Samsung details colorful accessories for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge
Samsung will let you customize your Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge to your heart’s content with a range of accessories tailored for the devices.
Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer will unveil a smartwatch today – is Google involved?
A year ago almost to the day, Google announced Android Wear, a version of Android designed just for smartwatches. Among the several companies that were listed as partners in the announcement, Fossil stood out as the only conventional watchmaker on the list. We haven’t heard anything about Fossil’s Android Wear smartwatch since then, but we do know that Google is at least interested in putting its OS in the body of a more traditional watch.
While Fossil seemingly abandoned Android Wear, Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer is gearing up to release a smartwatch of its own. It’s not clear for now if TAG Heuer embraced Android Wear for its first smartwatch, though comments from CEO Claude Biver seem to hint at that.
According to Reuters, TAG Heuer is partnering with Intel for the mystery device, but Pocket-lint suggests Google is involved as well. Intel has dabbled into making smartwatches before, having bought Basis Science in March 2014.
The watch coming today will be a “digital replica” of the original black TAG Heuer Carrera (a version of which is pictured above); presumably, the device would look just like the Carrera on the outside, while the watch face will be a digital reconstruction of the Carrera’s dial. The device will be announced today, with a release scheduled for this autumn.
All the pieces of the puzzle suggest this “Carrera smartwatch” could be powered by Android Wear, but we have no guarantee for now. But even if Google isn’t involved, the release of Swiss-made smartwatch that looks like a conventional timepiece is still important for the budding field of wearables.
TAG Heuer is expected to make its announcement at 6AM ET, and we will update you with the official info as soon as we can.
The new clips that Robert Downey Jr. made for HTC are… interesting
Back in 2013, HTC gave Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. a boatload of money to become its image, as part of a billion-dollar promotional campaign dubbed Change.
Two years later, not a lot of things have changed (especially if you take that literally and look at the M9), but HTC is still struggling to effectively market its products. And the latest “shorts films” made by Downey for the new M9 probably won’t change that.
To be fair, these are not actual commercials. They are a “series of shorts representing the creative collaboration between Robert Downey Jr., Russell Scott of Jetset Studios, and HTC. Using color as a unifying metaphor, the shorts channel many artistic influences into a narrative that finds Downey and his scene‐partner, Brian Schaeffer, navigating a genre‐bending series of adventures.”
There’s RDJ swinging a baseball bat at a chicken. There’s Brian Schaeffer as a merman assaulting RDJ with a fake moon. And there’s a bunch of other weird and wonderful situations. The M9 itself only appears at the end of each clip along the “One Life. Make It Count.” slogan.
Check out the 10-video playlist.
While the artistic value of these shorts may be way above my head, I can’t help thinking that HTC gave RDJ a little too much leeway. Sure, these clips will bring HTC some attention, but HTC is a relatively well-known brand anyway. Perhaps some good old conventional marketing focused on the M9 would have been better for the company at this point?
Microsoft announces the new ‘super affordable’ Lumia 430 for just $70 USD
Just how low can Microsoft’s Lumia series of Windows Phone go? Evidently, very low as the company this morning is unveiling the ‘super affordable’ Microsoft Lumia 430 dual-SIM Windows Phone. The announcement was teased yesterday and now it has become a reality.
The ultra-budget dual SIM Lumia is destined for select emerging markets this April including India, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus all for just $70 USD.
Although the specifications are on the low side, Microsoft did not cut back in the crucial areas that make smartphones important these days. Accordingly, the Lumia 430 has 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB internal storage (micro SD expansion) and both rear and front-facing cameras for video calls. Even better, the device is slated to get Windows 10 later this year when that OS is released.
Reserve wants you to order food at Coachella with your phone
Music festivals already dole out plenty of perks if you have a VIP pass, but Coachella is trying something new this year: ordering upscale food from your phone. Roll up to the event with a VIP wristband and you can use Reserve’s restaurant app to order from pop-up locations at a flat $50 per person (not including the mandatory tip and Reserve’s $5 fee). You can also use the app if you’re a regular guest, but you’ll be limited to the deluxe Rose Garden dinners at a hefty $225 a pop. You’d better like haute cuisine, folks. Still, you’ve already paid hundreds of dollars to see your favorite bands — Reserve could be worth the added expense if it lets you enjoy concerts instead of waiting to get a seat or pay your bill.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
Source: Reserve Blog
A new audio app claims to treat tinnitus
Tinnitus affects the ears but it originates in the brain. The condition, which causes ringing in the ears, is mainly triggered by age-related hearing loss and prolonged exposure to excessively loud noise. But neuroscientific studies reveal that tinnitus is a symptom of abnormal hyperactivity in the brain’s auditory cortex. While most people affected by it resign themselves to chronic pain, Tinnitracks, a new web-based app, claims to treat the cause of the problem through filtered audio therapy.
The premise of the app, from German startup Sonormed, is neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to adapt and constantly learn new things. The app analyzes individual tracks and filters the frequency that causes tinnitus for each user. On playback, the listener’s hearing adapts to the audible alteration (or notches) and over time the hyperactivity in the brain is toned down. Essentially, it takes three steps: select music files from personal collection, filter tinnitus frequency and upload a personalized track to an MP3 player to start therapy.
Tinnitracks was one of nine winners at SXSW’s Accelerator startup competition this past weekend. The therapy breaks ground by going a step beyond conventional methods of managing symptoms and effectively treats the condition that affects 50 million Americans. The prescribed music listening experience is one to two hours a day for at least six months. With consistent effort, the therapy could treat subjective, tonal and even chronic conditions. For those who still insist on taking on the high-decibel concert season without earplugs, this might be a good app to bookmark.
[Image credit: Tinnitracks]
Source: Tinnitracks
How to disable automatic OS updates on BlackBerry 10
Although the option to disable automatic OS updates on BlackBerry 10 has been in place since BlackBerry 10.2, it seems as though a lot of folks missed when it was added. In the CrackBerry Forums, I’ve read several posts from folks claiming they were ‘forced’ to update to BlackBerry 10.3.1, which arguably caused issues for some, and I can understand that feeling to a certain extent.
Rather than debating whether or not the updates were ‘forced’ or whether it was just a case of not knowing the option was there, it seems best to just inform everyone of the option and how to go about enabling and disabling automatic updates. It’s a fairly simple process and there’s not a lot to it so, let’s just get right to it.
Major update to Inst10 for Instagram now available in BlackBerry World
After a small version bump earlier this week, Nemory Studios have pushed out a larger update to the native BlackBerry 10 Instagram app Inst10 that brings along with it some significant additions. Going from version 1.0.300.1 to 1.0.400.1, this release sees the addition of multiple account support, the ability to change themes without restart, multiple BlackBerry Hub notification improvements and much, much more!
EE announces new Film Club to replace Orange Wednesdays
EE today unveiled Film Club to offer new and existing customers to rent a single title from WuakiTV for just £1 each week. This new service replaces Orange Wednesdays, which closed last month.
CrackBerry Asks: Are you using a custom BBM PIN?
The last time that BBM was updated BlackBerry gave us two new subscription options – both which will be a nice little earner for them. Option one is ‘No Ads’ which is pretty self explanatory and will cost users $0.99 per month. But it’s the second option I’m more interested about and that’s the ability to have a custom BBM PIN – for $1.99 per month.
AIVAnet 