You can now pre-order the Razer Forge TV from Amazon for $150
Razer unveiled its Forge TV mini console at CES a few months ago, and it’s finally up for pre-order on Amazon. The Forge TV bundle will ship to customers on May 1st, and will include the Android TV-powered mini console and gaming controller for $150. Back at CES, Razer announced that the device would sell for $100, but that was just for the console itself.
The Forge TV has a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, an Adreno 420 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, an HDMI output (1.4), Bluetooth 4.1+HS and an ethernet port. Since it’s powered by Android TV, you can run games directly from Google Play. Not only that, you can take advantage of Razer’s new Cortex: Stream service, which allows you to transmit PC games directly to your television. Razer says Cortex: Stream can provide low latency HD resolution when streaming, but early adopters won’t be able to take advantage of the service quite yet. The company says it will be available sometime this Spring.
Considering the box’s beefy specifications and low price point, this may well be the most valuable Android TV box to hit the market so far. Especially with the added benefit of streaming PC games to the TV, we imagine many users will jump onboard with this device. If you’re interested in placing your pre-order, head to the link below.
Pre-order the Razer Forge TV from Amazon
Stanford’s aluminum battery fully charges in just one minute
Lithium-ion batteries have been a boon for the modern world — they’ve replaced the heavier, single-use alkaline type in everything from wristwatches to jumbo jets. Unfortunately, these rechargeable cells are already struggling to keep up with our ever-increasing energy needs. But a new type of aluminum-ion battery developed at Stanford University is not only less explode-y than lithium, it can also be built at fraction of the price and recharges completely in just over a minute. Best of all, “our new battery won’t catch fire, even if you drill through it,” Stanford chemistry professor Dai Hongjie boasted in a recent release.
Unlike earlier aluminum batteries, which generally failed after only about 100 recharge cycles, Stanford’s prototype can cycle more than 7,500 times without any capacity loss — 7.5 times longer than your average li-ion. The aluminum-ion cell isn’t perfect (yet) as it can only produce about 2 volts, far less than the 3.6V that lithium-ion an muster. Plus aluminum cells only carry 40 watts of electricity per kilogram compared to lithium’s 100 to 206 W/kg energy density. “Improving the cathode material could eventually increase the voltage and energy density,” said Dai. “Otherwise, our battery has everything else you’d dream that a battery should have: inexpensive electrodes, good safety, high-speed charging, flexibility and long cycle life. I see this as a new battery in its early days. It’s quite exciting.”
Filed under: Science
Via: PC World
Source: Stanford University
BlackBerry Messenger helps uncover a Brazilian corruption scandal
Some less-than-ethical businesspeople are learning the hard way that even secure messaging systems aren’t all that private. Brazilian authorities have used BlackBerry Messenger records (obtained through warrants and BlackBerry’s help) to level corruption charges against over 100 people skimming money from the country’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras. The chats not only confirmed relationships between culprits, but indicated when people were arranging cash drop-offs and other suspicious activities. There aren’t any convictions just yet, but it may be hard for at least some suspects to deny that they’re involved.
Brazilian law enforcement’s access to the chats raises concerns about BBM’s confidentiality, especially in light of BlackBerry’s tendencies to both treat messages as sacred and offer access only reluctantly. The company isn’t saying much, but it points to an official policy that balances “lawful access assistance” versus privacy. In short, officials likely gave the folks in Waterloo little choice but to hand over the goods — at least in Brazil, you shouldn’t assume that encryption alone will keep your messages a secret.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Blackberry
Source: Wall Street Journal
OnePlus OxygenOS now available for One smartphones
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OnePlus OxygenOS is now officially available for the One smartphone after a long wait. OnePlus made the announcement on their blog that One users can download the OxygenOS ROM and flash it on the One manually. They also mentioned that they are working on an easier way to port the update to the One but for now, flashing is the only option.
Earlier this year, OnePlus announced the OxygenOS as they decided to move away from CyanogenMod. Later, they were joined by the team of developers behind Paranoid Android who helped them creating an amazing operating system. OxygenOS is based on Android 5.0.2, and it will bring some great features to the One. OnePlus says that they care more about performance and battery life, rather than stuffing the interface with bloatware. They also mentioned that they like to keep it ‘light and essential’. Check out the video below:
Are you using the OnePlus One? Did you update your One to OxygenOS? Let us know in the comment box below.
Source: OnePlus Blog
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LG takes a swing at Samsung over the Galaxy S6 Egde bending
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It was only a matter of time before the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge bending became a thing, and it seems LG are taking the opportunity for a bit of promotion for their LG G Flex 2. Both the G Flex 2 and S6 Edge employ a curved screen but in different ways.
LG have clearly gone with the idea that because the S6 Edge has curved edges on the screen it will bend a lot easier than the curved screen found on their device. Samsung have already conducted their own bend test to try and repel the reports, but LG clearly saw a marketing opportunity and took it.
Some curves just make sense. #bendgate pic.twitter.com/oTB1az5a6C
— LG Jordan (@LGJordan) April 6, 2015
No doubt the reason the S6 Edge withstands less pressure than other devices isn’t solely attributable to the edges of the screen themselves, but you can’t blame LG for seizing the moment.
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Some 2015 13″ MacBook Pro Users Complain About UI Lag [Mac Blog]
A limited but growing number of 2015 MacBook Pro users have turned to the MacRumors discussion forums with complaints about user interface lag on OS X Yosemite. The lag results in slow or choppy animations and graphics across multiple areas of OS X, including opening Mission Control or Launchpad, launching full-size applications, resizing windows and scrolling through web pages.
A pair of threads related to the issue have received close to 200 replies and 20,000 views within the discussion forums, with some users that previously experienced UI lag offering advice on how to resolve the problem. One potential solution involves resetting the Mac’s PRAM, while temporary workarounds listed include increasing contrast and reducing transparency under the Accessibility menu in System Preferences.
Forum Discussion Threads
- “ 2015 Macbook Pro’s Intel Iris 6100 is so choppy in Yosemite” posted by cookies!
- “2015 rMBP problems: 5-6 hours of battery life & major UI lag” posted by Youhoney
It is worth noting that new Macs may experience slower performance after booting up for the first few times as the computer indexes. It is also recommended that affected users perform a clean installation of OS X Yosemite to ensure that the issues are not the result of restoring from a backup. But the issues persist for some, with MacRumors forum member “cookies!” claiming that his 2015 MacBook Pro has “the most significant lag” of “any laptop on Yosemite” he’s ever used.
“I know that Retina displays are taxing on GPUs, but the Intel 6000 series seems incapable of driving this display without extreme choppiness in Yosemite for a number of actions— Mission Control, switching between windows, opening new windows, etc,” reads a post in the MacRumors forums. “This is the most significant lag I’ve experienced on any laptop on Yosemite. My old 2010 Macbook Pro 13″ doesn’t lag this bad on Yosemite.”
While complaints of user interface lag have resurfaced following Apple’s release of the 2015 MacBook Pro, similar issues have been reported in the Apple Support Communities, Reddit, Stack Exchange and MacRumors discussion forums by owners of 13″ and 15″ mid-2012 through mid-2014 Retina MacBook Pro models. The problems appear to be mainly limited to notebooks running OS X Yosemite.
Apple Employees to Receive 50% Off Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport Models, $550 Off Gold Model
Apple CEO Tim Cook today sent out an email to all Apple employees to thank them for the effort they’ve put into the launch of the Apple Watch and to announce a major discount on Apple Watch models for Apple workers. The email was obtained by MacRumors and is shared below.
Employees will be able to order any stainless steel Apple Watch or Apple Watch Sport for personal use at a 50 percent discount, and Apple is also offering $550 off the Apple Watch Edition. $550 is half off the most expensive stainless steel Apple Watch and the maximum discount that employees can obtain.
Team,
The day we’ve all been waiting for is almost here: Apple Watch is ready to ship.
Our retail stores are training for a whole new way to engage customers and help them experience Apple’s most personal product yet. On Friday, in over four hundred stores across four continents, we’ll open our doors to people who want to try on Apple Watch for the first time and start deciding which one is right for them.
Tens of millions of people have seen our keynotes and demonstration videos about the watch, and there’s much more to come. Some of the most innovative developers in the world are working on new experiences designed specifically for Apple Watch. More than one thousand apps were submitted in just four days last week when the App Store started accepting them, and the rate of submissions has only been climbing since then.
I know that many of you have been looking forward to choosing an Apple Watch for yourselves, and we want to make it easy for you. Starting Friday in countries where the watch is available for pre-order, a special Employee Purchase Plan will offer a 50% discount on any Apple Watch or Apple Watch Sport for your personal use.
As we introduce the watch in more countries, the special pricing for employees will be offered in those countries as well. Discounts will begin at pre-order and last for 90 days after availability. AppleWeb has more details, so I invite you to check it out.
Our products enrich people’s lives like no others, and we think Apple Watch is going to delight our customers in ways people can’t yet imagine. We want you to share in that experience right alongside them.
Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard for years to help this product reach our customers. And thanks in advance to the thousands of retail employees around the world who will start placing it on people’s wrists starting Friday.
Tim
Over the course of the past several weeks, MacRumors has spoken to multiple Apple retail employees who have relayed just how much work has gone into Apple Watch preparations. Training for the Apple Watch has been intense and somewhat stressful, as employees have needed to learn all new sales techniques to relate to customers in a more personal manner to offer fashion recommendations.
Employees are also gearing up for a couple of busy weeks as customers begin scheduling try-on appointments in stores beginning April 10, so the discount on the Apple Watch will be seen as a welcome bonus. In his email, Tim Cook says that he wants Apple retail employees to “share in the experience” of the Apple Watch right alongside the customers that are purchasing them, and he goes on to thank all of the retail employees that will be working with customers in the coming weeks.
Tim Cook’s email also includes a note about third-party apps. He says that “more than one thousand apps” were submitted to Apple for approval last week after the company began accepting submissions, and that “the rate of submissions has only been climbing since then.” We’ve covered many of the Apple Watch apps that have already surfaced, both in a comprehensive list that contained many of the first available apps and individual posts (airlines, to-do lists, transit apps) that give a deeper look at how we’ll be able to use the Apple Watch. Even more info on Apple Watch apps can be found on Apple’s dedicated app site.
The Apple Watch will be available for pre-order beginning April 10, which is also the day that try-on appointments will become available. The Apple Watch officially launches on April 24.
Samsung starts rolling Android 5.0.1 for the Galaxy S4 in China
If you own a Galaxy S4 and reside in China, it could be your luck day as Samsung has just started pushing out the much-anticipated Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update to all unlocked variants of the handset located in your region.
All the changes you’d expect to find in Lollipop are bundled into this upgrade, including support for multiple accounts, improved notifications, a smoother multitasking experience and the recently-announced Material Design guidelines.
As is customary with all manufacturer updates, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device, you can search for the update manually. To do so simply follow the four steps below:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”
- Hit “System Updates”
- Tap on “Check for update”
If you own a Galaxy S4 and you’re situated in China, why not drop us a line in the comments section below letting us know when you receive the update?
Come comment on this article: Samsung starts rolling Android 5.0.1 for the Galaxy S4 in China
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