Ouch: HTC has shipped 43.75% fewer HTC One M9 handsets than HTC One M8 in first three months
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The HTC One M9 isn’t a bad device, though it’s definitely not going to win any awards for innovation. Sales of the HTC One M9 have suffered due to this perceived lack of innovation, so much so that a report today has revealed that HTC has shipped 43.75% fewer HTC One M9 handsets than HTC One M8 handsets in its first three months of being on the market. That’s a pretty substantial downturn when you consider the HTC One M9 is supposed to be HTC’s flagship device with its highest profit margin. And that’s shipped devices, not sold – some would call that a financial disaster.
The HTC One M9 likely wasn’t done any favours by its brethren, the HTC One M9 Plus, a bigger, better version, which was released not long after the release of the One M9. And it certainly hasn’t helped that the One M9 is basically a carbon copy of its predecessor apart from adopting a single rear camera and two-tone colour scheme. Whatever the root cause of this is, HTC needs to have a strong finish to the year, otherwise an acquisition may be their only salvation.
What do you think about HTC’s dismal HTC One M9 shipments this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: DigiTimes via Phone Arena
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Google may have helped the privacy cause in hotel ruling from Supreme Court
In a ruling issued by the Supreme Court this week, Los Angeles saw an ordinance overturned in which they sought to give their police force the ability to seize information from hotel registries on demand and without a warrant. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing the majority opinion in the 5-4 ruling, deemed the ordinance unconstitutional and importantly, found the ordinance as written could have been extended to apply to any business, not just hotels. It was on that point that Google had jumped into the case via an amicus brief.
Google’s brief noted that the Los Angeles ordinance would have allowed the City to access information like their users’ Gmail, search history, and other data without any kind of prior judicial review or Google’s input or approval.
The ordinance also would not give a company like Google the opportunity to notify affected customers so that they could file their own objections to such a search. This is a situation that Google found itself in recently when government agencies sought data from WikiLeaks members. In the case of one, Jacob Applebaum, the government had succeeded in restraining Google from providing notice.
source: Re/code
Come comment on this article: Google may have helped the privacy cause in hotel ruling from Supreme Court
Enter to win a Conan O’Brien-themed Google Cardboard VR Headset
Want to try out Google’s VR Cardboard viewer? Good news! If you’re a fan of Conan O’Brien’s late night show on TBS, you might just have a chance to win a Conan360 virtual reality Cardboard headset.
One of the first things you’ll notice is that the name and design are significantly different from what Google showed off at I/O 2015 this year. No worries, it’s the exact same product, only Conan-themed. If you’re one of the lucky winners, not only will you get to take advantage of the Google Cardboard app in the Play Store, but you’ll also get to view a number of Conan360 videos through the talk show’s official app.
The only requirement for the contest is that you be 18 years or older. Just hit the source link below to enter into the giveaway. Keep in mind that it ends on June 29, so you’ll need to act fast! If you’re not into giveaways, you can also buy Google’s Cardboard VR headset fairly cheap through a number of retailers.
Anyone entering for the Conan-themed Cardboard headset?
source: Team Coco
Come comment on this article: Enter to win a Conan O’Brien-themed Google Cardboard VR Headset
Oppo now taking pre-orders for the R7 across the globe, including the United States
Oppo introduced two of its most impressive handsets yet, the R7 and R7 Plus, to the market just last month. Now, the company has begun taking pre-orders for the Oppo R7 across the globe, including the United States.
Oppo isn’t asking much for the smartphone either. $399 will get you an unlocked R7 in silver or gold, and for a limited time, Oppo is throwing in a pair of iLike Speed Metal headsets free of charge. One thing to keep in mind before pre-ordering Oppo’s R7 is that it comes with a European charger, so US customers are going to need an adapter to charge the device.
The second, fairly major caveat is that the Oppo R7 does not support US LTE bands. However, it should work fine on AT&T and T-Mobile’s 3G networks. But if you’re used to HSPA+ speeds or higher, that might not be a feasible option.
As a quick refresher, the R7 features a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, an octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 615 CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera on the back, and a 8-megapixel solution on the front. It’s powered by a small 2,320mAh battery, and is running its latest version of ColorOS atop of Android KitKat.
Anyone picking up the Oppo R7?
source: OppoStyle
Come comment on this article: Oppo now taking pre-orders for the R7 across the globe, including the United States
Top 5 things you should do after getting an Android Wear smartwatch
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A lot of you will have just gotten an Android Wear smartwatch for being an awesome father (on Father’s Day), whereas some of you will have gotten them as presents or self-presents – either way, welcome to the club. In case you’re new to the smartwatch and Android Wear scene, and you’re wondering what your smartwatch is good for besides telling the time, then here are the “top 5 things you should do after getting an Android Wear smartwatch”, according to me.
1. Use voice commands
When smartwatches started to go mainstream, images of Dick Tracy’s speakerphone watch came up at every turn. While they aren’t quite speakerphones yet, Android Wear devices are very capable listeners with an assortment of voice commands that will make you feel very Dick Tracy indeed. Some that you might like to try include:
“Start a timer for 20 minutes”
“Remind me to read a book at 2pm”
“What time is it in Sydney?”
2. Use the new wrist gestures
Android 5.1.1, which should be available for all Android Wear devices, introduced wrist gestures for the first time. If you’re so include, you will be able to twist your wrist to scroll through your notifications list. It does take a bit of practice, but before long, you’ll be a wrist gesture pro.
3. Pick your fitness app
In case you weren’t aware, Android Wear smartwatches are also relatively capable fitness wearables. While they’re no Fitbit or Jawbone, if you don’t have any of those, your Android Wear smartwatch will serve you just as well in tracking your steps everyday, and if you have one with a heart rate sensor as well, it can track how active your heart is as well. Choose from options like Google Fit, UP (by Jawbone), Runkeeper, and plenty more.
4. Try a music app like Shazam or Track ID
I mentioned before that Android Wear smartwatches are great listeners, and this extends to more than just spoken voices. Download an app like Shazam or Track ID and your smartwatch will turn into a song query device as well, though you may need to get your wrist closer to the source of the music first.
5. Download new watch faces
i.e. the whole reason this site exists in the first place. Unlike those chums using an Apple Watch, Android Wear smartwatches have an almost limitless library of watch faces for you to download and use. Some are available through the Play Store, and others can be downloaded and used through third-pary apps like Facer or WatchMaker. In essence, if you can think of something to put on a watch face, there’s probably a watch face for it already, and if there isn’t, you can probably make one yourself.
So there you have it – 5 things that you should do with your Android Wear devices once you have them. If you have any other good ones to add to the list, make sure to let me know down in the comments.
Originally published on WatchFaceADay.com where I am the founder.
The post Top 5 things you should do after getting an Android Wear smartwatch appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
LG touting 2 Gbps speed possibility on network upgrade
LG’s wireless carrier, LG U+, has announced plans to deploy their new GIGA multi pass technology which can theoretically deliver speeds in excess of 1.17 Gbps by combining Wi-Fi with LTE. That move will be followed later in the year with plans to double the speed to more than 2 Gbps.
To give some context, at 2 Gbps a user could download a typical UHD movie, running around 18 Gb in size, in about 1 minute and 12 seconds. A normal HD movie that is 1.4 GB in size could be delivered in only six seconds while 50 songs could be downloaded in only about 1 second.
The key to this expansion in available speeds is the result of developments in several technologies, like large capacity IP packet exchange equipment. LG worked with companies like UBIQUOSS to develop a switch that could handle the large packets and deliver around 3,000 HD movies simultaneously on the network. Other technology includes vRAN to help with base station traffic management and other virtualization technology.
source: BusinessKorea
Come comment on this article: LG touting 2 Gbps speed possibility on network upgrade
Gameloft’s strategy game ‘Siegefall’ lands on the Google Play Store
Siegefall, announced by popular developer Gameloft during E3 2015, is now available to download on the Google Play Store. A lot of mobile games was announced at E3 2015, and Siegefall was one of the more impressive ones to launch since the conference.
The game puts you in control of a vast army of specialized troops and pits you against the computer to take control of as many regions as possible. On the defensive side of things, you’ll need to also protect your own kingdom while rallying troops and building assets to use in your conquest.
Gameloft has put a lot of effort into Siegefall, equipping it with beautiful graphics and seamless gameplay. They also give you control over what you put in your army, whether it be trolls, rogues or knights.
Click here to view the embedded video.
You can play the game for free, but if you enjoy it and what to improve your gameplay experience, there are a variety of in-app purchases available. If Siegefall piques your interest, be sure to scan the QR code or hit the download link below.
Come comment on this article: Gameloft’s strategy game ‘Siegefall’ lands on the Google Play Store
Artist paints a 328-foot-long line of code at Twitter’s office
Qinmin Liu, the tech-savvy artist who offered replica kidneys in exchange for gold Apple Watches, is back with a new project — and this one is every bit as audacious and full of social commentary as her last. She recently finished painting a line of code (translated into binary) on a 328-foot scroll of paper in Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters. The piece took 10 days to complete at a solid 8 hours per day, and virtually dominated the company’s hallway.
It’s all worth it for Liu if the message gets across, though. She believes that the painting addresses the imbalances created by programming, where a handful of people who know how to code have an edge in an increasingly tech-focused society. Art like this theoretically bridges the gap between the techies and the public at large. Whether or not you agree, there’s no doubt that Liu’s work is ambitious.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Qinmin Liu (YouTube)
Polaroid’s tiny Cube camera now packs WiFi
The Polaroid Cube, released last year, is nowhere near matching the quality of a GoPro. Still, this pocketable camera can be a good accessory for those times you can’t, or won’t, use a smartphone to take pictures. Today, Polaroid is announcing Cube+, the successor to its tiny, square-shaped camera, featuring an 8-megapixel sensor, compared to the 6 megapixels found on the original model. Most notably, however, is the addition of WiFi support, which lets users control the camera from an iOS or Android device — you can use the companion app as a viewfinder, or to edit and share photos. It will be available in August for $100 in a variety of colors, including hot pink and a green that glows in the dark.
Filed under: Cameras, Misc, Peripherals
Via: CNET
Source: Polaroid
T-Mobile iPhone Users Seeing Frequent Random Restarts and Blue Screens
A growing number of T-Mobile iPhone users are complaining about seeing frequent restarts and “blue screens of death” on their devices, a problem that seems to have begun very recently. MacRumors has received several complaints from readers, and there are also numerous reports of problems on Twitter, Facebook, and reddit.
Affected users are experiencing a split second blue screen that’s followed by their devices restarting, and it appears most people who are seeing issues are T-Mobile customers that began having problems last night or this morning.
Known devices with problems include the iPhone 6 Plus, the iPhone 6, and the iPhone 5s, with restarts happening at 10 to 30 minute intervals. Multiple versions of iOS 8 appear to be affected, including iOS 8.1 and iOS 8.3.
Hey guys. So this morning my iPhone 6 (4 months old) started just randomly restarting itself every 20-30 minutes or so. I wasn’t even using it most of the time, it was in my pocket at work (could tell because of lock screen that indicated I needed to enter my pin after a restart as opposed to finger ID). At one point I was texting my SO about it, the screen turned blue for maybe 2 seconds and it restarted.
It is not clear if T-Mobile recently pushed a carrier update that’s causing the problem, but a reddit user who spoke with T-Mobile’s support staff said that he got the impression that T-Mobile believes a memory problem might be the cause of the restarts. “The sense I got from the technician is that a) they suspect memory problems, and b) they’re getting a lot of calls about it,” he wrote.
Some users have had success putting a stop to the restarts with a hard reset, and that’s the solution that T-Mobile is recommending to customers who call in. If that doesn’t work, T-Mobile is instructing customers to clear out their old text messages and do a factory restore via iTunes.
AIVAnet 