‘Kerbal Space Program’ finally launches on April 27th
Squad’s Kerbal Space Program has often seemed like a never-ending experiment. The first public version of the spacecraft building game was released in 2011, and it’s been in a rough state ever since. At last, though, it’s officially ready for action — the developer has revealed that KSP 1.0 will be available on April 27th. This polished version will be very familiar if you’ve tried pre-release code on your Mac or Windows PC, although that’s not a bad thing. As before, your only real goal is to explore the Kerbals’ solar system using the best rockets, landers and probes that you know how to make, with (mostly) realistic physics teaching you about the challenges of reaching orbit and touching down on distant planets. The game is close enough to the real thing that the likes of NASA and SpaceX’s Elon Musk approve, so it’s worth a look if you want to imagine what a Mars landing would be like years before it happens.
Source: Kerbal Space Program
Engadget giveaway: win a Samsung Galaxy S6 courtesy of iOttie!
We can’t all afford to upgrade our ride with embedded touch-display tech, but you don’t really need to. You can add a dashboard mount for the device you likely do use to stay ahead of the curve, letting you banish wires and cup-holder based turn commands from your life. iOttie’s new Easy OneTouch Wireless can help you retrofit your setup for easy-to-view navigation, while keeping your battery charged and your eyes on the road where they should be. The mount’s telescoping arm gives you plenty of room for adjustment and its OneTouch lock and release system keeps things moving along smoothly. It supports the new Samsung Galaxy S6, too, which is good because we’ve got one of each for a lucky Engadget reader this week. That 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display will look great mounted on your dash with iOttie’s latest Qi-enabled holder, regardless of your whip’s make and model. Just head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning a new Galaxy S6 and wireless charging mount from iOttie.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Samsung Galaxy S6 (AT&T, SM-G920A, 32GB, Black) and one (1) iOttie OneTouch wireless Qi charging car mount.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until April 22nd at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, Samsung
Android innovation: Sony and HTC risk falling behind even more
Like many technology lovers, I eagerly look forward to the next press conference or handset launch and seeing what manufacturers do to innovate in each version of their flagship. This is why I’m really disappointed at the moment: yesterday morning’s announcement of the Xperia Z4 left me feeling flatter than a pancake.
Before I get into the innovation in Android, let me first explain my definition of innovation; simply put, this is when a company thinks outside the box and aims to revolutionise a handset line. Innovation is usually hardware related but, in some cases, it can be software related.
Let’s back up a little. A few years ago, Android manufacturers were setting benchmarks in design and specifications as the platform evolved to lead the smartphone industry. The T-Mobile G1 was a truly innovative design that looked to replicate the success of the physical BlackBerry keyboard on the Android platform, while the HTC Desire arguably set the standard by which candy bar Android devices were ranked against over the following years.
During this period, Android was still growing and aiming to knock Apple off the top of the smartphone charts but as the platform evolved and became the market leader around the world, manufacturers stopped needing to innovate as much in the hardware.
Fast forward a few years and this problem is still apparent; Android is so far ahead of the competition that Android manufacturers no longer feel the need to innovate as much. As Samsung learned at its cost last year, just running Android does not guarantee success anymore, especially as Asian manufacturers such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, Huawei and Gionee are all making inroads into the market share of the current leaders.
So where do we stand today?
Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge
Let’s start with Samsung, easily the biggest giant in the Android world. Typically Samsung is content to stick to very reiterative designs while stacking new software features into an already overflowing TouchWiz UI. That all changed this year. Samsung has innovated heavily with the completely revamped Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, which are major departures from Samsung devices of old and are arguably light years ahead of anything else on the market.
The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are major departures from Samsung devices of old and are arguably light years ahead of anything else on the market.
Samsung devices have usually sold in the tens of millions even with the same old ‘boring’ design, so with a completely changed and vastly superior design, it’s no surprise that the Korean manufacturer is aiming for 70 million plus global sales.
Of course, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge aren’t perfect, making sacrifices such as the removal of microSD and having a non-removable battery. TouchWiz has been slimmed down considerably, but it may still be a bit too heavy for stock Android lovers and those that simply don’t like Samsung’s UI design. All that said, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are still very innovative products, at least by the definition I set above.
More on the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge:
.rvs_wrapper
width: 335px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
#page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
HTC, Sony, Huawei and LG
Now let’s look at the rest of the flagship handsets that have been announced this year: HTC have the One M9, Sony just announced the Xperia Z4, Huawei introduced the Huawei P8 last week, and LG are expected to unveil the LG G4 in a week’s time.
Let’s kick things off with the One M9. I’ve already written a lot about my thoughts on HTC’s latest flagship, but I’ll summarise: HTC have stuck with the same design as last year and updated a few bits before releasing it to the market as an entirely new flagship handset. Except it’s not, it’s just a small revamp of the previous year’s flagship.
Just like the One M9, the Xperia Z4 is just a small revamp of last year’s flagship.
Now to Sony and again, I’ve written about Sony’s new flagship but I’ll summarise: Sony have done what most manufacturers seem to be doing and have taken the Xperia Z3, added a new processor and re-released the handset. While HTC have made a few changes to the One M9 to at least improve a few faults with the One M8, Sony have made barely any changes to the Xperia Z3 successor. Just like the One M9, the Xperia Z4 is just a small revamp of last year’s flagship.
Now we move to Huawei and the new P8, which is arguably much more of a flagship upgrade than either the One M9 or the Xperia Z4. The P8 comes with a slimmer body, updated camera, better display, bigger battery, and newer processor and this essentially determines what a flagship handset should be: simply put, much better than the previous flagship.
Last up is LG and I’ve left the G4 until the end because this is based purely on leaks and not on confirmed details. Last year, the LG G3 was arguably the stand out handset of 2014 as it was the first commercially available handset to offer a Quad HD display and for LG, improving one of the best smartphones was always going to be a challenge.
Based on the rumoured specs, it seems that LG is going to take the G3 and make it even better with a tweaked display (albeit with same resolution), bigger battery, new design options and a tweaked camera. With the G4, LG are arguably innovating as the handset already has market-topping specs but this doesn’t apply to HTC, Sony and arguably Huawei. In fact, the LG G4 could even be the answer for Samsung fans disappointed by the company’s move to non-removable battery and non-expandable storage.
.rvs_wrapper
width: 335px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
.rvs_wrapper
width: 100%;
text-align: center;
#page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
display: inline-block;
float: none;
vertical-align: top;
Many Android OEMs are failing to excite
Looking at the HTC One M9 and the Xperia Z4, they both don’t excite as much as the Galaxy S6 and Huawei P8. Whether it’s the dated screen, the same old design, or the compromise of specifications, there’s something about the two handsets that just fails to excite. Now compare them to the Galaxy S6 and the contrast is stark.
Compared to the Galaxy S5 of last year, the Galaxy S6 has a vastly superior design, screen, processor,and build. Add the massive software improvements and the differences are astonishing. Samsung seems to have built several years of innovation into one device and the Galaxy S6 could easily be one of the best selling handsets on the market for a whole two years, let alone being replaced by the Note 5 later this year and presumably by the Galaxy S7 next year.
Could the One M9 or the Xperia Z4 sell for two years? That seems highly unlikely; the Xperia Z4 will probably be pulled from the market by the end of the year, as will the One M9, and the only way that both manufacturers will be able to complete is through price. Except this poses another problem: Samsung has the finances to compete against everyone on price and if HTC or Sony wanted to compete on price, Samsung could probably undercut them.
Even if Samsung didn’t lower the Galaxy S6 price – and why would they when the handsets are worth every penny Samsung is charging – a price drop on the One M9 and Z4 might mean more sales, but it would almost certainly mean less profit. Both HTC and Sony need profit and sales to cement their future and reducing the price of their flagship would probably have a negative effect on consumer faith in their brands.
Is innovation dead in Android?
So is innovation dead in Android? It depends on the manufacturer. Samsung and Huawei have innovated compared to their previous flagship devices, and LG has done so with the G Flex series and is set to innovate to some degree with the G4, but HTC and Sony have just failed. Failed to think outside the box, failed to innovate and failed to produce little more than rehashes of last year’s flagship.
For Sony and HTC, their current designs were both innovative when first released; Sony was the first manufacturer to go after waterproofing and HTC were the first to release metal-clad handsets. The Xperia Z1 and Z3 and the One M7 and One M8 all set benchmarks in what a smartphone should look like and do but over the past twelve months, the companies seem to have lost their way.
Arguably both HTC and Sony need to just release one handset a year. One handset that comprises of the absolute best that the company has to offer.
Is it recoverable? For Sony the future looks bleak unless the Xperia Z4 is a stop-gap until the metal-clad “real” Xperia Z4 is announced at IFA (although it’d probably be called the Xperia Z5). For HTC, there comes the need to innovate heavily; since the One M9, they’ve introduced the One E9 Plus and One M9 Plus which both use Quad HD but where was this in the flagship? Where’s the fingerprint sensor from the One M9 Plus in the flagship One M9?
Arguably both HTC and Sony need to just release one handset a year. One handset that comprises of the absolute best that the company has to offer. Unfortunately, some manufacturers seem completely against the belief that “less is more” to their peril, especially when this strategy has worked so well for the Apple iPhone. HTC and Sony used to be at the forefront of the smartphone industry but for now at least, they seem to be struggling to keep up with the best that Samsung, Huawei and others have to offer.
Security Flaw Affects 1500 iOS Apps While Apple’s OS X 10.10.3 ‘Rootpipe’ Fix Proves Incomplete
Over the past few days a handful of reports have been accumulating in regards to two security flaws, one affecting roughly 1500 iOS apps and a second affecting OS X users despite Apple having tried to patch the vulnerability on OS X 10.10.3.
The first security flaw is making about 1500 iPhone and iPad apps vulnerable to hackers who could leverage the vulnerability to steal passwords, bank account information, and a handful of other sensitive information, according to Ars Technica. Discovered by security analytics firm SourceDNA last month, the “man-in-the-middle” attack was fixed in a 2.5.2 update to AFNetworking, the open-source code which housed the vulnerability.
Unfortunately, some developers have yet to update to the newest version of the code, leaving those 1500 apps open and vulnerable to the attack, which “can decrypt HTTPS-encrypted data” and essentially allows anyone generating a fake Wi-Fi hotspot access to a user’s data on that same Wi-Fi connection. As a result, SourceDNA scanned and analyzed most apps on the App Store for the security flaw, and even created a search tool to discover if a particular app is under risk.
The day the flaw was announced & patched, a quick search in SourceDNA showed about 20,000 iOS apps (out of the 100k apps that use AFNetworking) both contained the AFNetworking library and were updated or released on the App Store after the flawed code was committed. Our system then scanned those apps with the differential signatures to see which ones actually had the vulnerable code.
The results? 55% had the older but safe 2.5.0 code, 40% were not using the portion of the library that provides the SSL API, and 5% or about 1,000 apps had the flaw. Are these apps important? We compared them against our rank data and found some big players: Yahoo!, Microsoft, Uber, Citrix, etc. It amazes us that an open-source library that introduced a security flaw for only 6 weeks exposed millions of users to attack.
Some of the known apps currently vulnerable to the man-in-the-middle attack includes Citrix OpenVoice Audio Conferencing [Direct Link], Alibaba‘s mobile app [Direct Link], and even Movies by Flixster with Rotten Tomatoes [Direct Link]. SourceDNA urges users to check their most used apps in its search tool for the security flaw, and promises to remove apps that have been fixed and add ones discovered to be vulnerable as time goes on.
The other flaw, called “Rootpipe”, dates back to 2011 and has been known for some time. Apple intended to patch the Rootpipe vulnerability in OS X 10.10.3 earlier this month, although older versions of OS X were left vulnerable. But as reported by Forbes, former NSA agent Patrick Wardle has discovered the flaw to still be present on Macs running OS X 10.10.3, as well as older versions.
Apple put additional access controls to stop attacks, but Wardle’s code was still able to connect to the vulnerable service and start overwriting files on his Mac. “I was tempted to walk into the Apple store this [afternoon] and try it on the display models – but I stuck to testing it on my personal laptop (fully updated/patched) as well as my OS X 10.10.3 [virtual machine]. Both worked like a charm,” Wardle told FORBES over email. In a blog post, he’d said his exploit was “a novel, yet trivial way for any local user to re-abuse Rootpipe”.
Discovered last October, the Rootpipe flaw essentially allows a hidden backdoor to be created on a particular system, opening up root access of a computer to a hacker after they obtain local privileges on the device. Physical access or previously granted remote access to the target machine is required in order for the vulnerability to be exploited.
Most recently, Apple faced the “FREAK” security flaw in its systems, making everything from an Apple TV to an iPod touch vulnerable to stolen sensitive information. The company issued a few security updates on all platforms in the weeks following the discovery of the security flaw, beefing up security and working to assuage public concerns. In regards to the man-in-the-middle iOS and re-emerging Rootpipe flaws, the company has yet to comment.
LG G4 to go on sale in South Korea on April 29
LG will unveil the G4 for real next Tuesday April 28, and it will go on sale the very next day. However, if you live anywhere else but South Korea, don’t pencil it in your calendar.
Consumers in South Korea can reserve their device now and pick it up on April 29.
South Koreans will also get one other additional perk in that they will be eligible for a screen replacement for up to one year from their purchase date plus a free 64 GB micro SD card. The phone has to be purchased by May 31 though.
source: GSMArena
Come comment on this article: LG G4 to go on sale in South Korea on April 29
The mid-range Intex Cloud M6 launches in India for Rs. 5,699
Here we have the Cloud M6, Intex’s latest mid-range smartphone that will be exclusively available from the Indian retailer, Flipkart. Priced at Rs. 5,699 ($90) it’s set to do battle with the hordes of other mid-range smartphones that are available in India.
As you can tell from the images, it’s a fairly standard looking smartphone. Unlike the flagship handsets with their glass and metal construction materials, the Cloud M6 has a plastic build. And that’s ok, it’s a low-to-mid-range handset being offered at a reasonable price. Let’s have a look at what the Cloud M6 has to offer.
Specifications:
- Runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat
- 5-Inch IPS display, 854 x 480 (FWVGA) resolution
- Spreadtrum SC7731 1.2GHz Quad core processor
- 1GB RAM
- 8GB Internal storage
- 8MP Main camera
- 5MP Front camera
- Dual-SIM
- FM Radio
- 3G Network
- Dimensions: 142 x 71.5 x 8.95mm
- Battery: 2,000mAh
The Cloud M6 is quite similar to one of Intex‘s offer recent offerings, the Aqua Star II , albeit slightly cheaper. The Cloud M6 comes with the following bloatware software applications pre-installed: Service, Clean Master, Ask Me and Pedometer PRO. As previously mentioned, the Cloud M6 will be sold exclusively through Flipkart for Rs. 5,699 in black or white. Is the Cloud M6 the mid-range device you’ve been looking for? If not, why not tell your preferred choice in the comments below.
Full Press Release:
Intex launches Cloud M6
Launched at a competitive price of Rs. 5699/-
Exclusive availability on Flipkart
New Delhi (India) – April 20, 2015: Intex Technologies, the leading Smartphone Company that believes in launching the best innovative products today announced the launch of Cloud M6 exclusively through Flipkart. The smartphone features a 12.7 cm (5-inch) FWVGA IPS display which runs on Android 4.4.2 Kitkat on a 1.2 GHz Quad Core Processor and comes with superior sensor technology. The feature rich Dual-SIM smartphone is priced at INR 5699/-
Commenting on the launch, Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, Mobile Business Head, Intex Technologies said, “The Cloud M6 is another step towards, conceiving and improvising our offerings to best meet the demands of the consumers. We believe in providing our customers with products that fulfill their needs at the best and are suitable to the pocket. This new product is bundled with best of design, colors and features at a market best price.”
Focusing on the design, the device comes with a stunning 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera that supports clicking selfies by using sensor touch over the screen & volume button.
Cloud M6 also comes with an inbuilt memory of 8 GB, expandable up to 32GB. Additionally, the device has a bunch of pre-loaded apps like Service, Clean Master, Ask Me, Pedometer PRO.
This stunning device will be available in two colour variant – White and Black. The dual-SIM smartphone will be available exclusively on Flipkart.
Come comment on this article: The mid-range Intex Cloud M6 launches in India for Rs. 5,699
Republic Wireless will pay you for your unused cellular data
I don’t know about you, but it seems like one of the U.S. carriers is offering a new promotion every day. It’s impossible to keep up with all of them, and I guess you have to thank T-Mobile for starting this trend.
Republic Wireless dropped a doozy yesterday by announcing they will pay customers for their unused cellular data. Most carriers sell data per month in 1 GB increments or 500 MB for entry level programs, but nobody uses exactly the data they purchased. There is always some left on the table at the end of the month.
It is believed that consumers waste an average of $200 per year in unused cellular data. So how do you solve this problem? By giving you a credit for the data that you didn’t use each month.
Republic Wireless didn’t provide more details as in if you will be credited at the same rate that you paid for that data. The new program will roll out in June and they will also eliminate their $25 unlimited data plan. Both new and existing customers will be eligible for this new deal.
Republic Wireless also announced new beta tests that will begin sometime over the next 9 months. These new features include….
- Cellular-to-WiFi handover – Republic has refined seamless WiFi to Cell handover over the last couple years so calls don’t drop. In the reverse, the company has begun real-world trials with customers on seamless cellular to WiFi handover.
- Next-gen mobile phones – Customers will test which phone Republic launches next.
- Seamless multi-device communications – Republic will begin testing the ability for customers to access calls and messages from any device including tablets as well as laptops and desktops.
- Multiple carrier cellular networks – Republic will also be adding a second cellular carrier partner joining later this year.
Are you a Republic Wireless customer? How do you like the service? Tell us in the comments.
Full Press Release:
WiFi Calling Leader Republic Wireless Announces Industry First: Plans That Pay Customers for Their Unused Cellular Data
WiFi calling leader Republic Wireless raises the bar again: Beta testing new plans that will repay consumers for their unused cellular data each month. Republic also announces a second cellular carrier partner joining in 2015, roll out of seamless in-call handover from cellular-to-WiFi, as well as additional smartphones and seamless multi-device communications, in Republic Labs over the next nine months.
Raleigh, North Carolina (PRWEB) April 20, 2015
Republic Wireless, the WiFi calling service provider recognized as PC Magazine’s 2015 Readers’ Choice for mobile carriers, today announced a new initiative designed to help customers purchase just the amount of cellular data they truly need. In an industry first, Republic is launching beta plans that repayRepublic Labs participants for all unused cellular data.
Having pioneered seamless WiFi-to-cellular handoff, Republic is now “completing the circle” by rolling out reverse handover of calls from cellular to WiFi without interruption. Republic is launching customer betas for next generation smartphones, seamless communications across multiple devices and support for multiple cellular carrier partners in the coming months. The company will roll these programs out to all customers after working with its Republic Labs test groups.
“One of the coolest things here at Republic is collaborating together with our Customers to solve the biggest industry pain points in Republic Labs. It helps us keep one step ahead. Customers told us they wanted control over how much cellular data they buy – with today’s announcement, we are delivering,” Bandwidth and Republic Wireless CEO, David Morken said. “Over eighty percent of our customers use less than a gigabyte of cellular data a month. It’s been estimated that current industry plans cause consumers to waste an average of $200 per year in unused cellular data. We think that’s ridiculous. So we’ve devised a way to pay customers back penny for penny for unused cellular data every month.”
“Four years ago Republic became the first US carrier to build a business model based on WiFi calling, with cellular as a backup network. The market and the industry has reacted to our moves, but not enough, so we decided it was time to up the ante once again,” Morken adds.
Along with paying customers back for their unused cellular data, Republic is also working with customers to tee up several other industry-changing products. Over the next 9 months, Republic will begin customer-driven beta tests of new features and products including:
- Cellular-to-WiFi handover – Republic has refined seamless WiFi to Cell handover over the last couple years so calls don’t drop. In the reverse, the company has begun real-world trials with customers on seamless cellular to WiFi handover.
- Next-gen mobile phones – Customers will test which phone Republic launches next.
- Seamless multi-device communications – Republic will begin testing the ability for customers to access calls and messages from any device including tablets as well as laptops and desktops.
- Multiple carrier cellular networks – Republic will also be adding a second cellular carrier partner joining later this year.
“This story is about more than technology and cost savings – it’s really about a company wholly dedicated to improving the entire consumer wireless experience – leveraging all of things that consumers have wanted from a wireless company, while changing the things that aren’t customer friendly. Contracts and early termination fees are dinosaurs from the past. As of today, cellular-first approaches and overpaying for data will be as well,” Morken adds.
About Republic Wireless
Recognized as the winner of PC Magazine’s Annual Reader’s Choice Award, the top pre-paid service provider by Consumer Reports and named ‘Disruptor of the Year’ by Entrepreneur Magazine, Republic Wireless is on a mission to create smartphone service as it should be.
Republic Wireless, a division of Bandwidth, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, is spearheading a wireless freedom movement to return value and control of the smartphone experience to members by leveraging the power of both WiFi and cellular networks. Our Hybrid Calling uses WiFi in the home, office or anywhere else as the primary network for calls, texts and data. When outside of WiFi coverage, the smartphone works just like a typical smartphone on the cellular networks of national CDMA carriers. Visit http://www.republicwireless.com/ for more information. Media resource center here.
Come comment on this article: Republic Wireless will pay you for your unused cellular data
Qualcomm will use Samsung’s factories to manufacture Snapdragon 820
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8150504804865896″
data-ad-slot=”8461248232″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
A few days ago we heard rumours that Qualcomm might have to spin off its chip manufacturing unit due to the loss of Samsung‘s contract for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. This was one of several options available with Qualcomm, but they are rumoured to be taking an interesting route to get back on Samsung’s good side. According to these latest reports, Qualcomm will use Samsung as their manufacturer of choice to make the Snapdragon 820, dumping TSMC, who’s 20nm process made the Snapdragon 810 and allegedly caused the overheating issue that caused Samsung to dump Qualcomm.
That, of course, might be the reason if we read between the lines. The official line will likely claim that Qualcomm is engaging Samsung for its next contract due to the obvious success of its 14nm process which made the Exynos 7420 powering the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. If Samsung is able to confirm the quality of the Snapdragon 820, i.e. by manufacturing it within its own factories, the Samsung will, Qualcomm is hoping, pick Qualcomm processors in the future. We’ll have to see if this strategy pays off, probably with the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 later this year.
What do you think about Qualcomm using Samsung’s factories to make the Snapdragon 820? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Qualcomm will use Samsung’s factories to manufacture Snapdragon 820 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Does Not Commute by Mediocre Games is out April 23rd, puts frantic spin on traffic control game
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8150504804865896″
data-ad-slot=”8461248232″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
Games that involve controlling traffic feel like they have been done to death already, but Does Not Commute by Mediocre Games appears to have done it their own way – a way that looks incredibly frantic and fun. As the trailer for Does Not Commute depicts, you’ll take control of a car as it drives through town as expediently as possible. And then you drive another car through town. And then another one. As you can probably guess, you’ll be controlling more and more cars, layering their paths over one an another, causing large scale mayhem across town. Check out the trailer for yourselves below:
I really like how simple Does Not Commute looks visually, especially the dashings of the 1970’s theme that are evident throughout the game. If the name Mediocre Games sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because they’ve made other hit games such as Granny Smith, Smash Hit and Sprinkle. Does Not Commute will be releasing on April 23rd for Android (and iOS) and we’ll be sure to add a Play Store link whenever one becomes available.
What do you think about Does Not Commute? Is this your type of game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Does Not Commute by Mediocre Games is out April 23rd, puts frantic spin on traffic control game appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Xiaomi to live stream its ‘i IS COMING’ event
Xiaomi is set to unveil another new product at a launch event which will take place in New Delhi, India on April 23rd. The event is named ‘i IS COMING’ and we are anticipating the launch of a new flagship Android smartphone for the global market – the Mi4i.
No matter where you are in the world you will be able to catch the event live, as Xiaomi will also be live-streaming the launch presentation through its Mi.com website. Taking the launch venue to India, rather than hosting the event in China, is also rather significant, suggesting that the company’s next product is either specifically designed for the Indian market, and/or that Xiaomi is preparing for a wider roll-out, as the company continues to expand from its home territory.
Xiaomi has also been steadily releasing a selection of teasers about its upcoming device via its Mi India Facebook account. Feel and build materials seems to be the running theme, but there’s also mention of a potential larger battery size and likely a more pixel dense display as well. It’s unlikely that Xiaomi will release its second QHD device just yet, instead we’re probably looking at a more compact display size with a 1080p resolution.
Other Mi4i hardware rumors include a mid-range Snapdragon 615 processing package, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, dual-SIM support, a 13 megapixel camera, and a plastic body. Essentially, this is likely an even more budget friendly version of the flagship Xiaomi Mi4.
The live-stream will begin at 4pm IST (10:30am GMT / 6:30am EDT) on April 23rd and will be broadcast in English. Will you be tuning in?
AIVAnet 