LG weighs metal cases for other models, report claims
Were you hoping that LG would take the build quality up a notch with the G4? Well, we just got some alleged word that might tickle your fancy.
According to a report from a Korean new site, etnews, LG is currently looking into if they can make a metal casing happen, specifically for the larger variant of their flagship, the G4 Pro.
“LG Electronics is reviewing whether they should apply metal cases onto G4 Pro. While it stressed analog feeling on G4 by applying leather cases, it now wants to stress digital and futuristic feelings on next models by applying metal cases. Its conclusion is that there are no other better ways to differentiate two products than to use different material.“
But allegedly, there’s some internal conflict at LG on whether a metal casing should debut on a niche model rather than on a flagship. This could be a safe move, as they wouldn’t need to produce as many units and get the process down pat until they need to apply it on a large scale.
The whole debacle over using metal comes as the competition has been stepping up their build quality, such as with the Galaxy S6 this year. LG is one of the remaining flagships still using plastic all around, which isn’t a good way to stand out. The leather offering on the G4 was welcomed, but was it enough?
There is no official word from LG on the matter, so we’re just talking about rumors until then.
Do you care enough about what your phone is made out of and await to see what LG comes up with, or do you just slap a case on it and love the fact that you can access the battery?
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Inateck offering great discounts right in time for Fathers Day
Inateck right now is offering some good deals on their latest products in anticipation for Fathers Day. If your Dad is anything like mine, he can never have to many gadgets and techy gadgets lying around the house. Well, with Fathers Day right around the corner, what better way to help him to continue to hoard items than by taking advantage of some of these deals and showing him that you care. You can use the links provided below to head over and take a look and see if there is anything that might suit your Fathers fancy. The promo codes will only work until June 21st, so make sure to use them before then.
Also, Inateck is doing a give away for their upcoming product, the Inateck BP2101 MercuryBox Portable Bluetooth Speaker. Durable aluminum shell, waterproof protection and long battery life, whats not to like?
| Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard | Dual-Port Wall Charger | Mini Bluetooth Audio Receiver |
|---|---|---|
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| DCGEFVBM | A8CR9FXD | 6GH3TXEV |
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LG’s G Stylo is now available on Sprint
Following the phone’s recent arrival to Boost Mobile, the LG G Stylo has just made it’s way to Sprint. Priced at just $288 off-contract, the mid-range smartphone aims to offer consumers a large screen with great multitasking features without breaking the bank. For those who’d like to sign up for a two-year service agreement with the carrier, the phone can be had for $49.99. If you’d like to go the Sprint Easy Pay route, however, the phone costs $0 upfront and $12 per month for 24 months.
Even though the LG G Stylo is priced extremely low, that doesn’t mean the phablet doesn’t have a few tricks up its sleeve. It boasts a big 5.7-inch 720p LCD display, a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, with microSD expansion up to 128GB. It also runs a customized version of Android 5.0 Lollipop, and brings along with it an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. Although the phone is being offered for almost $100 more than the Boost Mobile variant, $288 is still a great price for this device.
If you’re interested, be sure to head to the link below.
Customizing Android: 6 ways to maximize battery life
Have you ever run into problems getting your Android device to just last throughout the day? I run into these frustration daily because my smartphone is my access to work, whether it be for answering emails, replying to texts, jotting down notes, and etc. Since these are elements pertinent to my job, I can’t have my smartphone dying around mid-day. And a lot of you might be able to resonate with that.
The problem isn’t that we use our smartphones so much, though. It’s that we’re sporting the latest and greatest that not only have similar specs to our laptops, but also have the gorgeous and behemoth 5.5-inch display. That’s a lot of power and pixels to push, and thus, takes a big toll on battery life. Fortunately, there are ways to maximize the life we get out of our smartphones, whether they be mid-range or high-end devices.
Power Saving Mode
Many smartphones these days, such as the Galaxy S6 and One M9, have built-in power saving modes. Samsung calls it Ultra Power Saving mode while HTC’s is Extreme Power Saving mode. Turn them on, take advantage of these options.
Depending on how much you use your device after turning this feature on, you could easily save up to 3hrs in battery life. Again, that figure depends on how much you continue to use your device.
Quick Settings
Your quick settings is another thing to keep an eye on. If you have all of these extra settings checked on — Bluetooth, Download Booster, NFC, Smart Stay, and more — they will chew through battery life. And the funny thing is, most of these features won’t be used on a daily basis except for the people that are using NFC in places where mobile payments are commonly available. Some of these features that you can have turned on don’t always work properly, either.
Even if you do actively use these features, they can always be turned back on. So, while you’re doing simple things like email and text, you can save juice by turning those features off, even for a short time.
Network Connectivity
The connection to a 4G LTE network hurts battery life significantly. Locating the network and sending/receiving information takes a decent amount of power. If the signal is low, then your device has to work even harder. Today, there are WiFi networks available at almost every corner. Choosing a WiFi network over a 4G LTE network alone has immediate benefits.
To take things a bit further, turn off mobile data while connected to a WiFi network. Turn off mobile data when not connected to a WiFi network and you will notice that your battery life is leaps and bounds better than before. You may be left with only the calling and text, though.
Inactive Apps
Applications that we minimize and don’t touch for the rest of the day are another, major opposition to achieving maximum battery life. When you press the home button to get out of an app, you haven’t closed it, you’ve minimized it. It’s still running in the background, using battery life for things like network connectivity, syncing, and other tasks.
While a single application might not affect your overall battery life, it adds up when you have multiple applications doing this. To make sure an app is closed, just go into Recent Apps (the button to the right of your home button, in most cases) and make sure to clear all of the non-essential apps out of there.
Once Android M starts appearing on smartphones and tablets, you won’t have to worry about this much, as there are new features built into the system — Doze and App Standby — that will handle things like this automatically.
Display
The display is easily the biggest champion in eating up battery life. When you’re sporting a gorgeous 1080p 5.5-inch display and have your brightness turned all the way up, the smartphone will easily consume 60 to 70% of your battery. Even if you spend your day in direct sunlight, it’s best to go into your display settings, turn off automatic brightness, and leave it at 20 to 30% through the day.
I’m saying this from experience–it’ll conserve more battery life than you could ever imagine. 2K resolutions are becoming popular among smartphones, and 4K is on its way to become just as common. These resolutions do even more damage to the length of your battery, further requiring people to have that extra on hand.
Push notifications
We live in a world where we love to be constantly connected, mainly through avenues like Facebook, Twitter, and in some cases, Google+. Turn the push notifications off on these social networking services, and when you feel the need to check one of them, retrieve them manually. If you’re struggling to get through the day with your current settings, there’s no need to have these services constantly refreshing and searching for new notifications.
Wrap Up
For some people, these options to improve battery life will help extend the amount you get out your smartphone. Power users might still have to carry around an extra battery to make it through the day. Unfortunately, some people don’t have the option of swapping out batteries. They’re pretty much stuck with taking advantage of optimizing software features in order to have a long lasting charge.
What advice do you have to save battery life for those that don’t have the option of swapping out a dead battery for a fully charged solution? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
Come comment on this article: Customizing Android: 6 ways to maximize battery life
Despite slow start, Google plans to stick with Android One
India is one of the largest emerging markets for smartphones on the planet and the potential there is a big reason so many manufacturers have specific strategies for India. One of those companies is Google which introduced the Android One standard as a way to help manufacturers get devices into the market quickly and at a price point that will be successful. However, the lofty goals of the program have not yet lived up to the promise with less than a million units sold. In a recent interview, Google’s Ceasar Sengupta says the company is not planning to back out on the project and is actually looking for ways to enhance it for future success.
In an interview with The Economic Times, Sengupta says Google is “not backing away from the program.” They have actually expanded to seven countries and continue to work with about 20 OEMs to produce devices for those markets. Sengupta also said Google wants to be “a catalyst and move the overall Android ecosystem forward in a way that helps and benefits users.” That may mean focusing on measures other than volume and not getting caught up in a release schedule in India that saw 1200 new devices launched last year.
One specific issue that Google did identify with the Android One program is the need to expand sales channels. The initial launch of Android One devices saw a distinct lack of retail sales locations for the devices as partners focused on on-line sales channels. Google has realized that was a mistake and that they need to be sure to work in the future to ensure Android One devices are “truly available everywhere.”
Another challenge that has surfaced in the Indian market for Android One is connectivity issues. That has translated into some benefits on a broader level though as Google has had to look at products like YouTube offline and Maps offline. Google is also finding pricing and the ability to tap into consumers with little disposable income is a challenge.
source: The Economic Times
Come comment on this article: Despite slow start, Google plans to stick with Android One
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 could be getting Android 5.1.1 soon
Samsung is notoriously slow in bringing firmware upgrades to even its latest devices. However, you’re in luck if you own a Galaxy Note 4, as it seems the update is going through its testing stages, according to results on AnTuTu Benchmark.
SamMobile has been told that this one of the first releases of the update, so its more than likely ridden with quirks and bugs. However, the update is in the works, and it could only be a couple of months before it comes to fruition. Then again, if Samsung’s past update releases are anything to go by, we could see Android 5.1 for the Note 4 around the time Android M is ready to launch on Nexus devices. Not mention the fact that Note 4 users on a carrier-branded device will have to wait even longer for 5.1.
There’s also been rumors that Samsung is testing a 64-bit build for the Galaxy Note 4, which would provide a lot of benefits for users on the hardware side of the spectrum. But, it likely won’t make it to launch, since only the Exynos model has the 64-bit chip, and even the 64-bit support in that is said to be disabled. Then again, if Samsung is testing a build for it, it’s highly probable that it could get enabled again.
These are all rumors being tossed around, of course. But, knowing that Android 5.1 is at least in the works for the Note 4 is at least a glimmer of hope for seeing Android M on the device sometime next year.
source: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 could be getting Android 5.1.1 soon
Iron Man Samsung Galaxy S6 edge sells for $91,000 in China
When Samsung announced the Galaxy S6 edge Iron Man Limited Edition, they knew the red color on the front and back of the device would help make it popular outside the comic book fandom. In particular, they knew buyers in China would likely flock to the device. Combined with limited supplies, Samsung if finding their projections may have been underestimated a bit as shown by a recent auction where one of the devices sold for over 1 million won.
Chinese retailer JD.com recently put one of the Iron Man inspired models up for auction with a closing date of June 11th. Once all the dust settled, the winning bidder had put up a bid of 118.6 million won, roughly $91,635 USD. That is in the neighborhood of 100 times the original South Korean price of 1.199 million won or $1,079 USD.
While Samsung knew it would be popular thanks to the color scheme, they only produced 16 million units to be sold in China. That seems like a large number of devices, but considering the population of China, it is a mere pittance.
For the particular unit that was sold in the JD.com auction, the serial number was 66. Reports indicate the number 6 is recognized as bringing good luck in China and the doubling of it to 66 means things will be twice as lucky. Apparently that also made it more than twice as desirable.
source: BusinessKorea
Come comment on this article: Iron Man Samsung Galaxy S6 edge sells for $91,000 in China
Samsung Galaxy S6 Active officially available at AT&T today
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The Active line of Galaxy devices are a pretty outstanding choice for any user who is active in any fashion. Be it a weekend warrior, a hunter, a fisherman, a camper or even parents who have had their fair share of liquid damaged devices in the past. AT&T has been the sole provider of the Active line with the Galaxy S4 Active and Galaxy S5 Active. A follow-up, Galaxy S6 Active, was heavily rumored for a couple of months before AT&T announced the device on June 8th, stating June 12th would be the official launch date.
The Galaxy S6 Active brings all the same features and function you love about the Galaxy S6 such as the Exyos octa-core processor, 3GB or RAM, 16MP camera, 5Mp wide angle front camera, 5.1 Quad HD Super AMOLED screen and Android 5.0.2. However the S6 Active is built with a casing around the electronics to give it an IPX68 water and dust resistant aspect. Unlike previous years, the up scaled rating gives you peace of mind in water up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. I attribute some of that to the devices rear panel being sealed instead of removable. You also get a larger battery as compared to the Galaxy S6, which carries a 2,550 mAh battery. The Galaxy S6 Active carries a 3,500 mAh battery. Samsung also tossed in a new set of software called Activity Zone. This new quick app of sorts launches quick access to the weather, barometer, S Health, Stop Watch, Compass and Flashlight. It opens easily from the additional button that is standard above the volume controls on previous variants. I imagine the button can be set to do other operations, like trigger the camera, as well.
The device is available to order online and should be in most corporate retail stores today. Online they have it in Camo Blue, Camo White and a more traditional Gray. Pricing starts at $694.99, just $10 more than the Galaxy S6, with payments on NEXT 24 of $23.17. head over to www.att.com to take a closer look, you can also check local store inventory and even order it online and pick it up in-store later. While you are picking up the new device, be sure to take advantage of the free Galaxy Tab 4 offer too.
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Plex for Android gets notable update with some mobile changes and lots of Android TV fixes
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If you have a large media library then you are probably already using Plex to deliver it quickly and easily to multiple screens you own. The Plex team has brought the app to Xbox, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Google TV, tablets, phones and more over the years with the most recent addition being the TiVo
The new additions cover all variants of the app. On mobile, such as phones and tablets, we can now jump to letter to scroll quicker through your content. On Android TV you now have ‘Watch Later’ and ‘Recommended’ option to place them on the home screen. Android TV also now has support for Channels too. Here is the full list.
NEW:
– [Mobile] ‘Jump to letter’ fast scroll for library sections.
– [TV layout] Plex Home support for managed users and fast user switching.
– [TV layout] Add ‘recommend’ action to channel videos.
– [TV] Slideshows now go back to the first photo after they’re complete, making it easier for them to be played again.
– [Android TV] Add ‘Watch later’ and ‘Recommended’ content to the home screen.
– [Android TV] Add support for channels.
The new additions are nice, but the team didn’t just shove a bunch of new stuff in the update and call it a day. They also squashed a number of bugs that may, or may not, have been plaguing users. One fix was to disable the ‘sync’ option if you were not able to actually sync the content. Not huge, but a nice fix if you are part of a shared group server. They also fixed issues when seeking video and player controls used to jump position on Android TV
FIXES:
– Fix some memory leaks (which mainly affected the Android TV app).
– Improve user experience when selected server becomes unreachable.
– Exclude servers on the local network from the location menu if they’re part of a different Plex Home.
– Add advanced video preference to override recommended H264 maximum level.
– Small tweaks to the ‘Already paid?’ dialog to make it clearer and more concise.
– Don’t show ‘Sync’ option if current user not allowed to sync by the Home admin.
– Fix crash when scrolling through movie extras after the device has been rotated.
– Fix crash at the end of the in-app purchase flow.
– Ensure that we continue to show audio player position, even when paused.
– Update music transcoder to use the latest and greatest.
– Ensure that Android TV interface isn’t launched on devices that don’t support it.
– [TV layout] Fix issue with remote control menu button not showing options menu.
– [TV layout] Make sure home screen sections are correctly populated when the app launches.
– [Android TV] Fix navigation on artist details screen.
– [Android TV] Improve the way we deal with long titles in alert dialogs.
– [Android TV] Resolve issue when seeking video and player controls used to jump position.
– [Android TV] Show poster instead of episode thumb for home screen recommended items.
– [Android TV] Fix background artwork being cleared during navigation.
– [Android TV] Fix bug where local servers weren’t discovered if user wasn’t signed in.
– [Android TV] Make sure focus behaves correctly in movie preplay when there are no extras.
If your issues hasn’t been fixed yet, don’t worry, the Plex team is always hard at work to deliver the best experience they can across all your connected gadgets. I also recommend you poke about the Plex Forums if you need any help. Bounce to the Play Store and snag the update on all your devices as soon as you have a chance.
Source: Plex
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Baidu will test a self-driving BMW later this year
We’ve known for a while that Baidu wants its first self-driving car on the road by the end of this year, and now we know who’s making that happen. The Guardian reports that the Chinese company is partnering up with BMW, which will provide the testbed for the duo’s autonomous car project. The prototype will be used to ensure that the search engine’s automotive know-how is safe enough for the public although, like Google’s tests, a human will also be along for the ride.
Unlike Google, however, we know that Baidu isn’t that interested in building a car that doesn’t have a steering wheel. As the company’s Kai Yu said last year, the plan is to build a ride that behaves more like a horse than a robot. As far as he’s concerned, the vehicle should be smart enough to operate itself, but enable you to take command as and when necessary. We would make a joke about that being what a lot of people thought the “Cruise Control” button was for, but Anchorman 2 pretty much did it already.
[Image Credit: Getty]
Filed under: Transportation
Source: The Guardian
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