Galaxy Note 5 launch indirectly confirmed by Samsung
Samsung has announced that they will be delaying the launch of their mobile payment service until September. This will surely make a dent in Samsung’s plans to catch up to Apple and Google. With Apple Pay already making the rounds, but limited to the NFC-included iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and Android Pay which is very close to its market launch.
In the process Samsung has also indirectly confirmed the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. Executive Vice President Rhee In Jong had earlier stated that the mobile payments service would debut in July. It is slated to launch in U.S. and North Korea along with Samsung’s next high-end mobile device.
““The new service will likely be deployed on its next Galaxy Note device. The key is how fast Samsung will be able to expand the service to lower-end devices.”“
If we are to consider all the facts, we might assume the Samsung Pay and the Galaxy Note 5 both will be lined up for a release in September.
At a developer conference on May 28, Google announced a new feature in Android Pay that lets smartphone app be used as a Wallet to be used in stores both physical and online. Shoppers can utilize this service at 700,000 U.S. locations.
Samsung Pay will surely have one key benefit here once its launched, as it will come pre-loaded on most popular Android smartphones.
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Sony promises Android 5.1 for the Xperia Z series, C3, M2 Aqua and T2 Ultra
Sony has been gradually pushing out Android 5.0 Lollipop to a wide range of its Xperia products this year and the company has confirmed that the roll-out continues to land in new regions this week. Not only that, but Sony has also announced that it will be upgrading its premium Xperia Z line-up to Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Along with another update to Sony’s extensive Xperia Z range, the company has stated that the Xperia T2 Ultra and the Xperia C3 will receive Android 5.1, beginning in July. The Xperia M2 and M2 Aqua will also jump straight to the same update, but this roll-out will commence sometime after 5.1 is available for the Xperia Z range.
For reference, the premium Xperia Z series includes the Xperia Z, ZL, ZR, Tablet Z, Z1, Z1S, Z Ultra, Z1 Compact, Z2, Z2 Tablet, Z3, Z3v, Z3 Compact and Z3 Tablet Compact, according to Sony.
Back in mid-May, a video appeared demonstrating Android 5.1.1 running on an Xperia Z3, the first hint that the company was planning to update the handset further. Although, a 5.1 update for so many handsets is a bit of a surprise. The video also granted us a quick look at some new animations, icons and changes to the Walkman app that will likely appear in the new update.
Sony says that the time-frame for the Android 5.1 updates will vary from device to device and will be dependent on the market and carrier. Further details will be made available in the future and it’s certainly good news to hear that Sony’s update plans aren’t stopping at Android 5.0.
Features of Android 5.1.1 for Galaxy S6 revealed in video of early build
SamMobile has obtained an early build of the Android 5.1.1 firmware for the Galaxy S6 and published a brief video showing the new features coming to the build.
The caveat is this is build is still early in the development process, and some things can change between now and its expected rollout later this month or in July.
The biggest changes are coming to the Galaxy S6’ camera app, which gains support for shooting pictures in RAW mode, as well as lower ISO values, and a more intuitive way to adjust the manually exposure when taking a picture. The latter feature is demonstrated in the video above; basically, going through exposure brackets is as simple as swiping a slider.
The Galaxy S6 will also gain support for guest users, according to an older report from SamMobile.
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The video goes through some of the more subtle changes coming to the Galaxy S6’ user interface, which include a toggle for disabling the S Finder and Quick Connect buttons from the Quick Settings interface, a more visible shortcut to the Themes Store in the Themes menu, and an option to give the wallpaper a parallax effect.
Google launched Android 5.1 on March 9, bringing bug fixes and a handful of new features, including Device Protection, which keeps the device locked even when the phone is reset, support for HD voice, and better quick settings tiles.
Google introducing Street View application later this summer
It’s that time of the year, when the tech giants like Apple and Google are they’re busiest. Not with product releases, but more so with their software and new applications. Google is keeping their fast paced summer with some more goods to be released to the world later this summer.
Last week was of course, Google I/O, where the main feature of the day was the announcement of Android M. Shortly after the end of Google I/O, it was announced that Google would be releasing a new Street View application. The Street View app will be the go-to place for photographers to submit their 360-degree photo spheres for everyone to see.
Currently, the only way to view any of these photo spheres, is through the online community, Views. That service will be shut down in August, coinciding with the release of the updated Street Views app. Previously, the only photo spheres seen within the Maps application, when looking at the Street View option, would be those made by Google or approved contributors.
This isn’t the biggest deal in the world, but it can definitely help find that hole-in-the-wall restaurant that you’ve been circling the block trying to find. Or maybe, you’ll be able to go “sight-seeing” directly from your device, if you want to see what a monument looks like or anything of that nature.
Street Views will also allow users to upload their panoramas directly to the application from various 360-degree cameras. With more support being added as time progresses.
One note to be made, any photo-spheres or panoramas that have already been uploaded to Views, will be automatically uploaded and made available for the new Street View application.
The post Google introducing Street View application later this summer appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google introducing Street View application later this summer
It’s that time of the year, when the tech giants like Apple and Google are they’re busiest. Not with product releases, but more so with their software and new applications. Google is keeping their fast paced summer with some more goods to be released to the world later this summer.
Last week was of course, Google I/O, where the main feature of the day was the announcement of Android M. Shortly after the end of Google I/O, it was announced that Google would be releasing a new Street View application. The Street View app will be the go-to place for photographers to submit their 360-degree photo spheres for everyone to see.
Currently, the only way to view any of these photo spheres, is through the online community, Views. That service will be shut down in August, coinciding with the release of the updated Street Views app. Previously, the only photo spheres seen within the Maps application, when looking at the Street View option, would be those made by Google or approved contributors.
This isn’t the biggest deal in the world, but it can definitely help find that hole-in-the-wall restaurant that you’ve been circling the block trying to find. Or maybe, you’ll be able to go “sight-seeing” directly from your device, if you want to see what a monument looks like or anything of that nature.
Street Views will also allow users to upload their panoramas directly to the application from various 360-degree cameras. With more support being added as time progresses.
One note to be made, any photo-spheres or panoramas that have already been uploaded to Views, will be automatically uploaded and made available for the new Street View application.
The post Google introducing Street View application later this summer appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sony announces Android 5.1 update for Xperia Z series to begin rolling out from July
Sony may be laying off almost half of its Swedish workforce, but that doesn’t appear to be impacting the Japanese company’s plans to provide timely firmware updates to its Xperia Z series of smartphones. The Xperia Z1 handset began receiving its share of the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop goodness a few days ago, and now Sony has announced that it plans to begin rolling out Android 5.1 from July onwards.
According to Sony’s blog post, all Xperia Z, Z1, Z2 and Z3 devices are to be updated to 5.1. from July onwards. If you own an Xperia T2 Ultra or C3 handset, don’t worry because Sony has also confirmed that they will also receive the 5.1 update, also from July. The Xperia M2 and M2 Aqua handsets haven’t been forgotten either, as they are slated to jump directly to Android 5.1 Lollipop, although only after the Xperia Z series of devices has been updated. Still, at least they haven’t been abandoned.Sony does say that more information regarding the Xperia M2 and M2 Aqua updates will be shared soon.
If you are curious as to what the Android 5.1 update will look like on Sony’s devices, it was recently spotted on a Xperia Z3.
Source: SonyMobile
Come comment on this article: Sony announces Android 5.1 update for Xperia Z series to begin rolling out from July
‘Battleborn’ has the trappings of a modern shooter and more
The folks at Gearbox Software want you to know a few things about Battleborn, the incredibly colorful “hero shooter” ahead of its grand showing at E3 in a few weeks. Why? Probably so it can expand upon the following details and/or show off even more stuff in Los Angeles. Let’s get down to business. First up, the game has a story mode that you can play solo or co-op — either split-screen or online, with replayability encouraged so you can go back for better loot when the mood strikes. There’s also some 25 playable characters, all with different abilities, armaments and personalities according to a press release. Of course, there’s multiplayer as well, which is where the MOBA-inspirations perhaps show through strongest.
“Incursion” tasks you to defend a base against waves of AI minions as you try to destroy an opponent’s stronghold, while “Meltdown” has you defending your minions so they can throw themselves into an incinerator and score you points for doing so. Not into these? An objective-based death match mode is here too, dubbed “Devastation.”
And of course, it wouldn’t be a modern shooter without a progression system. That comes in a few flavors, with character ranks affecting, you guessed it, individual characters and “command rank” pertaining to your overall profile, with perks that you can bestow to any character you play as. If none of this info is enough, there’s a brand-spankin’ new trailer below as well. Beyond that, well you’ll just have to wait for E3. Patience!
http://www.engadget.com/embed-5min/?sid=577&playList=518865444&responsive=false
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Watch RoboSimian prepare for DARPA’s Robotics Challenge finals
I’ve got to be honest: the moment I saw the robot above straighten its torso like some sort of a human-arachnid hybrid, I felt a tinge of fear. Good thing NASA JPL designed it to help humans in times of need, eh? This is RoboSimian, one of the few non-biped finalists for DARPA’s Robotics Challenge. It was created to become a first responder in times of natural or man-made disasters, finding survivors and going to places humans can’t visit. In the videos below the fold, you can watch its creators from NASA JPL explain the technologies they incorporated into the simian/crab-inspired machine. You can also watch Team RoboSimian prepare for DARPA’s Robotics Challenge finals this Friday and Saturday, where the robot will scuttle (or drive, because yes, it can drive) around in a simulated disaster area. We’ll be at the finals this weekend and might get the chance to talk to the team, so make sure to check back for more on this crazy-looking machine.
@NASAJPL keeps saying “RoboSimian” but all I see is a mechanical #headcrab. http://t.co/Tiznw2kHtq pic.twitter.com/SyjcUBgeBv
– Andrew Tarantola (@Terrortola) June 3, 2015
Filed under: Robots
Apple Watch coming to its retail stores in two weeks
Apple says the Watch will finally hit its US retail stores in two weeks, and it expects to clear up most of its May pre-order backlog by then, as well. The wearable is also coming to seven more countries starting June 26th. Folks in Italy, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Singapore, Switzerland and South Korea will be able to grab it then at Apple’s online and retail stores, or other select retailers. The news is a pretty good sign that Apple is beginning to clear its order backlog, though it emphasized that demand had “surpassed our expectations.”
When pre-orders started in April, customers that didn’t nab one tout de suite saw delivery times slipping to June and later. Despite that, some pundits speculated that Watch sales haven’t met expectations, even though Apple didn’t release any figures to back that up. What we do know is that if you ordered the Watch early on and still haven’t received it, the longest you’ll now have to wait now is two weeks. (The only exception is the 42mm stainless steel model in black, which will take an additional two weeks to ship.) If you’re hoping to head to an Apple Store and buy one off the rack soon, though, beware that Apple said only “some” models will be available.
Source: Apple
Epic Games wants architects to make Unreal Engine more lifelike
While gaming graphics keep getting more realistic, they’re still a far cry from what architects can do. That’s why Unreal Engine maker Epic Games and architectural site Ronen Bekerman are marrying the two in a new competition. For the 2015 Vineyard Challenge, competitors will “interpret a modern winery setting” (of all things) in Unreal Engine 4, where they’ll be judged on categories like lighting, design and interactivity. Winners will draw from “the largest cash prize in architectural visualization contest history,” with a $25,000 grand prize for the group winner and a $12,500 individual award.
Epic’s latest engine now comes with a marketplace so that developers don’t have to build common objects like rocks, trees and chairs from scratch. Other new tricks include subsurface scattering for more realistic surfaces, ray-traced soft shadows and streaming video textures. The company said it wants to encourage a “deep collaboration” between game development and architectural rendering “that will result in something entirely new.” Of course, it’s also a way for Epic to draw attention to its now-free gaming engine and away from competitors like Unity. If you think you’ve got what it takes to create GTA VI: Chateau LaTour, hit the Unreal Engine site for more info.
[Image credit: Bertrand Benoit, Ronen Bekerrman GH House Challenge]
Filed under: Gaming
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