Frakes, Morris, Ochs, Snell, Viticci on Apple Watch and new MacBook
What do some of the smartest minds in tech think of Apple’s latest announcements?
As soon as Apple’s Spring Forward event was over, and the demo area calmed down, I had the chance to talk to a few members of the media in attendance. They graciously shared their thoughts on the Apple Watch, the all-new MacBook, and ResearchKit.
Clayton Morris of Fox and Friends:
Susie Ochs of Macworld:
Federico Viticci of Mac Stories:
Thanks Dan, Clayton, Susie, Jason, and Federico!
Moto G with 4G connectivity now available in the UK
If you have had your eyes on the second generation Moto G but were hoping for a faster network connection, the time has come.
Motorola has made the second generation of the Moto G available with a 4G connection, making it even more appealing. The jump from 3G to 4G has suprisingly only bumped the cost of the phone £10, from £149.00 to £159.00 now which is a complete steal.
Anker 2nd Gen Astro3 12800mAh Battery review
Design
Anker® 2nd Gen Astro3 12800mAh
The Astro3 does not stray from the traditional look of modern external batteries, as Anker decided to keep with the conventional square frame. Made from a matte black silicon material, the Astro3 feels great to the touch and is able to fit in discretely in any environment.
There are not physical button on the Astro3 as the external battery utilizes a motion sensor for most of its actions. On the right side you do get a break from the seamless look of the Astro3, as that’s where the three external charging ports and the Astro3’s own charging port is located. Aside from that, there is nothing else that takes away from the Astro3’s seamless appearance.
Features
Anker decided to do away with any physical buttons on the Astro3 and instead opted to use a built in motion sensor to activate the device. This means that whenever you need to charge the devices hooked up to the Astro3, all you have to do is give the battery pack a small shake. This motion also activates the white LED indicator on the front that allows you to see how much charge is left on the device.
The Astro3 comes with Anker’s proprietary battery charging technology, dubbed Power IQ. Every device has a certain amp current limit that it can be charged at. Modern devices are smart enough that they will only get the necessary amount of current that they were built to receive. The issue though is that most charging methods, unless you are using the official charger that came with the device, are going to charge your device at a slower rate. This is especially true when you try to charge you device using your desktop or laptop charger. This is where Power IQ comes in, the Astro3 has the capability to charge your device up to 4 amps, more than enough current for almost all portable devices. The Power IQ detects how much current it can send over to your device and will send over the maximum amount. This in turn makes ensures that your device will charge at the maximum rate, lowering your wait time.
Real World Testing
I must say, I was thoroughly impressed with the results of the Astro3. Straight out of the box, I decided to see how it would fare, so I hooked up my HTC One M8 which I had forgotten to charge the night before. It did not take long for the Astro3 to have my M8 go from 15% to 100% with the Power IQ technology and ready for the day ahead. I was able to charge my M8 three more times before the Astro3 finally needed to be charged itself. That is really impressive by today’s standards and the Astro3 did a remarkable job putting other external batteries to shame.
Charging the Astro3 itself did take some time though, as is to be expected from such a big battery, so I left it charging overnight and was delighted to see it fully charged by morning come. I am sure I would have been able to squeeze another charge out of the Astro3 for my M8 had it been fully charged when it came out of the box, but three full charges is still no laughing matter. Especially for a device that is relatively inexpensive when you consider like products and what you are getting in return.
Final Thoughts
The Astro3 is fantastic external battery that makes for the perfect gift for any tech fan. Being able to keep your devices charged at all times is a necessity in today’s busy world and the Astro3 is more than capable in assisting with that need. You can purchase an Astro3 and find more information regarding the device by heading over to Amazon using the links provided.
The post Anker 2nd Gen Astro3 12800mAh Battery review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
A few days with OnStar in-car LTE
Having a standalone LTE connection for your car is now an easy-to-acquire option, but its value is certainly questionable.
Considering the ubiquity of mobile devices with their own LTE data connections, including phones and now tablets, I’ve not quite understood the appeal of having a dedicated mobile data connection in the car. After spending a few days with in-car LTE available at my disposal, I’ve started to change my tone a bit on the situation.
After using it, it’s clear that there are a plenty of reasons why it makes far more sense than just relying on individual connections to your phone or tablet — the real question is how much you’d be willing to pay for it. Read along and see just how useful I found integrated in-car LTE to be in the real world.
Download and install latest Google Play Store 5.3.6 APK (Material Design)
The Google Play Store has just received a version bump, bringing it to version 5.3.6 only days after getting seeing version 5.3.5 rolled out.
What’s New
– New Search Bar
– New Material Design Animation
If like me you like to be on the cutting edge of developments, you can go ahead and grab the latest Google Play Store 5.3.6 APK from here.
Notice anything else different in the newest version of the Google Play Store? Drop us a comment below.
The post Download and install latest Google Play Store 5.3.6 APK (Material Design) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung will sell 46 million Galaxy S6 phones this year, up 20% from earlier estimates
Things continue to look very good for Samsung. They already upped their initial production of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge to meet demand and now CitiBank analyst Henry H Kim is giving us even better news.
Initial targets had the Galaxy S6 pegged at 38 million for 2015, but Kim is now saying it’s likely to be more like 46 million. That’s a 20 percent increase. Interestingly enough, he didn’t even specify the Galaxy S6 Edge so those sales will be frosting on the cake.
Kim also said that Samsung will have about a 1 percent quarterly decline in operating profit for the 1st quarter. Obviously the GS6 and Edge won’t be available during the 1st quarter and there is an expected seasonal dip. However, Kim is expecting a 39 percent increase in quarterly profit during the second quarter.
Come comment on this article: Samsung will sell 46 million Galaxy S6 phones this year, up 20% from earlier estimates
App Store and iTunes Among Apple Services Experiencing Downtime
A number of Apple services are experiencing an extended period of downtime, including the App Store and iTunes Connect. The iOS and Mac App Stores are displaying various error messages to users about being unable to connect or certain items being unavailable, as spotted by The Next Web, and iTunes Connect and TestFlight are also down for developers.
The outage is affecting a significant number of users in the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, India and many other countries worldwide. The downtime appears to have been ongoing for several hours this morning, although Apple has yet to update its System Status page to reflect the downtime for the iOS App Store, Mac App Store, iTunes Connect, TestFlight or any other affected Apple services.
@AppStore is the store down atm keep getting this message. Tried restarting already. pic.twitter.com/dM9qgQtgU0
— Calumk (@Calumk4) March 11, 2015
This post will be updated as the status of the outage changes.
Motorola’s best budget smartphone just got even better
It’s no surprise that the Moto G is the bestselling smartphone in Motorola’s history — it’s always had solid specs and featured a class-leading display. Perhaps the only complaint that can be levelled at it is the fact that neither the first or second generation handsets launched with 4G support. That isn’t to say Motorola isn’t including it, it’s just that it takes a while. Now, finally, the company is making the best budget phone you can buy even faster.
The Moto G with 4G comes unlocked and you can pick one up direct from Motorola’s website right now for £159. That’s nearly ten pounds less than its 3G counterpart. It’ll also be available to by from Tesco, Carphone Warehouse, Amazon, Argos, Sainsbury’s and Asda from March 16th. Although the second-generation Moto G is available to buy in the US, there’s no LTE support for now, meaning you’ll have to wait a little while longer to get your hands on Motorola’s bestseller.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Motorola
Touring the world’s first ‘Google Shop’
For a while now, Google has been using Currys PC World stores across the UK to promote its latest Chromebooks, Chromecast and Nexus devices. The company normally takes over a small section of the shop with its own decor, demo stations and staff, which naturally attract the attention of curious customers. Google still hasn’t built an Apple-style retail store of its own, but this week it moved one step closer with the launch of a new “Google Shop” inside the Currys PC World store on London’s Tottenham Court Road. The company says it’s the first “Google shop experience” to be opened anywhere in the world and will be joined by two more in Fulham, London and Thurrock, Essex later this year.
Before you’ve even stepped through the door, the scale and ambition of Google’s new store is apparent. The company’s huge logo dominates the window, although it’s been constructed from typically British objects to give it some extra flair. A sign for the nearest tube station, Warren Street, has been used for the red “o” and a suspended bicycle represents the first lower case “g.” It’s bold and eye-catching, and if you wait a few moments you’ll see a steel ball whizzing over, under and around all of the letters.
The store is actually quite small, but there’s a lot to keep both children and adults entertained. A large “Doodle Wall” lets you create your own Google Doodle with artificial spray cans; the motion tracking is surprisingly accurate and once you’ve created an artistic monstrosity, you can choose to save your handiwork as an animated GIF. A second installation called “Portal” combines nine 1080p screens for an immersive Google Earth experience. A large podium houses a touch screen for easy navigation, as well as a giant “space navigator” nub that helps you pull the perspective in different directions. There’s even a Leap Motion sensor so that when you land on an interesting spot, you can raise your hand and see both the co-ordinates and estimated population for the area.
A Google-blue Chromecast pod demonstrates the streaming capabilities of Google’s tiny streaming dongle, while a table slap-bang in the center of the room offers a couple of Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 devices. Finally, a long demo station on the left-hand side offers a bank of Chromebooks and Android Wear smartwatches, including the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R. No Nest products though, which feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Before you leave, you can walk around the back of the huge Google logo in the window and push a couple of bright buttons and levers. They’ll release a new steel ball or spin the bicycle wheel, and at the end you can take a photo booth-style montage with Google-themed filters and borders. Staff say the store has been designed to sell Google hardware, but it’s clear this is more of a showpiece for the company. The installations are fun and memorable, but it’s not like anyone needed reminding of Google Maps or the ever-changing Google Doodles. Still, “the Google Shop” is easily one of the most exciting retail projects Google has ever undertaken, and it’s probably our closest look at what a permanent, standalone store from the company could look like in the future.
Deal: Get a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited for 70% off
Having access to a VPN service is extremely important in today’s age. If you’ve ever used public Wifi, gotten your bandwidth throttled, needed to work remotely, or simply just don’t trust your ISP provider, then a VPN service might be for you. And thanks to the Android Authority Deals Store, you’ll be able to score a lifetime subscription to a service for cheap.
VPN Unlimited allows you to keep your data hidden and encrypted while you’re connected to a public Wifi network. You also don’t need to worry about traffic bandwidth, because your data usage will never slow down due to high traffic volumes. And with VPN Unlimited 3.0, you’ll get a list of fully downloadable global servers, the ability to switch servers quickly, and receive hands-on statistics for both mobile and desktop devices. Also in VPN Unlimited 3.0, servers have been added to Romania, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ukraine, Japan and Texas.
VPN Unlimited is compatible with Android devices running 4.0 and up, Windows devices running XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 8.1, Mac devices running OS X 10.7 and up and the iPhone 4 and newer. It’s even compatible with Linux devices running Debian GNU/Linux 7.0 and Ubuntu 12.04+.
Thanks to the AA Deals Store, you can grab a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited for only $39… that’s a full 70% off the suggested retail price. To take advantage of this deal, head to the link below.
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