Facebook Messenger gets a new way to share locations
Facebook Messenger is set to receive an update where you can share a location to contacts. You will also be able to share locations where you want to meet, say, a coffee house or Best Buy.
While this feature will be new to Messenger, users have been able to see locations for awhile now. Simply tapping on a sent message will show you where it was sent from. However, Facebook says this new location feature will be replacing its old location service, allowing you to be a bit more judicious on sharing your location.
With this update, you have full control over when and how you share your location information. You only send a location when you tap on the location pin and then choose to send it as a separate message. You can also share a location—like a meeting spot—even if you’re not there.
Facebook said that nothing is changing in app permissions or when its gathering your location. “Messenger does not get location information from your device in the background — only each time you select a location and tap Send when you use the Messenger app,” it said in a blog post.
Read more: Facebook considers B2C advertisement via WhatsApp
In other words, the only thing that is changing is the method of how you share your location with others, along with a way to share a meeting point. And if you’re not a fan of sharing your location with Facebook, there’s always the option of turning it off.
In reality, only a select few people will use this feature. It’s hard to imagine it being widely used or even conventionally useful.
source: Facebook
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The LG G4 will start shipping in Canada on Friday, June 19
LG has just announced that it will launch its flagship smartphone of 2015, the G4, in Canada on Friday, June 19. The handset will be available to purchase from Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Videotron, and WIND Mobile for $199.99 on-contract or $699.99 outright.
As for the specifications, the G4 packs a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 808 chipset powered by four 1.44 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU’s, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter an a 3,000 mAh battery.
Out of its box, LG’s newest offering will run the latest build of Android 5.1 Lollipop skinned with the South Korean company’s brand new “UX 4.0″ custom user interface, which brings a very neat, flat and simple design to the handset.
The full press release can be seen below:
Canadians can get their hands on the much anticipated LG G4 smartphone beginning June 19th. Since its global introduction, the LG G4 has been widely praised for its exceptional camera, vivid and expansive display, and willingness to set new rules defining what a premium mobile device can deliver.
“With a breath-taking camera and unique leather-back design, the LG G4 is our most ambitious smartphone yet. It represents an industry game-changer, re-imagining what is possible in smartphone photography, display and design,” said Ross Snow, Vice-President, Mobile Communications, LG Electronics Canada. “LG Canada is thrilled to join with our carrier partners — Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Videotron and WIND Mobile —to bring this stunning smartphone to the Canadian market.”
Highlights of the LG G4 include:
Handcrafted, genuine full grain leather back cover in addition to a metallic grey cover inspired by artisan design included with purchase (see LG’s leather craft at work at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QWdvNvLLQ)
First flagship smartphone available for sale in Canada with a F1.8 aperture rear lens and 16MP resolution supported by Colour Spectrum Sensor (CSS) and a new Manual Mode (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5fqV7j0Cmk)
Front 8MP camera and Gesture Interval Shot for perfect selfies every time which can then be saved to the removable microSD card*
Vivid IPS Quantum Display which offers 20 per cent greater colour reproduction, 25 per cent improvement in brightness and 50 per cent greater contrast**
First smartphone to utilize Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon™ 808 Processor with X10 LTE for the best balance of performance and power savings
High-capacity 3,000mAh removable battery
Slim Arc exterior design for a more comfortable grip and greater durability if dropped
Pricing will be determined by carriers. For more information please visit: LGG4.ca
*Sold separately
**Compared to the LG G3
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Facebook Lite for emerging markets now official, begins rolling out
Facebook’s solution for mobile users in emerging markets, “Facebook Lite,” is now rolling out in select regions.
The app is designed to work efficiently on slow networks with minimal bandwidth capacity. The download is only a 1MB file, so you could imagine there are quick install and load times. Features in the app include core Facebook functions, including status updates, News Feed, photos, notifications, etc.
Asia’s first on the list to receive the app — next up is Latin America, Africa and Europe.
Source: Facebook Newsroom
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Skype for Web beta is now open to all in the US and UK
If you’re a Skype user in the US or UK, you may want to listen up as Microsoft has just kicked off the public beta for the online client of its extremely popular video and voice calling platform.
The service is entitled Skype for Web and permits users to place calls through a web browser, thereby removing the need to download and install a standalone application on their computer.
Unfortunately, there’s no word on an official release date for the full product just yet, but seeing as Microsoft has opened the beta to the public, we presume it’s not far off.
If you’d like to get in on the beta testing action, simply head over to web.skype.com and log into your account to get started. For additional information, hit the source link below.
Source: Skype
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Sony SmartBand 2 SWR12 companion app quickly pulled from Play Store
The SmartBand 2 SWR12 could become available soon, as the companion application for it is was put on the Google Play Store, and as expected, quickly pulled shortly after.
While the new SmartBand is only rumored to have a heart rate sensor with it, the preview pictures of the companion app confirm that one will come along with the new wearable. Further confirmation comes in the form of app screenshots, one saying that the “SmartBand measures your pulse at even rate throughout the day,” right below a BPM monitor.
Interestingly, it seems like the new SmartBand won’t be very compatible with other smartphones but Sony’s Xperia line. The app touts that “functionality may not be optimal when using SmartBand 2 with other smartphones.” In other words, it may work on other smartphones, but performance might be less than optimal. But, when there’s even a question of that, you begin to question the accuracy of statistics displayed. So, it might not even be worth trying on other devices.
The app pushed to the Google Play Store showed version version 1.0.129.
There’s no telling if the SmartBand 2 SWR12 will launch soon or not. This could have been just a minor hiccup, considering that it was promptly pulled from the Play Store. Hopefully we’ll hear some official news on the wearable soon.
source: Xperia Blog
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Facebook Messenger now only shares your location when told to
Today, Facebook Messenger is receiving an update which changes the way that the app handles location sharing. After a few months in the works, Facebook has decided to disable location sharing by default, instead allowing users to explicitly send a map of their location or another particular place as a separate message.
Previously, Facebook Messenger location settings would automatically grab location data every time a user sent a message and share it with their friends list. This update aims to give users more control over when and what location data is shared amongst friends.
To try out the feature, make sure that location data is enabled and then click the More icon or location pin at the bottom of your screen from within the app. From there users can pick nearby locations by dragging the map around or users can send a map with their current location. There’s also the option to search for and share nearby businesses, if you’re planning to meet up for example.
According to TechCrunch, this change to the handling of location information could be just the first in a number of changes heading to Facebook’s service. The company appears keen to tie other location and commerce services into its Messenger app, drawing inspiration from successful Asian messaging services. Although no details about any potential future features were given.
In an effort to be more transparent about its services, Facebook also points out that its Messenger app does not collect any location information unless you specifically enable location services from within the app. Secondly, that the app does not collect any location information when the process is running in the background.
What do you think about Facebook Messenger’s changes to location sharing?
‘Final Fantasty Tactics: The War of the Lions’ arrives on Android
Two years after landing on iOS, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions has now arrived on Android. For those unfamiliar, FFT: War of the Lions is a enhanced remake of the 1887 Playstation title, Final Fantasy Tactics, and originally debuted on the PSP in 2007.
Final Fantasy Tactics isn’t your typical FF RPG, with a focus on strategy and tactics over the traditional elements of a turn-based Japanese RPG. This new Android port features multi-touch controls that are easy to use, but otherwise is about the same as the version originally release in 2007.
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Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions is available now from the Play Store for a price of $13.99. While that’s considerably higher than many of the games found on the Play store, Square has a reputation for quality and so the price is probably worth it if you are a fan of their games and tactical RPGs in general. Just about any device with Android 4.0 or higher should play nicely with the game, though newer devices (2013 or newer) will obviously have a more optimal experience.
Anyone try this one out yet? What do you think so far?
Deal: Build robots, light sensors and more with the Complete Arduino Starter Kit for 85% off
If you’ve been itching to build your own circuits but have no idea where to start, the AA Deals Store may have something for you. The Complete Arduino Starter Kit & Course Bundle is perfect for beginners and will teach you how to use Arduino to control lights, buzzers and more. Once you master the basics, you can work your way up to controlling motors on any device you can think of – robots, mood lights, instruments and much more.
To use this kit, you don’t need to have a background in soldering or electronics. It also includes easy-to-understand instructions, complete with diagrams and troubleshooting tips. You’ll even get 13 circuits included in the package, each equipped with a breadboard layout.
So, what’s all included in the bundle? First of all, there are way too many pieces included in this kit for us to list here, so you’ll need to head to the deal link below to see the full list. But just know that the kit includes everything you need and more to get started. Aside from that, you’ll get access to:
- ARDX Arduino Starter Kit – Tackle 13 different projects with this fully-stocked beginner’s toolkit ($69.90 value)
- Arduino Step-by-Step ‘Your Guide to the Internet of Things’ Course – Explore the world’s friendliest electronics Prototyping Platform ($200 value)
- Arduino ‘Make a Remote-Controlled Car’ Course – Advance your skills & build a full-featured remote-controlled car ($150 value)
- Beginning Arduino ‘Make Your Own Environment Monitor System’ Course – Create a gadget that posts your environment data to a web logging service ($100 value)
If you’d like to pick up this kit for yourself, the Android Authority Deals Store is currently offering it for only $75.99. At 85% off its normal retail price, this is quite the deal. Head to the link below if you’re interested!
HTC now expects to lose money in Q2, writes off $93 million due to unused production capacity
The price of HTC shares has been sliding ever since early March, when the Taiwanese company unveiled the One M9 to frosty reception. Today, HTC shares hit a new low after the company announced it expects a loss for the quarter ending this month, due to lower than expected sales and a one-time write-off of “idled assets.”
HTC now expects to record a net loss of TW$7.95 billion ($257 million) and TW$9.05 billion ($291 million) for the quarter ending June 30. Revenue is expected to be in the range of TW$33 billion to TW$36 billion. That compares to TW$41.5 billion revenue for the previous quarter.
HTC’s revised prediction for this quarter is 30 percent lower than the previous estimate. The phone maker blamed poor sales and intense competition for this dramatic cut.
The change for revenue outlook is due to slower demand for high-end Android devices, and weaker than forecast sales in China, while gross margin is revised primarily on product mix change and lowered scale. At the same time, increased competition has raised operating costs for product promotion; HTC is enacting measures to further improve operating efficiency.
The poor performance of the One M9 is probably the main reason HTC is doing so bad, even if the company didn’t acknowledge it. HTC said, however, that it would incur a “one-off impairment of NT$2.9bn for idled assets and some prepaid expenses.” In plain English, that means HTC booked more production capacity than it needed, and when demand for its products failed to materialize, it had to foot the bill. This meshes with the report from Taiwanese media claiming HTC cancelled 30 percent of the One M9 production due to lack of consumer interest.
For May 2015, HTC announced revenue of TW$10.79 billion, much lower than the $13.5 billion from April, which was the company’s worst April in six years. And this is just one month after the launch of the One M9.
HTC is trying hard to divert attention from the disaster that the One M9 shapes up to be. The company has launched three high-end phones (all three arguably better than the M9) in China and India in the past weeks. And just yesterday, CEO Cher Wang promised a new “hero” product coming out in October, and significant improvements for the next generation of the M series. Problem is, how much can HTC go at this rate?
HTC CEO apologizes for poor performance, promises new “Hero” device in the fall
It’s no secret that the new flagship this year from HTC, the One M9, hasn’t been a hit. Actually, a scary thought would be if HTC expected it to be. The One M9 did not bring much to the table, in comparison with the One M8 of last year.
It’s apparent that this poor performance has disturbed investors, bringing about a drop in stock to a 12-year low of NT$98. At a shareholders meeting this week, HTC CEO Cher Wang went on to apologize for the cause of the weak numbers this year thus far.
According to the Taipei Times, Cher Wang said “HTC’s performance was mainly due to its poor operational efficiency and overly conservative marketing strategy amid fierce competition in the global market.”
“HTC’s recent performance has let people down“
She went on discuss what will be done to turn things around, promising to deliver a “Hero” product in October, and make a more worthy flagship next year.
In addition, HTC will “improve its product mix strategy for smarphones”. Although limited to China, I think we’ve begun to see this with the recent One ME announcement.
It’s unfortunate to see HTC continually in a rut particularly since they were there in Android’s beginnings. Let’s hope that they can get it together.
As to whether this new device falls back on the actual Hero branding isn’t clear. Typically the fall time frame sees HTC releasing something in the Desire family.
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