Lenovo is the latest to hop on the PC-on-a-stick bandwagon
Who knew that stick computers were suddenly in vogue? In the wake of pocket-sized desktops from Intel, Dell and Google, Lenovo is joining the fray with the Ideacentre 300 Stick. The extra-tiny Windows PC is much like a sleeker, more polished version of Intel’s Compute Stick. It shares the same 1.3GHz Atom chip, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage as its counterpart, and you’ll also have the familiar USB port and microSD card slot for those moments when wireless peripherals won’t cut it. The system’s biggest difference (and really, biggest draw) is its price. It’ll cost $129 when it hits stores in July — that’s about $20 less than the Intel stick, and you’re getting a full-fledged home computer versus a corporate “thin client” like Dell’s similarly priced Wyse Cloud Connect.
Source: Lenovo
Google Play Music takes on Spotify with free streaming
Google must not be content to sit on the sidelines as Spotify tries to conquer the streaming media world — the internet behemoth has unveiled a free, ad-supported version of Google Play Music’s streaming service for the US. It’ll be familiar if you’ve tried these no-charge listening options before. Besides having to deal with occasional commercial interruptions, you’ll lose the direct control that you have with a paid subscription (which, by the way, is dropping the All Access label). You can start a radio-like station based on an artist, album or song, but you won’t have on-demand playback, offline support, playlist creation or background listening for YouTube music videos. It’s more for ambient tunes than anything else.
You’ll also need to be patient to give this gratis edition a spin. Web listeners can try it today, but the corresponding Android and iOS app updates won’t be available until later in the week. Nonetheless, this could be a big deal for Google and your streaming choices. Play Music’s all-you-can-hear paid service typically sits in the shadows of Spotify, which uses its free option to reel in customers who’d otherwise never give the company a shot. Google’s move both expands the potential audience and lets you try a major service without committing to a trial or forking over cash.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Official Blog, App Store, Google Play
Panoz wants an all-electric, arrow-shaped car racing at Le Mans
Panoz’s arrow-shaped DeltaWing car concept technically hit the race track last year when Nissan’s ZEOD RC prototype participated in Le Mans, but it wasn’t exactly a dream come true. Nissan was no longer part of the DeltaWing program at that point, and the ZEOD RC completed just a few laps — only one of which was under electric power. The automaker isn’t deterred, however. It’s planning to field an all-electric DeltaWing racer at Le Mans, and it intends to go the full 24 hours. Not that this will be easy. The planned swappable battery would only let the EV run for 50 minutes per charge, so Panoz could replace power packs 29 times during the event unless it takes advantage of weight savings to load up on extra batteries. As it stands, Le Mans already has racers in the experimental Garage 56 class lined up through 2017 — Don Panoz and company can afford to take their time getting it right.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Source: Racer
Gmail’s most useful experimental feature, ‘Undo Send,’ gets official
For anyone who’s ever sent an angry/pathetic/embarrassing email that they’ve instantly regretted, Gmail’s experimental “Undo Send” feature has been a lifesaver. Now, it’s becoming an official part of Gmail on the web. The feature lets you instantly retract an email shortly after you’ve hit the send button. It was one of the first truly useful Gmail Labs offerings, a collection of experimental features mainly meant for power users. Mostly, we wonder what took Google so long to make it part of the core Gmail experience. Undo Send is disabled by default (which doesn’t make much sense), but you’ll eventually see it as an option in your “General” Gmail settings tab in the coming weeks. If you’ve already enabled it from Gmail Labs, however, it’ll be turned on by default.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Google
Instagram’s revamped photo exploration helps you follow trends
Want to see all the Instagram shots coming out of that big music festival? It should be much easier after today. Instagram is releasing new versions of its Android and iOS apps whose overhauled Explore and Search features help you follow trends as they happen. You’ll see the most recent trending hashtags and places, and a new Places Search shows the buzz in just about any location on the planet — helpful if you want to know what your vacation spot looks like in real life. Both app updates should be available today, so you’ll find out what’s hot in very short order.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Facebook
Source: Instagram Blog
Hulu hooks up with Showtime to make internet TV more like cable
Showtime is following HBO’s lead and launching an internet-only version of its service in July, but cutting the cable doesn’t mean the bundle is going away. In a first for Hulu, it’s adding the network as a premium option similar to the way it’s offered with cable TV. While Showtime by itself will be available for $11 per month on Apple TV, Roku or PlayStation Vue, $8 per month Hulu subscribers (no Plus, it dropped that name a few weeks ago) can add it for $9 and stream the network’s stuff to anywhere they usually watch Hulu.
Knocking a couple of bucks off the monthly fee is good if you already have both services, but it will be interesting to see how receptive the cord-cutting crowd is to this model. One thing you won’t have to worry about though, is commercials — Showtime on Hulu will be commercial free. CEO of Showtime Matthew Blank says he’s excited to put the first premium service on Hulu, leading us to wonder which one might be next? HBO and Amazon already have a deal, and most channels are busy competing with Netflix, so offering some easy team-ups maybe a good niche for Hulu.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Hulu
Google Music Gains Free Ad-Supported Radio Tier in U.S.
Google today announced that it’s adding a free tier to its Google Music subscription service, just a week ahead of the launch of Apple Music. Apple Music doesn’t include a free listening tier, but it is accompanied by a free ad-supported radio service that provides users with a way to access music without shelling out cash.
Google’s free listening tier is built around Songza, the radio-based streaming service that Google purchased last July. It includes curated radio stations and playlists, which Google describes as human-curated and crafted “song by song” for moods and activities like working out or driving. It’s currently available in the United States and rolling out to Android and iOS devices this week.
At any moment in your day, Google Play Music has whatever you need music for–from working, to working out, to working it on the dance floor–and gives you curated radio stations to make whatever you’re doing better. Our team of music experts, including the folks who created Songza, crafts each station song by song so you don’t have to. If you’re looking for something specific, you can browse our curated stations by genre, mood, decade or activity, or you can search for your favorite artist, album or song to instantly create a station of similar music.
Apple’s own upcoming revamped radio service also has a heavy focus on human curation, headlined by the live Beats 1 radio station that will play music chosen by human DJs 24/7. It will be broadcast in more than 100 countries and led by former BBC DJ Zane Lowe and other famous DJs from Los Angeles, New York, and London, airing not only music but also exclusive interviews and music news.
Google, like Apple, is hoping that its free radio service will entice customers to subscribe to the company’s paid music service. Google Play Music is priced at $9.99 per month and it offers a free 30-day listening trial.
Galaxy SIII & 1-Yr Unlimited Talk-and-Text from FreedomPop
Start your engines because we’re rolling out a smoking deal. How does a great device and a year’s worth of service for less than some people pay for their monthly rate plan sound? If you’re looking to ditch your contract carrier, this package from FreedomPop is definitely worthy of your attention and may save you a significant deal of moolah, baby.
This bundle includes a certified pre-owned Samsung Galaxy SIII PLUS a year of wireless service with no contract or commitment. You’ll get unlimited texting, unlimited talk and 500 MB of LTE data per month.. Not to mention the added bonus of a private VPN, visual voicemail and usage alerts. What might you expect to pay for unlimited service, premium speeds and a great Android handset? Somewhere in the ballpark of a thousand bucks might be appropriate but FreedomPop is offering AndroidGuys readers this entire package for just $149.99!
Today’s Bonus Deal
Stay powered up with this Innori 15000mAh Battery Pack, $29.99 (50% off)
See more at deals.androidguys.com
The post Galaxy SIII & 1-Yr Unlimited Talk-and-Text from FreedomPop appeared first on AndroidGuys.
What we know: Galaxy Note 5 leaks and rumors thus far
Rather than passing along every single rumor that comes across our plate we’ve opted to cover only those devices that we find most relevant. To that end, the “What We Know” column aims to highlight the flagship smartphone models that are looming on the horizon.
What you’ll find below is a list of all the noteworthy rumors, leaks, speculation, images, and other stuff that pertains to the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. We’ve done our best to gather up the juiciest stuff floating around, even if it conflicts with other reports. Unless otherwise noted, this is all to be considered unofficial and unconfirmed.
Note: this post will be updated continually until such time that the device is announced by Samsung.
Specs
Display
There have been quite a few rumors and leaks concerning various possible screen sizes for the Galaxy Note 5. Initially, it was believed that it will sport 5.89-inch screen with a UHD display consisting of 2160 x 3840 resolution for an astonishing 748 ppi.
Now it appears that Samsung has calmed down a little and has decided to opt for a QHD (2560 x 1440) display according to a Korean news site. This lower spec but still top of the line display has been seconded by a Chinese site.
Processor
It is currently believed that the Note 5 will house Samsung’s Exynos 7422 SoC, but there has been test units rocking an Exynos 7430 according to SamMobile. It is believed that the 7430 is just an engineering sample with no real plans to release to the public.
“The Exynos 7422 is expected to be the company’s first ever all-in-one solution (ePoP) as it will combine the CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, and modem on a single chip.“
Battery
We reported on June 11th that the Note 5 will see a bump in battery size. Well it is more than a bump. Sources show that the Note 5 could carry a 4,100 mAh battery which is significantly bigger than the Note 4’s 3,220 mAh battery.
Unfortunately, this larger battery might not be removable. According to a leak picked up by Android Headlines, the non-removable battery of the Samsung Galaxy S6 is also going to be present in the Note 5. Android Headlines’ leak also affirmed the 4,100 mAh size of the battery.
Data Connection
The Note 5 will obviously sport LTE connectivity. There is no way to be a flagship without LTE! Our same leak from China has outed the obvious in this case. They also say that there will be an European model with dual sim capabilities and single sim models for almost everyone else.
OS
Test models are said to currently be running 5.1.1 with Touchwiz according to Android Headlines. We are still unsure if it will launch with 5.1.1 or if Samsung will be able to get Android M onto the Note 5. Who knows.
Quick little off the record plug about Touchwiz. As much flack as Touchwiz has gotten in the past, Samsung has really turned it into a nice UI. It has nice additional features that can be useful and it does look rather nice now. Playing around with it on the Note 4 and Galaxy S5 and S6, it isn’t that bad anymore. Call me crazy, but I personally feel that it is second best to HTC’s Sense. This is excluding Motorola because you can’t really call that a skin, which is a good thing.
Misc.
Here are some little tidbits that I couldn’t think of a category for.
The Note 5 is said to come with a USB Type C port. This will offer a reversible charging plug as well as double the data transfer speeds as a USB 3.0 standard with a 10 Gbps speed over the older 5 Gbps.
Edge Variant
Project Zen was reported on by SamMobile and is supposed to be the Edge version of the Note 5 with lower specs and a curved screen. Project Zen is to come with a 5.4-inch/5.5-inch Super AMOLED dual-edge curved display. It will also sport an hexa-core Snapdragon 808, 16GB storage, a 16-megapixel primary camera with OIS, and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
A leak from China suggests that there will not be any “Edge” variant of the Note 5 despite common sense and previous rumors and leaks (shown above). If this is the case, then what exactly is Project Zen?
Launch Date
While there was talk of the Note 5 releasing in September with Samsung Pay, it appears that the release has been brought up to late August. According to a Chinese leak, this is in response to the expected release of the next iPhone from Apple.
The post What we know: Galaxy Note 5 leaks and rumors thus far appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung Galaxy S6 and Edge receive Raw support with 5.1 update
Samsung has done some great work with its flagships optics since the release of the Samsung Galaxy S5. When the device was first released back in 2014, many took note of the stunning pictures that could be captured using the Samsung Galaxy S5. Fastforward to 2015 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 only expanded on its predecessors success with an updated aperture lens and optical image stabilization. Not content with only those features though, Samsung has also added Raw support for the camera of the Samsung Galaxy S6 that will allow you to capture images in their full, uncompressed glory. Also included in the update are lower ISO values that match those on commercially available digital cameras.
“Equipped with first-of-its-kind technology, Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are the most advanced smartphones on the market“
There is a small catch, however. When Sammobile reported that Samsung Galaxy S6 would Raw support, they were under the impression that it would be accessible via the stock camera app. Well, the update came and went with no signs of Raw support or the ISO values. Sammobile was quick to realize that the support was in fact there, just not via the stock app.
So for all of you happy Samsung Galaxy S6 owners who have updated your device to the latest firmware, you will need to download an third-party app that has been optimized to use Lollipops Camera2 API. Not a hard task to complete, as most of the popular camera apps, were quick to update to include this feature.
Source
The post Samsung Galaxy S6 and Edge receive Raw support with 5.1 update appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AIVAnet 