Sony launches the Xperia Z3+ in India for Rs. 55,990
Earlier today, Sony launched its flagship smartphone of 2015, the Xperia Z3+, in India. The handset carries a hefty price tag of Rs. 55,990 ($880) and is available to purchase from the Japanese company’s online portal or any of its bricks-and-mortar stores.
For those unaware, the Xperia Z3+ is essentially a revamped model of Sony’s flagship device of 2014, with a 5.2-inch Full HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable internal storage and a 20.7MP rear-facing camera.
The device runs the latest build of Android 5.0.1 Lollipop straight out of the box with Sony’s Xperia custom user interface plastered over the top, which, according to the manufacturer, “provides users with easy-access to multimedia applications.”
If you’re based in India, like the sound of the Xperia Z3+ and would like to find out more with regards to picking one up then hit the source link below.
Source: Sony
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Samsung launches the Galaxy Xcover 3 in the United States
If you’re based in the US and you’re on the look out for a super-rugged smartphone, you may want to listen up as Samsung has finally launched its salt, dust, rain, vibration, solar radiation and thermal shock resistant smartphone, the Galaxy Xcover 3.
Carriers in the United States will not be offering this handset as it’s targeted at a small but significant niche market. However, it is available to purchase through Amazon unlocked for $300. It’s important to bare in mind, though, that this device doesn’t support US LTE bands.
In terms of specifications, the Galaxy Xcover 3 features a 4.5-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, a 1.2GHz quad-core Armada GPU, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable internal storage, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2,200 mAh non-removable battery.
The Xcover 3 unsurprisingly also comes with IP67 certification, meaning it’s fully-waterproof — so it can be submerged into 1m of fresh water for half an hour and will survive to tell the tale.
If you like the sound of the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 and would like to get your hands on one, hit the source link below.
Source: Amazon
Come comment on this article: Samsung launches the Galaxy Xcover 3 in the United States
Unblock FREE puzzler game review
Puzzle games have always been a hit with all kinds of people. Sometimes they elate you when you clear a level and other times you just get frustrated thinking of a solution. Puzzler Playzio has developed Unblock FREE to satisfy all your brainstorming cravings.
Unblock FREE is a simple, yet cunningly difficult, puzzle game where you have to clear out the a path for a red block by moving the other blocks out of the way. It contains 4 challenging levels that range from Easy to Expert which all together amass a total of 4000 different puzzles.
At the start, it seems to be very simple, but as you get through the levels, even the easier ones start to rattle your brain rather intensely. Unblock FREE comes with 2 modes, Relax Mode and Challenge Mode. The only difference between the two being that Challenge Mode keeps track of your moves and sets the score once you finish the level, and Relax Mode doesn’t count your moves and makes you feel like a pro even if you take 20 moves to complete the level. Challenge Mode also allows you to reset your level score so you can continue to set new bars for yourself.
To go about playing Unblock FREE you can click on PLAY directly to play the game in order or you can choose any of the 4000 levels! Yes, that’s an insane amount of levels to keep you busy for the better part of your life some would say.
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I found Unblock FREE to be very enjoyable and frustratingly complex at times, but I managed to get through in the end. Giving your brain some rest after trying to clear a fairly challenging level helps a lot when you need to make your next move. Another option is to use the hints provided, but be careful as there’s only a limited amount of them. If you do run out of hints you can always purchase more from the in-game store. The store also contains several themes and level packs that you can purchase.
Unblock FREE always urged me to pick up the phone and try the puzzles one more time until I cleared them. It’s definitely one game puzzle solving fans will love. The awesome clean graphics and well-designed levels will appeal to all and I would recommend you give this a try at least once.
Check out the link below and let us know in the comments how many levels you got through before it frustrated you enough to put your phone down.
Game Link
The post Unblock FREE puzzler game review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
[Deal] Grab a Moto 360 for $149.99 from Woot
Earlier today, Woot kicked off a new deal on all three colorways of the Moto 360. Buying the smartwatch using this promo saves customers a whopping $100; so you now can pick one up for as little as $149.99. However, stock is extremely limited — so if you want to bag yourself one you better act fast.
You’ll find the links for each of the colorways below:
Will you be taking advantage of this offer? Let us know below!
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Grab a Moto 360 for $149.99 from Woot
AT&T calls upon entry-level ZTE Maven for prepaid lineup
AT&T today added another low-cost Android handset to its GoPhone prepaid offerings in the form of the ZTE Maven. In short, it’s a $60 Android 5.1 Lollipop experience that delivers enough power to satiate a first time smartphone buyer.
The Maven features specs that closely resemble found in the latest Cricket device, the ZTE Sonata 2. Here, though, you’ll find a 4.5-inch display and a newer version of Android.
In terms of hardware, the AT&T phone packs a quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor with 1GB RAM. Internal storage is listed at 8GB with up to 3.1GB available to use. There is a microSD expansion card slot however it’s not clear what sort of capacity is supported. Over on the camera front the Maven offers a 5-megapixel rear shooter and a VGA unit around front.
The post AT&T calls upon entry-level ZTE Maven for prepaid lineup appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Reserve Strap to Offer 30 Hours of Extra Apple Watch Battery Life, Launching in November [iOS Blog]
Reserve Strap this week released the official design specifications of its battery-charging Apple Watch band accessory, confirming a shipping date for the $249.99 strap to be November 3, 2015. Since its debut in early March, the Reserve Strap has gone through two design iterations, with developers Lane Musgrave and John Arrow attempting to get the look — and functionality — just right.
The strap’s finalized design comes in with a width of 25mm, a thickness of 3-9mm, and a total weight of 65g. The designers have also ditched the rubber and metallic combination design of the Reserve Strap’s second iteration with a uniform Thermoset Elastomer Silicone band that’s “as resistant to water as Apple Watch.” Coming in both 38mm and 42mm casing sizes, the Reserve Strap promises to fit wrists ranging in size from 130mm to 210mm.
The original Reserve Strap design (left), with the second design (middle) and the final one (right)
The design wasn’t the only aspect of the strap to be overhauled, however, with the strap’s developers noting a 167 percent increase in battery life, compared to the original design’s 125 percent boost. Essentially, if the Reserve Strap is fully charged (via included micro-USB cable), users can expect an additional 30 hours of battery life for their Apple Watch. So, as the company notes on its website, a fully-charged Apple Watch can now expect a grand total battery life of 48 hours if both devices are topped off.
The company goes into the specifics in the new blog post on what users can expect with a day-to-day usage of the Reserve Strap, detailed below. It should be mentioned that the strap’s access to the Apple Watch accessory port requires users to first remove the cover to the hidden port before using the Reserve Strap, a process detailed by creators Musgrave and Arrow in a how-to video on their YouTube channel.
How Reserve Strap Works
1. Reserve Strap will connect to the Apple Watch similar to Apple bands. It will slide in laterally then you’ll then push forward a small switch underneath the band to engage the accessory port connection to secure the Reserve Strap on the Watch.
2. At your discretion simply press the power button once to initiate charging. You can use the Watch as normal while it charges.
3. Once top-off charging is complete after 60-75 minutes, press the power button again to save the rest of Reserve Strap for another time. Or if you decide to leave Reserve Strap on, Apple Watch will use the Strap’s power to keep the Apple Watch at 100% power until the Reserve Strap is depleted.
4. Reserve Strap uses a minimal LED indicator to let you know how much charge you have left. When you turn the charge on or plug it in, the LED will glow either red, yellow or green indicating a high, medium, or low charge.
5. Recharging the Reserve Strap and Apple Watch is incredibly easy. You can leave your Strap on the Watch and simply plug it in via micro USB. This will charge the Apple Watch and Reserve Strap at the same time!
The Reserve Strap, which the developers promise fully complies with the Apple Watch Band Design Guidelines and “doesn’t violate either AppleCare warranty or Apple Terms & Conditions,” can be pre-ordered for $249.99 today from the company’s official website. The final design can be purchased in white, grey, or black, its creators noting that only those who pre-ordered are guaranteed a strap on the November 3 launch date.
Lenovo wants you to decide if it should build this retro ThinkPad
IBM’s original boxy, black ThinkPads, exemplified by the seminal 1994 700c model, are beloved by laptop design aficionados. But would such a style (in a much thinner package, of course) fly in today’s market? Lenovo’s VP of design, David Hill wants to find out, so he showed off a “Time Machine” render with the original multicolored ThinkPad logo, a blue enter key, a seven-row keyboard and a 16:10 aspect screen. It would, of course, be equipped with the latest technology and an 18mm thin case. The idea is to see if a computer based on a classic design would be as popular as retro-tinged cars like the “new” Mini Cooper or Ford Mustang.
However, “actually bringing a retro inspired ThinkPad to market would require significant sales volumes to justify the development effort and tooling expense,” he said. As such, he wants to know “if you think Lenovo should make the retro inspired ThinkPad, or have suggestions on how to make it better, please post your comments.” You can head to his blog now to give your thoughts, but judging by the 900-plus comments, almost all positive, we’d say he’s definitely on to something.
Source: Lenovo
Uber defiant in the face of French ridesharing crackdown
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve today launched a legal action to permanently shut down UberPOP, Uber’s non-professional ride service, according to Reuters. The move follows a protest against UberPOP by as many as 3,000 taxi drivers that crippled large sections of the city and both airports. Seven police officers were injured, 70 vehicles damaged and 10 people arrested during the rally. Yesterday, French authorities ordered police to ban UberPOP and seize driver’s cars if necessary. However, Uber’s general manager in France replied that the measures “changed nothing,” and that UberPOP would continue to operate.
Though President Francois Hollande called the taxi protest violence “unacceptable,” he saved the bulk of his rancor for Uber, saying “UberPop should be dissolved and declared illegal.” Today, Cazeneuve said that the company’s attitude was “arrogant,” and added that any more statements by Uber managers telling drivers to ignore the ban are “a criminal offense.” However, the status of UberPOP in France is not so cut-and-dry. While the government declared the service illegal earlier this year, an appeals court has said that, pending a final decision in September, Uber could continue to offer UberPOP on its app.
https://vine.co/v/e5F05waBKJw/embed/simple
For its part, Uber has complained that the government has buckled to the violent protesters and interfered with the normal course of justice. (Uber continues to legally operate its UberX and UberBLACK services using professional drivers in France.) The protests have now petered down to a small minority of drivers, according to The Local, and with a new terrorist attack today in France, the Interior Ministry has more serious matters to deal with.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Reuters
‘Game of Thrones’ piracy is rampant, but UK TV smashes records too
Whether they’re tuning in as it airs or grabbing a copy via their favourite file-sharing site, people just can’t get enough of Game of Thrones. The fifth season has only just drawn to a close, but during its run, the HBO fantasy series managed to smash its own piracy records and break ;a few broadcast milestones too. In fact, the season finale became the most popular “entertainment programme ever” on Sky, reaching a record 3.1 million homes on June 15th.
Mirroring the premiere earlier this year, Sky broadcast the final episode of Game of Thrones twice in the same day. The first airing was a 2am simulcast, which matched the HBO broadcast in the US, and a 9pm showing later that day. Sky says that if it accounted for Sky GO and Now TV broadcasts, the total number of viewers would be even higher.
It’s a good omen for HBO and Sky. As consumers become more web-savvy, it’s easier to watch Game of Thrones online without having to pay for a subscription. The simulcasts help to a point, as they eliminate the wait, but the large majority of viewers don’t care to wait until the early hours to watch something that will reach file-sharing sites a few hours later. It shows that more viewers (with Sky at least) prefer the traditional TV time slot, something that on-demand services simply can’t replicate.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Sky
China says ‘absurd logic’ is behind US hacking accusations
China isn’t taking accusations that it’s connected to the recent hack of US government employee data lying down. “We have noticed that the US is still investigating, but feels that China is responsible,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a recent general briefing. “This is absurd logic.” This wouldn’t be the first time the US has pointed the finger at China — it was also suspected to be behind last year’s major USPS hack, among many other instances over the years. The most recent hack leaked information for more than four million federal employees, including incredibly detailed data from background checks. While that attack is still being investigated, the American government has said that it’ll be making online records more secure. China, for its part, says it’s also facing regular cyberattacks from the US. Meanwhile, the two frenemies are also trying to work together to take on cybercriminals.
[Photo credit: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images]
Source: AFP/Yahoo
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