Deal: Get an Extreme Micro Drone 2.0 for just $74.99
Imagine soaring high above in the air, diving and dodging, performing amazing stunts and recording it all along the way. That’s exactly what you get with the Extreme Micro Drone 2.0, which flies at a range of up to 400 feet while recording your adventures in the sky thanks to a built-in camera. While obviously best suited for outdoor use, it is also more than capable of being used (carefully) indoors and can even perform amazing tricks, thanks to a self-righting algorithm and special sensors that will help stabilize it back to its horizontal flying position after a trick is finished.
As you can might already know, such an advanced ‘toy’ can command quite the premium pricing, but thanks to Android Authority Deals you can get your hands on the drone nearly half off at just $74.99 with free global shipping. This isn’t the first time we’ve ran this deal, but it is the last time, as the offer will be ending in 17 hours (at the time of this writing). So if you want an excellent drone at a great price, you better act quick.
Android Wear getting big update with Wi-Fi, always-on apps, and more
Google is expanding the feature set of Android Wear with Wi-Fi support, always-on applications, support for drawing emoji, and changes to the way you access apps and contacts.
Here are the features and changes listed in a post on Google’s Android blog:
Always-on apps
You could always set a watch face to be always-on, so the screen doesn’t turn off when you’re not looking at it, and now Google is extending the same functionality to all apps. This means you will be able to set an app (e.g. Google Maps or Keep) to keep the screen on in a special black-and-white dim mode, designed to save battery life. Now you won’t have to turn the display on each time you want to glance at, say, your groceries list.
Wi-Fi support
Android Wear now supports watches with built-in Wi-Fi and the good part is the watch doesn’t need to be on the same Wi-Fi network as the smartphone. That means that, for instance, you can leave your phone on the charger on your desk and go out and about, and still get notifications from it, as long as both devices are connected to the internet.
New gesture for apps and contacts
Previously, accessing the apps on your device required several swipes and taps, which made it feel a bit cumbersome. Now getting to the app screen is as easy as tapping on the time, while accessing contacts is done by swiping to the left. Voice commands are accessible through another swipe.
Emoji drawings
You know that neat handwriting app that Google just launched in the Play Store last week? It lets you convert your scribbling into emoji, not just letters, and now the same features is available on Android Wear. So, for instance, you can doodle a heart or a smiley face to quickly answer to a message with the respective emoji. Sweet.
New way to flick through cards
For those times when you can’t use two hands, but you still need to go through your Google Now cards, a new wrist twist gesture lets you do just that.
Google says these new features will be hitting all seven current Android Wear smartwatches, “over the next few weeks,” with the swanky LG Watch Urbane being first in line. Stay tuned for a hands-on as soon as the update hits one of our devices.
Let us know your thoughts on these new features!
Samsung’s S Health arrives on the Play Store
Samsung has uploading its activing tracking S Health app to the Google Play Store, allowing users to more easily update the application. Previously, Samsung had only made the app and its updates available through the Galaxy Apps Store.
This also has the added benefit of allowing Samsung devices updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop, such as the Galaxy Note 4 or even the older Galaxy S4, to grab the latest version of S Health. This version, which shipped with the Galaxy S6, has been updated with a new Material Design interface. However, arrival on the Play Store doesn’t mean that the app will work with every handset, functionality is still limited to Samsung Touchwiz devices.
S Health can be used to track your daily steps taken, heart rate, stress levels, daily calorie intake and even your sleep pattern, to help you keep on top of your health. Here’s the link if you want to download the app from the Play Store. If you don’t have a Galaxy devices but are intrigued by S Health’s features, you can always check out what the app is all about by download the Samsung Galaxy S6 Experience application.
Why the Xperia Z4 makes perfect sense… for Japan
Take a look at the Xperia Z4: is it really such a bad phone?
It’s been less than 24 hours since Sony officially unveiled the Xperia Z4, and to say the media’s reaction has been “subdued” might be an understatement. Our own Nirave Gondhia questioned why the company would release a product that isn’t the major redesign that so many hoped for, and in truth, he’s not alone. While the dreams of many are certainly dashed, there are a few important things to understand about the Z4, which need to be elaborated on.
Please note that I am merely playing devil’s advocate here, for the sake of journalistic argument; this piece should not be viewed as a representation of my own personal feelings on Sony, its products, or its current situation.
Sony announced this product in Japan, for Japan
The Xperia Z4 was not announced as a global device, nor was it announced at some grandiose international media event like MWC. The device is, as it stands now, aimed at Japanese consumers in Japan. Before continuing further, please have a look at the following diagram:
There are two main take away points from this chart:
1. As of December 2014, Sony had a larger smartphone market share than any other company in Japan, save for Apple. Arguably, its market share was larger than that of Fujitsu, Sharp, and Samsung combined.
2. Sony’s market share picked up as last summer began, peaked in July, and then began to decline afterwords. It gradually began to recover in October.
Suffice to say, Japanese consumers like to buy Sony products, and like to buy Sony phones. The rest of the world seems to as well, though: when was the last time the tech press slammed one, let alone gave a disparaging review? Even with the Z4, the initial backlash seems to be more about the design than anything else.
Looking at Sony’s market share for 2013, it becomes more clear that whatever the company was doing here in the past year, it certainly paid off:
It’s also important to be aware that Japan has a semi-annual mobile phone release schedule: late Spring/early Summer, and late Fall/early Winter. The devices are occasionally staggered, such that a Winter model announced in November might not actually release until February. In more recent times, there have been “on-offs”, wherein a carrier releases a single product that doesn’t fit into a more systematic release schedule. Nonetheless, just because the world-at-large wants a single flagship per year doesn’t mean Japan does, and remember: the Xperia Z4 is for Japan.
Sony has Samsung to content with
Samsung is releasing a phone here in just a few days. Sony needs to do something to prevent its market share from potentially eroding.
Let’s also consider the logic behind the announcement of the Z4. Some have already mentioned that the Xperia Z4 was allegedly going to have a metal build, or that it was supposed to be much more than what was announced. As the rumor goes, due to production or design issues, the radical redesign was going to see the device slipping to the end of 2015. Consider this for a second; if it’s true, it makes perfect sense to release something rather than nothing, a decision perhaps not unlike that which HTC made when the One M9 was given the green light.
But let’s not forget one other thing: Samsung. Despite the fact that Samsung has an extremely small market share in Japan, it also is just a few days away from the launch of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge here in Japan. Despite the removal of the Samsung branding from the devices in Japan (something which I wrote about earlier and which the media-at-large has now realized), the only new phones currently announced for release this month by either NTT docomo or au by KDDI are Samsung’s, and that is most certainly going to get a lot of attention from the media.
Even if Samsung’s name is nowhere to be seen, the Galaxy sure is.
Now consider Sony’s situation: it knows Japanese customers like the Xperia brand, but it has nothing new to offer at the moment. Unless it announces something big, there is a risk of Samsung taking part of its market share. This goes double for people whose contracts are expiring, and thus are eager to get a new phone now. Samsung has the only new phone to get, and the vast majority of the world’s consumer audience isn’t as attuned to mobile tech as some are and won’t think about what else might be coming later.
Sony announced the Xperia Z4 just days before the release of the new Galaxy phones. Not the press release mind you, but the actual release. This strategy is brilliant, as it ensures everyone is talking about Sony and the Xperia Z4 when all attention would otherwise be focused on the upcoming Samsung products. Had Sony made the announcement just after the Galaxy devices were announced for Japan, the talk would have died down by now, and people would be again focused on Samsung.
The only new products NTT docomo has to offer for months now are the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge… at the moment.
Think about it: you don’t know much about phones, but want to get a new one. You’re going to consider the Galaxy S6 Edge, but then see a report on TV tonight that announces the Xperia Z4 Suddenly you’re eager to wait for Sony’s product to release, if only for the ability to compare it with the Galaxy. Alternatively, maybe Sony doesn’t care if you buy the Xperia Z4 in the end or not, but by making it easier to wait, it is thereby diminishing the likelihood of your running out to get a Galaxy.
What’s the problem with the Xperia Z4 anyway?
This leaked image appears to have been legit. Does the phone really look that bad? Not really.
The last major point to discuss is the actual nature of the Xperia Z4 in-and-of-itself. There’s nothing exactly wrong with it. The specs are top notch: it has a slightly thinner profile than its predecessor, it’s slightly lighter, it has a Snapdragon 810 and 3GB of RAM, and a 5.1 megapixel front camera. In terms of the other specs, they are basically a retread of the Xperia Z3 with a 5.2 inch Full HD screen, and a 20.7 megapixel rear camera. Of course it’s waterproof and dustproof. Honestly speaking, what exactly is the problem with these specs?
Considering that HTC released a similar device as the One M9 and is charging full price for it, why can’t Sony as well? Heck, the Xperia Z4 has minor aesthetic changes (such as the placement of the front speakers) and the same fantastic camera rear camera that was present on the Z3. HTC on the other hand, has received a lot of flack for the poor performance the M9’s camera is putting forth.
So this leaves the big question: what exactly is so bad about the Z4? Sure the design isn’t exactly that inspired considering what came before it, but other than that, is there really any problem?
Outlook
The menacing monolith is perhaps designed for super sales in Japan.
While the Xperia Z4 isn’t a radically redesigned phone, it is a new offering, and has top-notch specs. The device will definitely appeal to Japanese consumers who like Sony, who want a new phone, who like cameras, and who might be on the fence about the Galaxy S6. If I had to wager a guess, I’d say it will do quite well here, especially given that the Xperia Z2 and Z3 seemed to do quite well and they were also quite similar, especially with respect to the design.
As for the device that everyone things will “save Sony“, it might be just a pipe dream at best. Or perhaps it does exist, and will be announced at a later date. For all those who are under the impression that the Z4 is the “flagship”, consider that Sony is quite able to release a second flagship with a different form factor or functional element, just as how Samsung has the Galaxy Note series. When one considers how much market share Apple has, it would make even more sense for Sony to announce such a product at the same time as the iPhone 6s products, for – in Japan at least – there will be significant attention paid to it.
Leaked renders allegedly showcase the design of the Xperia Z3 Neo
Some leaked internal press renders have surfaced today, allegedly showcasing the design of the long-awaited Xperia Z3 Neo. However, we can’t actually be certain that handset in these shots is the device the leaker specified as one of the images is annotated with the text “Xperia Z The Fourth Generation” — so it could, in fact, be the upcoming Xperia Z4.
Hit the break to see the smartphone in all its glory.
Recent rumors suggest that the Xperia Z3 Neo will pack a 4.8-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset, 3GB of RAM, a 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2.2-megapixel front-facing shooter and a 3,100 mAh battery.
Source: Gizmobolt
Come comment on this article: Leaked renders allegedly showcase the design of the Xperia Z3 Neo
AT&T to offer the LG G Flex 2 starting April 24
The LG G Flex 2 has been only available at Sprint here in the U.S., but there will be another option soon. AT&T will carry the curved device in select AT&T stores and online on April 24. So far, they only plan on carrying the Platinum Silver version.
Pricing will be $299 with a two year contract or you can opt for a payment plan on AT&T Next with $0 down. You can go for the 30 month plan, which will be $23.64 per month or the 24 month plan, which is $29.55 per month, and finally, the 20 month plan, which is $35.45 per month. This brings the full retail no commitment price to $708.99.
The G Flex 2 is a really nice phone, but with the Galaxy S6 available at $199 now, save a $100 and get the better phone.
Full Press Release:
LG G Flex 2™ Available At Select AT&T Retail Stores And Online Starting April 24
NEXT GENERATION SMARTPHONE WITH REVOLUTIONARY CURVED DISPLAY TO BE AVAILABLE FOR $0 DOWN ON AT&T NEXT
DALLAS, April 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — AT&T1 announced the LG G Flex 2™ in Platinum Silver will be available for purchase in select AT&T retail stores and on http://www.att.com starting Friday, April 24. The award-winning G Flex 2 is the latest addition to the largest portfolio of LG smartphones available from any U.S. carrier.
G Flex 2 Features
The G Flex 2 is the latest addition to LG’s G Flex line of smartphones and has been improved with an advanced curved design and a slimmed down, higher resolution display to support better ergonomics.
The iconic curved design of the G Flex 2 follows the contour of your face, while also providing a reassuring ergonomic grip, which makes it easy to hold and operate. While the 5.5-inch Full HD P-OLED curved display of the G Flex 2 provides stunning color and smooth crisp video.
The smartphone features a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera with Laser Auto Focus and OIS+. Laser Auto Focus allows you to focus fast while the floating OIS+ lens steadies the shot for sharp, focused imagery even in less than ideal lighting situations. The rear camera supports a variety of shooting options, including a voice activated Cheese Shutter, Burst Shot and Panorama Shot. Easily take and preview selfies with the front camera that supports LG’s Gesture Shot. A simple hand gesture activates the count down timer to take the selfie, and Gesture View enables you to automatically preview the picture when you lower your arms.
The G Flex 2 also features convenient notifications with Glance View. Key information such as time, recent messages or missed calls is discretely displayed with a downward swipe from the top of the curved screen – even when the smartphone is asleep and the display is off.
Under the hood, the G Flex 2 runs the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Octa-core processor, featuring 64-bit capable CPUs optimized for Android 5.0, making it speedy enough and efficient for robust multi-media playback and multi-tasking.
Other key features include:
- Dimensions: 5.87 x 2.96 x 0.35 inches
- Operating System: Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 810 Octa-core processor
- Storage: 3 GB RAM and up to 32 GB internal storage, additional storage available via the internal microSD slot that supports up to a 2TB microSD card2
- Battery: Fast Charge3 3,000 mAh (LG Fast Charger is included in the box)
G Flex 2 Pricing
The LG G Flex 2 runs on the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network and the network with the nation’s strongest 4G LTE signal.4Qualified customers can purchase the G Flex 2 for $0 down with AT&T Next5 at $23.64 per month for 30 installments on AT&T Next 24,$29.55 per month on AT&T Next 18 for 24 installments, or $35.45 on AT&T Next 12 for 20 installments. You can also buy the smartphone for $299.99 with a two-year agreement6 or at no annual commitment for $708.99.7
For more information visit: http://www.att.com/gflex2. For a full list of available accessories visit: http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/accessories.html.
1AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
2Portion of on-device memory occupied by existing content. Up to 21.16GB is available for additional user content. SD card sold separately.
3Fast Charge is supported on the LG G Flex 2™ using the LG 15W wall charger included in the box. All battery life claims are approximate and actual battery performance will vary.
4Nationwide carriers’ LTE. Signal strength claim based ONLY on average LTE signal strength. LTE not available everywhere.
5Requires 20-mth or 24-mth or 30-mth 0% APR installment agreement and well-qualified credit. Wireless service (voice & data) is required and is extra. Tax due at sale. If wireless service cancelled, device balance due. Other charges and restrictions apply. Visit att.com/next for AT&T Next requirements.
6Requires 2-year wireless service agreement with qualifying voice and data plan. Activation/upgrade, early termination and other fees, charges and restrictions apply. See store for pricing details.
7May require activation of of qualified wireless service (voice & data).
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) helps millions of people and businesses around the globe stay connected through leading wireless, high-speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. We’re helping people mobilize their worlds with state-of-the-art communications, entertainment services and amazing innovations like connected cars and devices for homes, offices and points in between. Our U.S. wireless network offers customers the nation’s strongest LTE signal and the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network. We offer the best global wireless coverage.* We’re improving how our customers stay entertained and informed with AT&T U-verse® TV and High Speed Internet services. And businesses worldwide are serving their customers better with AT&T’s mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.
Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at www.youtube.com/att.
© 2015 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Reliability and signal strength claims based on nationwide carriers’ LTE. Signal strength claim based ONLY on avg. LTE signal strength. LTE not available everywhere.
*Global coverage claim based on offering voice and LTE data roaming in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier, and offering the most wireless smartphones and tablets that work in the most countries.
Come comment on this article: AT&T to offer the LG G Flex 2 starting April 24
Samsung starts rolling out Lollipop OTA for the Galaxy S5 in Brazil
Samsung has at last started pushing out the much-anticipated Lollipop update to all unlocked variants of its former flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, located in Brazil. As for added functionality, this upgrade transports the latest build of the Android operating system to the handset, in addition to a truckload of bug fixes and stability improvements.
Hit the break for the full changelog.
- Material Design: You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.
- Notifications UI & Priorities: In order to alert you to the most timely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
- notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
- you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
- you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
- very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
- when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
- you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
- New Interruptions & Downtime Settings: You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.
- Recent Apps (Multi-tasking): The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications. For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards. This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.
- Flashlight: Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).
- Pin a view/app: Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.
- Battery: The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging. You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.
- Smarter Internet Connections: With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.
- Performance: Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance. After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process. Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.
- Security: Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data. Note that the stronger key willonly be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop. Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key. You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.
Come comment on this article: Samsung starts rolling out Lollipop OTA for the Galaxy S5 in Brazil
At some point in life, you’ll want a marble iPhone case
Wood and leather are so yesterday. What you really want is some genuine marble on your precious gadgets. At least that’s the pitch from Native Union, which has recently announced its Clic Marble iPhone 6 case, available in matt black or glossy white — the latter consisting of the nice Carrara white marble from Italy. Don’t be fooled by its simple look, as the company took a year and a half to figure out how to carefully slice marble at just 0.8mm thick, and then reinforcing it with fiberglass to keep it flexible plus shatter-resistant. The case does add 2mm of bulk onto your device, and it does ask for $79.99 in the US or £69.99 in the UK, but these are the kinds of sacrifices that some are willing to make in return for that cold luxurious feel.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile, Apple
Source: Native Union
Here’s how the largest galaxies die
Like it or not, all galaxies will eventually die. But have you wondered just how they meet their grisly ends? Researchers now have a good idea. They’ve studied 22 very large elliptical galaxies about 10 billion years old, and have discovered that these celestial bodies die from the inside out. The older they get, the more red giants (that is, dead stars) exist at their centers — stars keep forming at the periphery up until the galaxy’s last moments.
The observations should help identify just what prompts galaxies to die in the first place. Common theories suggest that galaxies either lose the flow of gas needed to make new stars, or that the black holes at the galaxies’ hearts scatters the material and prevent it from gathering. Whatever the true causes, scientists will at least know which ideas make the most sense.
[Image credit: ESO]
Filed under: Science
Via: Gizmodo
Source: ESO
You can get Twitter DMs from anyone (if you want)
If you’re feeling brave, Twitter is (once again) letting you receive direct messages from any old person. As before, you’ll have to opt-in by ticking a box in the settings — but once you do, even folks who don’t follow you can send you a note. On top of that, you can now text anyone who follows you, even if you’re not interested in them. That’s a big change from the status quo, since direct messaging has only been possible between folks who follow each other. To drive home the point, Twitter put a Direct Message button front and center on your contact page for its iOS and Android apps.
Twitter had a similar option before that it cut if off just a month later, so why is it trying again when user user privacy is under scrutiny? The social network says it wants to open up “a powerful and engaging messaging experience” for users, even “beyond the confines of their contacts.” It recently allowed group direct messages, and likely wants to defend against apps like Snapchat or Facebook’s WhatsApp, the latter with an incredible 800 million users. At one point, rumors even suggested Twitter would develop a standalone messaging app.
Given the amount of harassment that occurs on Twitter, a lot of users may be reluctant to let Joe Public contact them. On the other hand, if you made a boner in a tweet or link, someone could point it out in a direct message and save you a public shaming. In any event, the dedicated button is clear sign of Twitter’s emphasis on messaging, so we’d not be shocked to see more such features going forward.
AIVAnet 
