Sky’s new full HD Now TV box will launch in August for £15
Sky is shedding a little light today on its next-generation Now TV box and a new monthly streaming plan for Sky Sports. Its refreshed hardware, which slipped out earlier this year in an investor presentation, will debut this August for £14.99 with an ethernet port and a five times faster processor. It’s based on the Roku 3 player, the same as the company’s “Sky Online TV Box” in Italy, which means it should finally support 1080p streaming too.
The broadcaster is keeping its Now TV daily and weekly passes for Sky Sports, but revealed today that it’s also preparing a monthly tier for those who want to watch their favourite teams week-in, week-out. It’ll cost £31.99 per month and be available in time for the new football season. Finally, Sky is also refreshing the Now TV user interface to make it “quicker and easier” to navigate. The broadcaster has again refrained from giving a specific release date, but says later updates in the year will improve the search, tagging and bookmarking experience, and also add the ability to auto-play next episodes.
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Source: Sky
FTC appoints an ombudsperson to hear your complaints
As it promised when it made broadband a “Title II” utility, the FCC now has an ombudsperson in charge of “open internet questions and complaints.” The regulator appointed Parul P. Desai to the job, who previously worked as communications policy counsel for the non-profit society behind Consumer Reports. If you’ve got a beef, you’ll be able to contact her office by phone, email or the “file a complaint” section of the FCC’s consumer complaints website. Chairman Tom Wheeler first dropped the idea of an ombudsperson last year when he decided to forge ahead with new net neutrality rules.
The FCC said that “a wide array of commenters expressed support for the FCC’s establishing this resource” during the public comment period of the open internet debate. The ombudsperson will “ensure that consumers… have effective access to the (FCC’s) processes that protect their interests.” However, it’s bound to be an extra pain for TWC, Verizon et. al., given how much hatred consumers have for broadband providers. When the idea was proposed last, year, AT&T said “(such) regulation would strangle investment, hobble innovation, and put government regulators in charge of nearly every aspect of Internet-based services .”
Of course, the telecoms haven’t given up; in fact, they’ve already sued to shut down the new net neutrality rules. When it comes time to fight those legal battles, we imagine the ombudsperson — with a formal record of complaints against Telecoms — will come in handy for the FCC.
*Verizon is currently in the process of acquiring AOL, Engadget’s parent company. However, Engadget maintains full editorial control, and Verizon will have to pry it from our cold, dead hands.
Filed under: Internet
Source: FCC
Sony’s tweaked Xperia Z4v has a better screen, wider waistline
Remember when Sony cooked up a new flagship smartphone for Japan called the Z4, then renamed it the Z3+ when it came time to take it overseas? Yeah, well, it’s finally coming to the United States with a little help from Verizon, and it has another name for us to try and keep straight. Meet the Xperia Z4v. You’d be forgiven for thinking this was a straight-up rebrand of an existing phone, but that’s not quite true — it’s a chubbier version of a phone we’ve already met with a better screen, to boot.
All of the really important bits — by which we mean the Snapdragon 810 chipset with 3GB of RAM, the 20.7-megapixel camera and all that wonderful waterproofing — remain intact. So what’s new? Well, the 5.2-inch screen has been bumped up to Quad HD (or 2560 x1440 if you haven’t committed it to memory yet) from the Z4’s 1080p resolution, and the battery has swelled ever so slightly up to a full 3,000mAh. Thing is, Sony squeezed all of that into a body that’s just a touch heavier and fatter than the lithe, streamlined Z4, so the company have might have kissed whatever style advantage they had goodbye. We can’t say we’re surprised to see Sony cozy up to a carrier like Verizon so closely. After all, last year saw a similar tie-up in the Xperia Z3v and Sony’s phone business is clearly hurting for some strong supporters. For a company that’s spent decades stirring the pot of innovation, it just can’t seem to convince the average consumer to buy their phones — we’ll just have to see if the Z4v manages to move the needle at all.
Filed under: Mobile
EE’s Harrier Tab features 4G connectivity, Octa-core processor and Full HD display
The UK carrier, EE, has expanded its range of Harrier branded devices with the release of its Harrier Tab that features Android 5.1 firmware, 4G connectivity, a full HD display and a Qualcomm Octa-core processor. We have the list of specifications and press release after the break.
The Harrier Tab is available from EE’s online shop as well as its retails stores on a variety of plans starting from £16 monthly with a £29 deposit for 2GB of 4G data. You can get 10GB of Double-Speed 4G data by paying £29 upfront and £18 monthly. If you want to avoid being tied to EE, you can always buy the device outright for £199. Let’s have a look at what Harrier Tab has to offer:
Specifications:
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
- 8-Inch Full HD display
- Qualcomm Octa-core processor @ 1.5GHz (64-bit)
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB Internal Storage
- MicroSD card support
- 8MP Rear camera
- 2MP Front camera
- CAT 4 enabled (Download speeds: Real World 60Mbps/Theoretical 150Mbps)
- 4,650mAh battery
- Dimensions: 212.8 x 124 x 8.5mm
- Weight: 310/338 grams*
*According to the press release, the Harrier Tab weighs 310 grams while its listing page on EE’s Shop says it weighs 338 grams.
What do you think of EE’s Harrier Tab? Is it worth your consideration?
Full Press Release:
EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, today unveiled a new addition to the Harrier family – the Harrier Tab. It is the latest device from EE’s own brand product range and offers features and specifications traditionally associated with a higher price point.
Available for consumers and businesses from EE stores, EE telesales and via the EE online shop today, the Harrier Tab features the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system. CAT 4 enabled, the tablet ensures users are able to access EE’s Double Speed 4G network, offering real world download speeds of up to 60Mbps (with theoretical maximum download speeds of 150Mbps) for the ultimate in connectivity and performance.
With a similar style to the Harrier and Harrier Mini smartphones launched earlier this year, the Harrier Tab features a powerful Octa-core 1.5GHz 64Bit Qualcomm processor. It also boasts an 8-inch Full HD display that’s perfect for enjoying crisp, clear videos and images captured on the device’s 8MP rear-facing, or 2MP front-facing, cameras.
The Harrier Tab comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory, with additional storage space available via a Micro SD card. The tablet is designed to serve as a true multimedia hub, whether you’re sitting on the sofa at home or riding the bus to work. And at just 310g it is ultra-light weight without compromising on battery life, also incorporating a large 4,650mAh battery. The result is a highly powerful and portable device that is always on hand when users need to connect.
Sharon Meadows, Director of Devices, EE said: “Like its smaller siblings, we’ve made sure the Harrier Tab features an impressive spec at an easily affordable price point for consumers and businesses alike. When paired with our superfast 4G network, it really does offer one of the best tablet experiences on the market and is the ideal device for work, study or downtime.”
The Harrier Tab is available on a range pay monthly price plans starting from £16 per month, and is free on a £18 per month 24 month plan which comes with a massive 10GB of monthly data plus access to EE’s exclusive Double Speed 4G. The Harrier Tab is also available for just £199.99 on pay as you go, as well as a range of dedicated price plans for small and large businesses.
For more information and for full pricing details visit ee.co.uk/shop or ee.co.uk/business.
Come comment on this article: EE’s Harrier Tab features 4G connectivity, Octa-core processor and Full HD display
10 exquisite automobile wallpapers run on your device
It’s hard to imagine a life where we didn’t have automobiles that were capable of zooming down the interstate at over 70 mph. Sure, we had wagons and carts and so forth before, but you can’t really say it’s the same. Well, to give thanks to such a great feat of human engineering, here are 10 exquisite automobile wallpapers that are sure to please any automobile enthusiast.
“Aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines“
If you see a wallpaper that belongs to you and you would like to receive credit, I would love to give it to you! Just drop a comment in the section provided below with some proof (You know, just so we don’t have people claiming things that are not theirs…) So, please choose those that you like and enjoy!
The post 10 exquisite automobile wallpapers run on your device appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Yantouch Diamond Bluetooth Speaker
If you’re looking for an alarm, color-changing light or Bluetooth speaker, look no further. The Yantouch Diamond Bluetooth Speaker meets all of these needs by providing premium stereo sound and sleep-cycle color profiles for a natural transition into the land of sugarplums and sheep.
With over 16 million colors to choose from, a music-mode that syncs to your favorite tunes and functioning as a wonderful bedside lamp, Yantouch Diamond is a great buy — especially as AndroidGuys readers are getting 40% off, today, and taking it home for just $119.
See more at deals.androidguys.com
The post Yantouch Diamond Bluetooth Speaker appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Galaxy A8 leaked: an all-metal “S6-esque” phone with mid-range specs
This device is actually, allegedly the Galaxy A8, even though it might first look to be a “Galaxy S6 Plus”.
Despite dealing with sales most other OEMs would salivate over, 2014 was arguably one of the worst years in recent memory for Samsung’s finances, in no small part thanks to the Galaxy S5’s less-than-stellar performance and aggressive competition in key markets such as China and India, where the Korean giant fell from its top spot. Having released the metal-framed Galaxy Alpha, Galaxy Note 4, and Galaxy Note Edge, the initially Asia-only “Galaxy A” series saw a single unibody frame making it the first product line that was truly constructed of premium materials. The Galaxy A3 and A5 were decidedly mid-range affairs; however, the johnny-come-lately Galaxy A7 was, in some ways, a Galaxy Note 4 Lite, with its otherwise top-notch specs and phablet sized form factor.
Only from the back does the Galaxy A-series design language appear, and separates the product from the S6 (visually at least).
It has long been rumored that Samsung would unveil a Galaxy A6, A8 and A9 to flesh out its anemic 2015 product line thanks to a trademark filing detected earlier this year. The first pictures of the Galaxy A8 (SM-A800F) have leaked via Nowhereelse.fr and it looks… surprisingly like a Galaxy S6 with a metal back.
Sadly, the internal specs are a decidedly different affair, with the current rumors pointing to a 5.7-inch SAMOLED Full HD screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, microSD, a 16-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front shooter. LTE will be included, as will a fingerprint reader home button, and a sealed 3,050 mAh battery. Perhaps fittingly enough, the device is said to be shipping with Android 5.1.1 which should theoretically include the TouchWiz modifications we covered yesterday. The device is allegedly going to be sold in Asia and European markets.
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- The sides look almost exactly like the Galaxy S6 complete with the indentation.
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- The other side of the A8.
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- About the device (note Android 5.1.1).
Truth-be-told, when looking at the pictures of the Galaxy A8, it really is difficult to tell the difference between it and a standard Galaxy S6. The front glass has the exact same cut and shape as does the home button. The side (frame) is similar as well, complete with the indented, “sliced” decoration and buttons. It’s only when examining the back that the difference is clear with the metal replacing the S6’s glass and the lack of a heart rate sensor. There is certainly a bit of irony in considering how some critics of the S6 were attacking it for using a fragile material like glass (prone to shattering) instead of metal, a la the HTC One M9. For all those disappointed with the glass sandwich, the A8 would certainly look to be an appealing alternative, albeit with lesser hardware.
This almost looks like a Galaxy S6 “Plus” next to a Note 3, but it’s presumably the A8 next to the A7. The design language differences are quite apparent to say the least.
The reused design also creates both a proverbial problem, and possible predictive powers: with respect to the former, those who had hoped for the S6 to feature a unique design that wouldn’t be watered down with countless lesser products (thus diminishing the “value” of the S6) will inevitably be miffed to see a leak that looks a lot like what they lusted over. At the same time, given the substantial difference between the A3, A5, and A7, it’s possible that the A8 (and by inference, the A6 and A9 if they exist) are making use of a new level of design language from Samsung for 2015, and therefore the Galaxy Note 5 might be of a similar visual nature as well.
On a final note, while Samsung might deserve kudos for making the “metal Galaxy S6″ in design at least, given its 2014 finances and subsequent pledge to slim down its product lines for 2015, there honestly doesn’t seem to be much effort made in that department. The year is just half over, and Samsung has already released the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Active, A7, E1, J1, and this leak suggesting there will be at least one more A-series device. Then there’s the rumors of a Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, and the Galaxy Note 5, along with the possibility of a Note Edge 2, and who knows what else. Even the tablet line seems to be business-as-usual with two-different variants of the Tab A (with S-pen and without), the just announced Tab E, and the pending Galaxy Tab S2.
Any thoughts on the Galaxy A8? Does it look better than the S6? Any takers, or at lease people interested in what the A9 might be?
Panasonic Lumix CM1 US pre-orders go live for $1000
Earlier in the year, Panasonic unveiled its Lumix CM1 smartphone/camera hybrid and promised that the device would be arriving the US this summer. That time has now arrived, the Lumix CM1 can be pre-ordered in US with a whopping price tag of $1000.
The handset’s big selling point is, of course, its camera specifications. The Lumix CM1 features a large 1-inch sensor with 20 MP resolution, Leica optics with a f/2.8 lens, optical image stabilization, and an LED flash. The larger sensor should result in superior image quality than the smaller sensors found in regular smartphones, although it’s not a replacement for a DSLR.
Panasonic has also included a range of adjustable software options to get the best shots, something which has not started showing up in some flagship smartphones. You can also capture a short 4K video clips and then pick out your favourite frames to use as still images.
On the smartphone side of things, the hardware is decent, if a little bit last-generation. The smartphone features a quad-core, 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC, 2 GB of RAM, 2,600mAh battery and a 4.7-inch 1080p display with a rather decent 469 pixels per inch.
The handset is also fully 4G LTE compatible, comes with Android 4.4 which can be upgraded to Android Lollipop, and it even has a microSD card slot to save all of those high resolution shots. Although smartphone/camera hybrids are not a new idea, but the CM1’s specifications are a cut above Samsung’s most recent offering.
Where the phone is arguably let down is with its modest 16GB of storage. While this may not be a problem in most handsets, for a device which you will presumably be shooting lots of 4K video and taking plenty of high resolution snaps with, this internal memory could fill up very quickly. You’ll probably want to make use of that 128GB microSD card slot.
If you fancy picking on up for yourself, you can pre-order a Lumix VM1 from B&H and Adorama for $1000. Adorama gives an expected shipping date of June 25th. If you would like a closer look at the Panasonic Lumix CM1 before stumping up that amount of cash, be sure to check out our initial hands-on from CES 2015.
Google displays the nutritional values of fast food meals
Google wants to count calories in your food photos someday, but until that happens, it can at least help you speed-search popular fast food meals. Say, you want to know what exactly you’re consuming when you eat a Big Mac — just type “calories in a Big Mac” or say it out loud after “OK, Google” using voice search on your mobile app. A box containing the food’s complete nutritional information (calories, carbs, fats, etc.), similar to what you see on calorie-counting apps like MyFitnessPal, will then show up on the results page. You can also search for a fast food chain’s full menu and click on each item to show its nutritional values. For instance, you can type in “Burger King calories” for a quick check before you order. That way, you won’t end up buying a Triple Whopper if you’re not ready to consume a whopping 1,160 calories in one sitting.
Source: Google+
‘Shenmue 3’ smashes $2 million Kickstarter goal in 9 hours
The long-awaited sequel to the iconic Dreamcast franchise Shenmue is really happening. Shenmue 3, unveiled by series visionary Yu Suzuki at Sony’s E3 press conference, has already hit $2 million on Kickstarter. It’s almost certainly a crowdfunding record, and means fans will get to play as Ryo once more on their PS4 and PC. Given that Sega doesn’t have an E3 booth this year, the game’s revival has certainly come as a shock to fans. The original games were cult classics on Sega’s last console, but many assumed the publisher had given up on a third entry. The company is a little busy developing Sonic and Angry Birds crossover games for mobile, after all. So it wasn’t surprising to hear that in order to fund a third instalment, the Shenmue team needed Kickstarter. The campaign was essentially an open challenge to fans: You say you’ve always wanted this game, now prove it.
With $2 million in the bank, Shenmue 3 is now slated for a December 2017 release. Of course, the game still has until July 18th to gather support, and the team has a raft of stretch goals including rapport and skill tree systems, extra mini games and an expanded Baisha Village. In addition to new gameplay from The Last Guardian and a confirmed Final Fantasy VII remake, this E3 has proven to be pretty special for Sony and PS4 owners.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ysnet/shenmue-3/widget/video.html
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Shenmue 3 (Kickstarter)
AIVAnet 