Dear Veronica: Your guide to 21st century living
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Dear Veronica is a new tech etiquette show starring Veronica Belmont, debuting on Engadget Wednesday, June 10th, 2015.
Like many of you, I have a curious mind. We’re interested in technology, sure; but there’s so much more to our culture these days than just gadgets and OS updates. Technology intersects with nearly every part of our lives: from medicine to art, etiquette and sports, food and love.
When the team at Engadget asked me to come create a new show with them, it was this idea that was stuck in my mind. I wanted to make a series that helps us navigate this uncharted terrain. Technology is evolving so quickly that we (humans, most of us) may not be adapting fast enough. We haven’t figured out the social mores. The rulebooks haven’t been rewritten yet. We’re kind of just figuring it out as we go.
Like, what’s the deal with the poop emoji, anyway? You know, the important stuff.
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I want to help suss them out. I’ll tackle some of the biggest questions of our age with the help of the folks at Engadget, and all the other brilliant people I plan on enlisting for Dear Veronica.
But seriously… we want your questions. They can be related to tech, of course (this is Engadget, after all), but our scope is wide. Let us know what you want to know! Send in your questions on Twitter using the #dearveronica hashtag, or get creative on Instagram or Vine using the same tag (we’ll find them).
Also, I’m kind of obsessed with the background of the set. The artist, Sirron Norris, is based in San Francisco, and he’s amazing. How can we not have fun with a Lisa Frank-inspired emoji fever dream?
Filed under: Announcements
JXE Streams: going Jurassic with ‘theHunter: Primal’
How long would you last on an island full of dinosaurs when you’ve nothing but a rusty machete and the clothes on your back? That’s the question theHunter: Primal poses. It’s also my absolute childhood fantasy. You start the game with essentially nothing and need to find your way around a paradisical atoll full of thunderlizards that’d rather eat you than sing songs about the alphabet. We’ll be joined by folks from Avalanche Studios (Just Cause, Mad Max) so they can help guide me around the island and hopefully aid in uncovering the secrets of raptor-whispering. Oh! and we’ll be giving away download codes for the PC game as well; get your haikus ready.
Starting at 3:30PM ET on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, Engadget.com/gaming and right here in this post, we’ll be streaming a whole heap of theHunter: Primal. At 4PM ET, we’ll have the designers Björn Öjlert and Pär Kamfjord from Avalanche Studios on to talk about the game and answer your questions about the team.
Like the stream? Follow us on Twitch and bookmark Engadget.com/gaming to keep an eye on what we have coming up on the show.
[We’re playing theHunter: Primal on PC streamed at 720p through OBS.]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Microsoft brings Clutter’s inbox organization to Outlook.com
The folks in Redmond are hard at work putting the finishing touches on Windows 10, and in the process Microsoft is retooling individual apps, too. Today, the company announced that key productivity features in the Office 365 Outlook app would be available on Outlook.com as well — with a key addition being Clutter. If you’re in need of a refresher, that’s the feature that keeps high priority messages front and center while tucking distractions away for later. Over time, it learns from your habits what’s junk and what’s important, and just like the full app, you can toggle it on/off it you’d like. Of course, Pins and Flags are here too, as other means of keeping your workload as organized as possible.
There’s a new pop out compose window — similar to Gmail’s — that’ll allow you to keep your eyes on another message or chunk of info while composing. The mobile web workflow was redesigned as well, and leveraging both Skype and OneDrive is a few clicks away. Retooled search, new themes, link previews, in-line images and more are all set to hit the web-based email client today for select previewers with a wider opt-in rollout on the way “in the coming weeks.” For now, head down below for a quick preview of all the new stuff.
Filed under: Software, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
ZTE aims to become world’s third largest smartphone vendor
In its latest quarterly earnings report, Lenovo become the world’s third largest smartphone vendor. Now, ZTE has its eyes on the title, aiming to become the world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer in three years time.
ZTE plans to achieve this goal by sponsoring more NBA teams in order to boost ZTE’s brand in the United States. The Shenzhen-based company already sponsors three NBA teams, and its tripled its US marketing budget last year. Considering that the company’s US smartphone shipments jumped nearly fifty percent in 2014, and they plan on another 20% rise this year, ZTE seems to be on the right track.
Interestingly, ZTE’s jump in shipments are rising, even though US lawmakers are voicing security concerns when it comes to Chinese telecommunications. Huawei was under investigation for a year and half under espionage allegations, where the White House wasn’t able to find any clear evidence. However, vulnerabilities in Chinese telecommunication equipment still remain a concern.
What’ll really be interesting to see is how popular their smartphones will be after they ditch Android in favor of an in-house operating system.
Either way, ZTE does create some quality smartphones. It’ll be interesting to see how popular their devices become in the US and where they’ll stand in three years.
source: Reuters
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Saygus delays upcoming V2 handset just one day before scheduled shipping date
Are you surprised to hear that the Saygus V2 was delayed yet again? Neither are we. The handset was expected to ship in March after pre-ordering opened in February; however, that was dropped and May 22 became the date to watch. Today, just one day before the V2 was scheduled to ship, Saygus emailed customers to inform them that the handset “will not be ready.” The V2 is apparently on the assembly line, but quality assurance and network testing has not been completed.
Will we ever get to see the self-proclaimed ‘superphone’ reach the hands of consumers worldwide? Some are doubting it and have reached out to Saygus in order to cancel their orders.
Hit the break to see the email that customers received.
Dear V-Squared Customer,
As you know, the Saygus team has created the world’s most advanced smartphone and we are ambitious in this venture. We know our customers around the world are excited to receive the V-squared, and we wanted to provide you with an update on the progress.
The phones are on the manufacturing line, but will not be ready to ship globally on May 22 as we had planned. We just concluded a review of the status of all critical factors in preparation for shipment. We still need to finalize some quality assurance and network testing so when we put the V-Squared in your hands (which will be soon), it will be the phone of your dreams.
Saygus is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality smartphone.
Thank you very much for your continued patience. We will update you with more information as soon as available.
Best regards,
The Saygus Team
Source: Saygus (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Saygus delays upcoming V2 handset just one day before scheduled shipping date
Blu Studio C goes official with a 3,000 mAh battery and $99 price tag
Blu Products has just unveiled a new budget handset known as the Studio C. Unlike most budget handsets that are launched in the U.S., devices from Blu deserve a specific mention as they come with excellent hardware and a very good price tag.
The Studio C is no exception to that fact as the smartphone features a 5 inch 720p display and a 3,000 mAh battery, all for a price tag of just $99. This is easily the best budget device to break cover in the U.S. of late.
The handset also comes with an 8-megapixel camera on the back, 2-megapixel front camera, a 1.3 GHz quad core MediaTek chipset, 8GB of internal storage, 1GB of RAM, dual SIM support and Android 5.0 Lollipop. The handset is 4G LTE compatible as well, so you can team up with a compatible 4G LTE network and use their services accordingly.
The smartphone can be purchased in Sandstone Black, Ceramic White, Salmon Pink, Mint Green and Sun Orange, so there are plenty of options on offer. You can get the smartphone from Amazon right away.
Catch the full press release from Blu Products after the break:
MIAMI, May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — BLU Products, the market leader in unlocked devices in the United States, introduced today a new addition of the ever growing Studio Series, the BLU Studio C is pushing limitations to bring the best quality and design, exceptionally priced, to no-contract unlocked smartphone consumers in the USA. The Studio C will be compatible with any GSM Network in the United States allowing consumers to choose their service plans from companies such as T-Mobile, AT&T, Metro PCS, Cricket Wireless, Tracfone, Go Smart, Simple Mobile, Net 10, Straight Talk, Ultra Mobile, Telcel America, H20 Wireless, Red Pocket, and Walmart Family Mobile, among others. The unlocked Studio C is priced at an incredible $99, available today on Amazon.com.
“The Studio C is another example that we strive to change the mobile industry by making great looking smartphones that can do amazing things, priced for everyone,” said Samuel Ohev-Zion, CEO of BLU Products.
The Studio C comes with a promise that smartphones don’t always have to come with high prices and the belief that people shouldn’t have to compromise on quality, design or experience. With a bright and large screen, great cameras, and fast processing, available in 6 trendy and gorgeous colors, the Studio C gives you freedom of choice – exceptionally priced. The Studio C is BLU’s first device running the latest Android v5.0 Lollipop out of the box. Users will be able to enjoy countless hours of streaming music and videos with its super 3000 mAh battery. The Studio C comes with 1.3GHz Quad-Core processor powered by Mediatek, the perfect business or personal tool with Dual Sim capabilities, ideal for all those international travelers. Capture remarkable photos and videos with an advanced performance 8.0 Mega Pixel autofocus rear camera, including LED Flash, and Full HD 1080p recording, in addition to a 2.0 mega pixel front facing camera, 1GB RAM, and 64GB expandable microSD slot.
Available now on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/BLU-5-0-Inch-Android-Smartphone-Lollipop/dp/B00XHGI22C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431548209&sr=8-1&keywords=B00XHGI22CAbout BLU Products
BLU Products, founded in 2009, designs and manufacturers affordable, attractive and innovative mobile devices to suit a wide variety of consumer needs. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, BLU is pioneering the advancement of the prepaid and no-contract revolution by providing a vast portfolio of advanced, unlocked mobile phones to thousands of dealer agents, MVNO’s, and large retailers throughout the United States and Latin America.
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Amazon Game Studios launches new action adventure, Til Morning’s Light
Amazon Game Studios today announced a new action adventure title for Fire phones, Fire tablets, iPhone and iPads, Til’ Morning’s Light.
Unfortunately, the game isn’t available on Android. However, for those of you that own Fire or iOS devices, this game seems to offer a lot of enjoyment. Co-developed with WayForward, Til Morning’s Light, set in a haunted mansion, pairs rhythm-based combat, puzzle solving, and a beautiful narrative together to bring you a fascinating, action adventure experience.
You play as Erica Page, a teenager trying to get out of a mansion haunted by a 200 year-old curse. Explore, solve puzzles, and fight off monsters with rhythm-based combat to break yourself free of the confines of the mansion.
If you really want to get into the story of this game, Amazon is offering a free audible–The Private Blog of Erica Page.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The only downside is that the game is going to set you back $6.99. Anyone picking up Til Morning’s Light?
Amazon App Store Download Link
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Shazam update adds Android Wear support, bringing lyrics to your wrist
Shazam still remains one of the most popular music recognition apps out there, and today it is getting even better as it moves off your phone and over to your wrist.
Adding support for Android Wear, Shazam now lets you quickly see what’s playing with just two taps on your AW screen. The Android Wear app also lets users see what’s playing on My Shazam as new songs are added to your My Shazam Tracks playlists. The biggest feature here though is the lyrics support. Android Wear users can now watch lyrics from the songs they are listening to as the words appear in real-time. That’s certainly a handy way to check out the lyrics and follow along.
Android Wear support might not be a massive change to Shazam, but it’s still a welcome one. To get the new Android Wear support you’ll first need to the latest version of the Shazam app, which you get can through Google Play. For more details on how Android Wear support works on Shazam, be sure to check out their official FAQ page.
HTC One M9 droptest gets a bit crazy, host brings in a flamethrower
A typical drop test generally involves tossing the phone a few different ways, while checking out the level of damage seen in between each drop. For the website Digiato, however, drop test apparently means dropping it a few times and then lighting it on fire.
The extreme drop test starts out normally enough, but after three drops are complete, the video’s host takes 700-degree fire to the One M9’s metallic body via a flamethrower. It’s pretty much a given that the phone didn’t survive the fiery hell unleashed upon it, but it actually lasted for an impressive amount of time before the display went black.
Obviously drop tests of any nature don’t really prove anything and are more about chance than actual device durability, but when you add an extra torture method to it like a flamethrower it can be admittedly kind of fun (or painful) to watch.
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What did you think, were you impressed by how well the One M9 fared before finally dying, considering the extreme torture it underwent?
Google Maps updated to help you avoid delays
With Memorial Day weekend upon us, many of us are looking toward an extending weekend with some sort of travel involved. Living in San Diego, I see plenty of traffic on weekends as this city is a hot spot for tourists. What do I hate most about driving? Traffic.
Google’s latest update to their Maps app, brings new traffic alerts to help you avoid traffic jams. When you input a destination, Google Maps will give an explanation of upcoming traffic conditions which will help you select the fastest route saving you time and minimizing your head aches. Once on the road, Maps will give you a notification if there is traffic ahead, and it will tell you how long the delay will be, while giving you an alternative to avoid said traffic. This is one of those updates that seems insignificant, but once you start using it I am sure you won’t be able to go back to standard maps.
If you are traveling this weekend, please drive safe and have a happy Memorial Day.
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