go on Facebook and ask friends for extra lives. Sound familiar? The game also provides tutorials if you’re not sure how to complete a certain task.
Having a difficulty looking for a word? It’s okay. One of the coolest features of this game though is the ability to rotate your phone to find words. One of the things I do not like about this game though, is that you are only given 5 tries. Otherwise you will have to wait until your heart meter is re-filled, or you could ask your friends on Facebook to give you a life. Having to ask for extra lives is an inconvenience especially when most of your friends can’t stand receiving game requests. I suppose its ok we have 5 tries or I probably would be playing the game all night and not completing my homework. Collect as many stars as you can to be able to move on to a new city (level).
While this game is certainly not perfectly built as there are a few glitches here and there such as syncing with other device issues, sometimes when I try to swipe a word, the game tends to freeze. When I restart the game, I lose a life. Other than a few of these minor inconveniences, I like this game. While most of the time we can pass with three-four letter words, sometimes it is beneficial to try and use our thinking caps to get more than just a three letter word. It will increase your chances of obtaining a bonus tile faster.
What we like:
- When working on a ‘complete the phrase’ task and somehow you run out of moves, when you repeat that level, the game does not change the phrase. In fact, by the second time around, you will know what letters you need in order to complete that task.
- The ability to rotate your phone so you can change the way your tiles move on the board or change the direction how the extra bonus tiles removes the tiles.
What we don’t like:
- Having to depend on friends on Facebook for extra lives.
- Does not sync to other devices. So even though you may be on level 69 on your phone, check out your tablet, you may be on a different level.
The post Words on Tour appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Verizon deploys Android 5.0 Lollipop update to Samsung Galaxy S5
Many users have been awaiting patiently for Android Lollipop to arrive on their devices. In the past, the two biggest culprits to preventing quick Android updates have been Samsung, and Verizon. Well, today I’m here to surprise you, as the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S5 will be the first US variant of the device to get Lollipop, and also among the first of the flagship devices to be getting the update on a wide-scale release in the US. Below are all the features this update will bring:
Material Design – Android Lollipop brings the all-new material design offering fluid animations, vivid colored themes, and 3-D views for a more pleasurable experience
Basic Interaction – Bolder color and more fluid animation; The on/off toggle button style updated based on material design
Lock Screen – The shortcuts for both Phone and Camera are provided for convenience; Material design-inspired notifications; Ability to set priority and privacy for notifications on lock screen; Provide music control as a card to utilize the real estate of the lock screen UI; Brighter look and feel, bold colors, fluid animation inspired by material design.
TouchWiz – Floating action buttons provide easy access to the app’s most important features, such as adding a new contact or favorite, or composing a text message
Floating Action Button – Floating action buttons provide easy access to the app’s most important features, such as adding a new contact or favorite, or composing a text message.
Interruptions – Interruptions give you more advanced options to control your sound settings; Priority notifications such as events and reminders, phone calls, and messages can be set up to sound or vibrate while all other notifications are muted; Set downtime for specific days and times to control notification sounds automatically
Recents – Easy access to your Chrome tabs right from the Recent apps page; Multi-window icons for ease-of-use during multi-tasking
If you’d like to see the full release, go to the link below.
Source: Verizon Wireless
The post Verizon deploys Android 5.0 Lollipop update to Samsung Galaxy S5 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
iPad Momentum Falls Flat as Tablet Market Experiences First Year-Over-Year Decline
iPad sales slowed in the fourth quarter as the worldwide tablet market experienced its first year-over-year decline since being established in 2010, according to the latest numbers from market research firm IDC. Apple shipped 21.4 million iPads for 28.1% market share in the fourth quarter to maintain a comfortable lead over Samsung, which shipped 11 million tablets for 14.5% market share during the three-month period ending December.
The worldwide tablet market continues to be mainly a two-horse race between Apple and Samsung, with smaller competitors such as Lenovo, Asus and Amazon shipping just 3.7 million, 3 million and 1.7 million tablets respectively during the fourth quarter. IDC says that, despite a year-over-year decline, worldwide tablet shipments increased 4.4% to total 229.6 million units in 2014.
“The tablet market is still very top heavy in the sense that it relies mostly on Apple and Samsung to carry the market forward each year,” said Jitesh Ubrani, Senior Research Analyst, Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker. “Although Apple expanded its iPad lineup by keeping around older models and offering a lower entry price point of $249, it still wasn’t enough to spur iPad sales given the excitement around the launch of the new iPhones. Meanwhile, Samsung’s struggles continued as low-cost vendors are quickly proving that mid- to high-priced Android tablets simply aren’t cut out for today’s tablet market.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri cautioned investors during last week’s earnings call that iPad sales are unlikely to see a dramatic year-over-year improvement in the near future. Nevertheless, Apple is optimistic about pushing the iPad further into the enterprise through its IBM deal announced last July and is also seeing first-time buyer rates for the iPad as high as 70% in emerging markets such as China.
FCC to Propose Regulating Internet Service as a Utility for Stronger Net Neutrality Rules
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Tom Wheeler plans to submit a proposal that would allow the agency to regulate Internet service much like a public utility, reports The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. The move would let the FCC introduce strong rules that could prevent Internet providers from creating “fast lanes” letting certain sites pay for faster speeds.
It is expected that the proposal will reclassify high-speed Internet service as a telecommunications service, instead of an information service, under Title II of the Communications Act, according to industry analysts, lobbyists and former F.C.C. staff members.
Net neutrality, which is the principle that all data on the Internet should be treated equally, has been a major topic of discussion in recent months as the FCC in 2014 approved commercially reasonable “Open Internet” net neutrality rules that could potentially allow companies to pay for better service.
In November, President Obama urged the FCC to instead implement strong rules to protect net neutrality, following a four tenet path that would prevent ISPs from blocking or throttling Internet sites. Obama’s proposal also called for the prevention of paid prioritization, keeping companies from shelling out money for faster speeds, and it suggested greater transparency between ISPs and their customers.
More than any other invention of our time, the Internet has unlocked possibilities we could just barely imagine a generation ago. And here’s a big reason we’ve seen such incredible growth and innovation: Most Internet providers have treated Internet traffic equally. That’s a principle known as “net neutrality” — and it says that an entrepreneur’s fledgling company should have the same chance to succeed as established corporations, and that access to a high school student’s blog shouldn’t be unfairly slowed down to make way for advertisers with more money.
Obama’s call for stronger net neutrality rules caused FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to reverse course from his original plan that did allow for paid prioritization, and he is said to be aiming to submit the new proposal to FCC commissioners on Thursday. Wheeler may, however, aim for a “light-touch approach” to the plan, avoiding meddling in pricing decisions. A vote on the proposal is expected on February 26.
Apple has been working on developing its own content delivery network and has been pursuing deals with various ISPs to ensure the efficent delivery of content to customers, but it’s possible these types of deals will no longer be allowed if the FCC’s newest proposal is implemented.
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.
AIVAnet 