Opera Browser Beta update brings 64-bit support, Chromium 42 codebase and other improvements
When it comes to Android, you have a ton of options to choose from when deciding which browser to use on your smartphone or tablet. Opera is a name that been around for quite a while, and it has pushed an update for its Opera Browser Beta app with some must-have features that will help it keep pace with the competition.
We have the change log below as well as the download link and QR code. While there are no major improvements, the small changes and fixes as a whole should be noticeable if you are a long-time Opera user.
Change log:
- Tab synchronization: new view for synced tabs, new layout in Tab manager
- Improved Text wrap
- 64-bit support
- New progress bar
- Opera Turbo replaces Off-road mode
- Upgrade to Chromium 42
- Various stability and usability improvements.
Come comment on this article: Opera Browser Beta update brings 64-bit support, Chromium 42 codebase and other improvements
Xiaomi launches Pink Mi Note and budget ranged Redmi 2A for its 5th anniversary
The Xiaomi Mi Note has just received a new pink variant as the company celebrates its fifth anniversary on the 6th of April. This will feature a slightly toned down hardware, thus making it slightly cheaper as well. The only change here is the cutting down of RAM from 3GB to 2GB, which translates to roughly $16 in savings, bringing the overall device cost to $274.
This comes after the company unveiled the Mi Smart Scale yesterday for as little as $15, which could pair with Mi Fit app on Android and iOS.
The company has also announced a new variant of the Redmi 2 known simply as the Redmi 2A which comes with a Leadcore LC1860 quad core chipset with a clock speed of 1.5 GHz. This is used in place of the Snapdragon 410 SoC that was shown off with the Redmi 2 back in January this year. This handset is available for the local equivalent of $97 (599 CNY), which makes it one of the most attractive budget offerings in the market today.
There are no changes in terms of hardware apart from the SoC, so you can expect to find the 4.7 inch 720p display, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, Android 4.4 KitKat, an 8-megapixel camera and a 2,200 mAh battery.
Via: Phone Arena
Come comment on this article: Xiaomi launches Pink Mi Note and budget ranged Redmi 2A for its 5th anniversary
Korean carrier offering free Galaxy S6 to faithful Samsung users
South Korean carrier SK Telecom is now offering the Galaxy S6 for free to users who still own the original Galaxy S from 2010. It will also offer a free Galaxy S6 to customers who have bought every model of the Samsung flagship since the Galaxy S.
On top of that, the carrier will also let these customers make free phone calls for a full year, further rewarding customers for their continued loyalty with Samsung. It is said that over 17,000 Galaxy S smartphones are still in use in South Korea.
It is said that the country has 1,600 users who bought all 13 models of the Galaxy S series since its launch. There are reportedly 2,400 users who have bought more than 10 models of the Galaxy flagship.
It will be interesting to see if Samsung will reward customer loyalty of people outside South Korea with a similar promo. But at this point, it seems to be a Korea only offer.
Come comment on this article: Korean carrier offering free Galaxy S6 to faithful Samsung users
Here’s Microsoft’s MS-DOS Mobile welcome pack
Well played, Microsoft. Well played.
Time to party like it’s 1981.
Roundup: the best tech-related April Fools’ hoaxes
It’s that time of the year, folks. Outlandish news, imaginary products unveilings, and outrageous announcements – tech companies are trying to one-up each other with the wildest April Fools’ day hoaxes. Some have even jumped the gun by a day, or in the case of OnePlus, by a few weeks.
If you don’t have the time or patience to sift through all the fake news today, we’re doing the hard work for you. Here’s what transpired so far.
Chrome Selfie
The Google Chrome team thinks it’s too damn hard to share what you really feel when you read the news online. So it’s fixing things with a new feature available now in the Chrome for Android app. Chrome Selfie lets you take a selfie, along with a screenshot of whatever your reading, and send it to whomever you want. Handy! All kidding aside, we can totally see some cash-flush venture-funded startup trying to make this into a real product.
Google Panda
Google Japan thinks the best way to spur the adoption of Google Now is to put Google’s virtual assistant in a cute and fluffy panda body. They even got bigwig Chris Yerga to introduce in on stage at a press conference where Android Authority has, somehow, not been invited.
Google Panda has three main functions: cuteness (“soft, rounded design”), mobility (it hugs you!), and durability (fluffy fur absorbs shock! if only smartphones had fur as well…). More about the groundbreaking new Google Panda here.
Google party horn keyboard
Typing is too hard! How about if, instead of pushing inconvenient keys, you could spell out words by blowing into a party horn? Not satisfied with Panda alone, the Google Japan team is introducing a Bluetooth-enabled party horn that will make tedious key pushing a memory.
Google Smartbox by Inbox
“Introducing a new way to interact with the mail you love. The good old-fashioned kind of mail that you touch with your hands… and smell with your nose.” Thank you Inbox team!
Moto Selfie Stick
Hipsters of the world, rejoice. You will definitely appreciate Motorola’s new product: handmade, leather-bound, custom selfie sticks. Because when you have to embarrass yourself with a selfie stick, you should at least do it in style.
T-Mobile Pets Unleashed
Your carrier hates puppies! So put it in the doghouse and switch to T-Mobile, where Pets Unleashed lets your favorite furry friends get their paws on their dream devices, starting at five bucks a month. What would your pet do with a smartphone or tablet, you ask? Easy – swipe through Pet Tinder, use FitPet, and watch zebra porn. Yes, really.
MS-DOS Mobile
Microsoft has had a hard time with its mobile operating system, so it’s going back to basic with MS-DOS Mobile. Black and white text has never looked so good! Launch apps or send messages, with a simple text command!
Reddit invasion
Visit r/Android today, that bastion of all things blessed by Duarte (okay, that’s r/AndroidCircleJerk actually) and you’ll be in for a nasty surprise. At least r/Apple users are probably just as confused.
Imagination PowerVR Vogue GPU – it can run Crysis!
“Yeah, but can it run Crysis?” That perennial favorite question of trolls everywhere now finally has a resounding “Yes!” answer, thanks to Imagination. The chip designer just unveiled a mobile GPU that can run Crysis, and only that. Look at those graphics! Plus, more cool features like Vogue magazine caching, the Romulan API (will “further decrease the efficiency of graphics and compute on modern GPUs, providing no control over GPU acceleration for minimized performance and absolutely no predictability”), and a 1000-bit CPU.
com.Google
com.Google is like Google.com, but backwards. That is all.
Samsung Exynos ExoBoost
You can’t ever have too many cores in your phone, am I right? If you feel inadequate in this department, Samsung Exynos is here to help you, with the new ExoBoost, a line of add-ons that give your phone some extra processing oomph. Again, this is something quite a few people would buy.
Updating with more silliness as it comes! Missed anything? Tell us in the comments.
Selfie sticks are banned at Coachella and Lollapalooza
If you’re heading to either music festival this year, you can leave that selfie stick behind. Both April’s Coachella and Lollapalooza in July have added the rods to their prohibited item lists. At Lollapalooza, the rules stipulate no “GoPro attachments like sticks, selfie sticks & monopods.” Coachella said that “Selfie sticks / narsisstics” won’t allowed in, showing a healthy lack of self-awareness… and spelling skill.
As NME notes, the telescopic sticks have already been banned at multiple music venues, which can now add to the no-selfie stick list of major museums and Premier League football stadiums. The ban should help the non-stick carrying public enjoy public events and spaces a little more. The blowback has started, but it’s probably not going to stop the selfie… or the sale of associated peripherals.
Source: NME, Coachella, Lollapalooza
OnePlus launches the DR-1, the world’s smallest remote controlled drone
So OnePlus has finally unveiled the DR-1 (or GameChanger if you will) and as Rob predicted here, it is indeed an April Fool’s Day joke. If you are desperate to own something with OnePlus branding there is a limited quantity available for purchase.
The OnePlus DR-1 is a tiny quadcopter that has a wingspan of just 70mm (2.75 inches) and it comes with a gamepad type controller. Automatic 4-axis flips can be performed simply by flicking one of the thumbsticks. The DR-1 has a flight time of between 5-8 minutes and can be fully recharged in 20 minutes.
Specifications:
- Weight: 12.5 grams +-2.5grams
- Size: 70 x 28mm (30mm blade diameter 4 rotors)
- 3.7V100mAh Li-Po battery
- Charge Time: 20 minutes
- Flight Time: 5-8 minutes
- In the box: DR-1 Drone, USB cable, 4 x spare rotors, user manual, controller.
The one surprise for me, considering that OnePlus is a smartphone manufacturer, is that you can’t control the DR-1 with your handset. Maybe I’m just expecting too much of a company that struggles to keep its self-imposed deadlines. The latest of which is the recently delayed release if its OxygenOS firmware for the OnePlus one that was due on March 27th. Anyhow, I digress.
The OnePlus DR-1 drone can be purchased for $20 (£15) from here with a shipping time of between 3-15 days. Am I the only one that thinks that this was a lot of (unnecessary) effort for an April Fool’s Day joke?
Click here to see our round-up of the rest of the April Fool’s Day gags.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Source: OnePlus
Come comment on this article: OnePlus launches the DR-1, the world’s smallest remote controlled drone
Only half joking: OnePlus unveils a “limited edition” tiny drone
OnePlus kept its word, even if the DR-1 drone it just unveiled is halfway an April’s Fool joke.
The “game changer” that OnePlus has been teasing for weeks is actually a tiny quadcopter about half the size of the OnePlus One. With a frame size of about 70mm (2.75-inch) and a weight of just 12.5 grams, the DR-1 is pretty much a toy, though you will be able to get 5-8 minutes out of flight out of it. The tiny drone comes with a similarly toy-like remote controller that “makes aerial stunts impossibly easy”.
OnePlus put up tongue-in-cheek product pages and landing pages, and while the DR-1 is billed as an April Fool’s joke, you can actually buy one for $19.99. This is a limited-edition, “one-time offer” so if you’re interested in getting the DR-1, now is your only chance. The gizmo should ship withing 3-15 days.
Now, April’s Fool or not, we’re not sure OnePlus was wise to tease a “game changer” to its fan base. People quite reasonably expected something more substantial, with talk of a game console or at least game controller making the rounds.
Let us know your thoughts!
This week’s sidebar poll: Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge – which are you buying?
Samsung is busting out two flagships this spring. Which has your eye?
In one hand, we have the Samsung Galaxy S6. It’s the next iteration of the insanely popular Galaxy S line, and while some major changes in the battery and storage department have come along, it’s the “traditional” choice and an expected successor. People are gonna love it.
In the other hand, we have the Galaxy S6 edge (it kills me not to capitalize the e). Sleek, curvy and dare I say pretty, it’s the Galaxy S6 with a new style and a few cool side-a-licious things going on with it’s curved front display. Welcome to the future, baby. People are gonna love it, too.
Which one are you going to buy? Or are you going to buy both? Or neither? Take the poll, then tell us why in the comments.
Microsoft Lumia 535 now available at Meteor Mobile for just €69.99
Microsoft’s Lumia 535 has hit Meteor Mobile in Ireland and is available at the operator for just shy of €70 on pre-pay. Should you be seeking a new, yet affordable Windows Phone in the region, you’ll definitely want to check out this deal.
AIVAnet 