Android OEMs worried about Google/Oracle copyright lawsuit
Late last month, Google was ordered to pay Oracle 1 billion in damages over its infamous Java copyright lawsuit. This ruling has worried some of Android’s manufacturer partners, especially since some of them are already being forced to pay royalties to Microsoft for patent infringement. Margins for Android phones are already getting thinner and thinner, so having to shell out more money to another party would make that situation even worse for Android OEMs.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Android OEMs are going to have to start paying royalties to Oracle, especially since this Google/Oracle lawsuit was over copyrights, not patents. Typically, legal disputes between companies over copyright infringement are handled only between the two companies in the legal battle, so if that holds up, Google’s Android partners wouldn’t have anything to worry about. Google’s still on the hook for the legal damages, but that at least won’t upset the Android ecosystem very much. We’ll have to wait for this ruling to make its way through the inevitable rounds of appeals and overturned ruling before we can really see the effect this will have, though.
source: Business Korea
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Sony’s Folding@Home for Android gets updated to v2.0
Sony has today updated Folding@Home to v2.0, bringing with it a whole host of great changes. The program has been available on PCs since the year 2000, but Sony only a little while ago brought it to Android.
There’s an easy-to-use interface now, showing you if Wi-Fi is connected, if you’re connected to a power source, and if your battery is full. If all conditions are met, the app will begin doing calculations to determine the shape of proteins. In layman’s terms, it helps medical researchers find cures for different diseases, such as Alzheimers or many types of cancers.
Here’s the full changelog:
- New, easy-to-use interface – with on/off switch on main screen and notification area.
- Contribute anytime, with wireless charging support.
- Google ID signin to accumulate contributions across your devices, and win achievements.
- Research information accessible via Research Type
Just imagine if everyone had this app on their devices, all donating computing power to this project. We could make some serious advances in medical research. If you’re interested in finding out more about Folding@Home and how it works, Stanford University has a great information page on the project.
If you want to help out, be sure to scan the QR code or hit the download link below.
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LG is having a #BestShotEver contest for a chance to go to New York!
Whether you take tons of photos or none at all it’s time to start because LG is having a contest and all can enter. All you have to do is take a picture, share it on Instagram, and tag @LGUSAMobile and include the hashtag #BestShotEver to be entered.
If the Judges like your photo you could win the grand prize, an all expenses paid trip to New York City. Not only that, but two LG G4 smartphones and the best part a helicopter tour all around New York.
The contest is now open and ends July 31st. The judges will pick their favourite photo and announce the winner sometime in mid August.
A contest like this will be huge and have many great photos so LG has 24 “first prizes” in which each of those winners will get a LG G4.
If you look at the official rules the judging is based on six categories. Basically it’s 50% beauty, 30% based on story/emotional impact, and the final 20% on composition and colouring. Basically if your picture clearly looks amazing you have a very good chance at winning. Do be warned as only one #BestShotEver will count per day, so choose wisely!
If you check the hashtag #BestShotEver on Instagram the completion is already heating up. Get out there are start shooting today!
Source: LG
Via: Phonearena
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Device unlocking fee on Telus being raised to $50 on July 7th
Canadian carrier Telus has announced that they will be raising the unlock fee for devices on their network by $15 starting on July 7th. This move raises the unlock fee to $50, bringing it in line with Rogers and Bell.
Telus has offered the unlocking service for $35 since 2012, but the cost of unlocking devices is higher than the carrier originally anticipated. I’m not entirely sure how that works, but since it looks like the standard pricing going forward, I don’t think anyone in Canada will have much of a choice there.
source: Mobile Syrup
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LG G4 bests Samsung, Apple in latest Consumer Reports’ testing
With both the LG G2 and LG G3, Samsung and Apple have increasingly had to deal with a smartphone competitor that more and more consumers are taking a look at and opting to buy. Although LG may not be meeting internal sales expectations with the LG G4, the phone is still a hit and attracting a lot of attention from buyers. That interest may increase after a recent report from Consumer Reports that ranked the LG G4 ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Apple iPhone 6 on performance testing.
According to the latest testing results from Consumer Reports, only last year’s Samsung Galaxy S5 managed to perform better than the LG G4 and the LG G3, both of which scored 78 out of a 100-point scale. In the most recent round of testing, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Apple iPhone 6 ended up tied for fifth place.
The LG G4 was probably helped in the Consumer Reports‘ rankings by the large display and a laser-assisted focus system for a strong camera system included in the smartphone. LG has also set the device apart from the rest of the leaders in the smartphone market by staying away from the glass and metal construction trend, opting instead for leather or plastic backs.
source: BusinessKorea
via: phoneArena
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Asus unveils the Pegasus 2 Plus in China, aiming for a September launch
Asus has unveiled the Pegasus 2 Plus handset in China as a successor to last year’s Pegasus X002. This is one of the first device’s Asus has unveiled since they’re big ZenFone brand push at CES earlier this year.
The smartphone will sport a 1920 x 1080 5.5-inch display, a Snapdragon 615 64-bit Octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, and a 3,030mAh battery to power it all. It’ll feature a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. Owners will find Asus’ ZenUI atop of the latest flavor of Android, 5.1.1.
What’s particularly interesting about the Pegasus 2 Plus is that it doesn’t have any capacitive buttons on the body of the device, everything is on-screen. Asus plans on launching the device in White and Rose Gold in Asian markets beginning in September, but no more details have been shared as far as availability and pricing go.
Asus made a profit on its smartphones for the first time with the ZenFone 2, with momentum to continue late in the year. Hopefully the Pegasus 2 Plus will help propel the Taiwanese-based company forward in that regard.
source: 163.com
via: Android Headlines
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Samsung Galaxy Note 5 may get an easy way to sign PDF’s
There are a few ways already to sign a PDF on a Samsung Galaxy Note, but they are all somewhat cumbersome. However it seems things will become a lot easier thanks to a US trademark registration that seems to indicate a new feature coming to the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 .
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) asked Samsung registration what the term “Write on PDFs” means. The description that was attached to the application says it means it’s a software feature for smartphones and tablets to annotate and save PDF documents. With the introduction of the Note 5 coming out soon this could mean a big new feature for it.
A simple and quick way to edit and sign a PDF document would be the perfect edition for the Note 5 due to it’s signature S pen.
Source: USPTO
Via: Galaxyclub
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OnePlus CEO makes a promise on the OnePlus 2’s price
The launch of the OnePlus 2 will take place later this month and the company is revealing bits and pieces about its upcoming flagship until then to get people excited. The OnePlus 2 will pack the Snapdragon 810 processor, feature a USB Type-C port, and enhance security with a fingerprint scanner. All great components to be found in the upcoming flagship phone from OnePlus. However, premium specifications do include a premium price. A few weeks ago, in addition to explaining the processor selection, OnePlus noted that the OnePlus 2 would cost consumers more than $322. Now, the company’s CEO has decided to provide additional details on the device’s price.
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau released a quote to the company’s social media accounts promising that the OnePlus 2 will cost less than $450. So we now know that the OnePlus 2’s price will sit between $323-$449. Definitely a bit pricey but the device will have, as mentioned before, premium specifications. If leaked photographs are to be believed, the OnePlus 2 will indeed have a premium design to match what is inside.
This could very well be a promise that OnePlus actually stays true to. It seems likely that the OnePlus 2 will be priced around $350, but the company may be forced to touch $400.
Source: OnePlus (Twitter)
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Micro-Flip brings reversible functionality to the microUSB standard
A curious project from Houston, TX aims to bring reversible functionality to the microUSB standard.
It would appear that you will not have to wait until the USB Type-C becomes standard in smartphones in order to have a reversible charger plug for your phone!
Codistas has started a Kickstarter for the Micro-Flip. The Micro-Flip is a 1-meter cable that is designed to work as a reversible replacement for standard microUSB cables.
They plan to sell this 1-meter long cable for $20. Currently, you can pick one up off of Kickstarter for $12 (early bird special) or $15. Each reward tier has the option of adding $3 for a 2-meter cable.
The cable itself is made out of a tangle-free braided nylon. While they currently only have a black cable, they plan on making a white cable as well. Other product details are below.
It is nice to see a reversible cable made for the microUSB, but I would be too scared of damaging my microUSB port with it.
The shape of the connector has been changed to allow it to be inserted in either direction, but that would also most likely cause it to be loose fitting.
For me personally, it is a simple task to check which way the cable is facing before I try to jam it into my device. In fact, I can tell just by touching the cable with some of them.
However, I can see how this will be of use to some people that can’t be bothered with menial tasks like making sure they are plugging in their cable the right way.
It could be added convenience, but there is still the fear that it will damage the microUSB port on my device in the back of my mind.
If you are interested in this cable, the Kickstarter runs from now until August with an expected delivery of October.
This product would have been more successful if it had been released years ago when the microUSB was the only standard for mobile charging, but with the introduction of the USB Type-C standard that is already reversible, I can’t see the Micro-Flip picking up much interest.
People will most likely hold off on the $12 investment in anticipation for the USB Type-C ports and cables to come.
It could still very well be a product that you would want in your house. If you are interested in a Micro-Flip, you can back it on Kickstarter!
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Toast review: Real wood covers for your tech devices
Who is Toast?
Stationed in Portland, Oregon, Toast is a company that creates, designs and ships real wood covers for a multitude of devices. They are a small team of 8 who work diligently to put out Toast covers for your favorite tech devices! Toast started back in 2012 after a Kickstarter campaign that was backed by 300 people.
Meet Team Toast!
- Matias Brecher – Founder, Product Designer & “Papa Toast”
- Naiden Read – Laser Grand Master & Head of Production
- Jennifer Wright – Awesomeness & Brilliant Ideas Departments; “Mama Toast”
- Danielle House – Social Media Butterfly, PR Power & Primo Pixel Pushing
- Andre Wilder – Master Controller of Production & Taco Expert
- Barrie Jo Hamilton – You Want It, You Got It Department
- Laurent Vriesman – Toast Divine Oracle & Customer Whisperer
- Robert Coronado – Production Team Whiz, Artsy-Fartsy Business & Life of the Party
“You Want It, You Got It Department“
Moving straight on to the review!
Toast cover
Toast makes covers for a large assortment of devices. They have covers for phones, tablets, laptops and even the Pebble smartwatch! They also carry leather skins for select devices.
The team over at Toast was kind enough to send me a beautiful ash cover for my Nexus 6 for the purpose of this review. Another quick shout out to them for being awesome!
Applying the skin
I am deathly afraid of applying things to my phone. I have a mild case of OCD, and I got crazy if a screen protector is the slightest bit off. It is actually one of the reasons that I prefer cases over skins; I can’t deal with a skin that is off just a little. It doesn’t help that companies like Toast make their cutouts precisely the right size. The camera cutout is the exact size as the camera, that sort of thing.
This preciseness scared me at first. I was horrified that I would miss and forever be stuck with a crooked skin. Luckily, that was not the case. Toast covers were actually surprisingly simple apply to my Nexus 6. The best part is that you don’t have to do it perfect the first time!
I missed the first time while trying to apply the backing. After gingerly pealing it back up, I was able to successfully apply it properly on the second go. However, Toast does note that the covers are not reusable. After you apply the cover and push down firmly on it, the skin is on to stay.
You can peal it off after a while, but you will not be able to reapply it and achieve a similar solid stick.
Looks
First impressions
The skin is downright gorgeous. The color of the ash actually really works with the midnight blue Nexus 6 to great a visually pleasing device.
Toast surprised me by throwing in a front skin cover to go along with the back. Due to the curvature of the screen, the skin isn’t a single, solid piece for the front. It is one piece, but it is sort of cut along the edges to allow it to fold over and match the curve of the screen.
Not only does this help the cover get a better hold on the device, but it also creates a simplistic accent to the skin adding value in both function and fashion.
Wear and tear
Toast is definitely a higher end skin. The ash cover looks amazing! There aren’t really any blemishes on the skin, but even if there were, they would just add to the overall appeal. This is one of those products that will end up looking better with more wear and tear.
At least, that is in my opinion. The more the backing got damaged from sliding around on table tops and even concrete, the better it ended up looking! Each mark on the skin added to the overall natural look of the skin.
Engraving
The engraving is probably the best part. Toast sets itself apart from other skin manufacturers by not only using real wood but by allowing users to add custom engravings into the back of the skin.
For a small fee of around $5, you can customize your skin to make your device even more unique.
The engraving is actually surprisingly legible. I wasn’t sure how clear the text would be when burnt into a wooden back, but it comes out nice and clear.
Toast also offers custom covers. With these, you can order a skin just like before, but now you have the option to upload a design to get engraved into the back of the skin in the same way that the custom text would be engraved into the back.
This is significantly more expensive, but it is worth the extra cash to a lot of people to be able to truly create a device that is their own.
Feel
As I have stated multiple times now, Toast uses real wood. This is the main selling point of Toast skins actually. Toast covers provide a feel that is unique to wood grain.
Despite the smooth overall feel of the cover, the wood grain also provides a solid grip. I wish I had one of these on my M8 before it slid out of my hand and down the stairs.
My phone feels nice and secure in my hand with the wood cover. I am not even afraid of dropping the phone without a case on it because I feel confident in the grip that the cover provides.
Price
Toast charges a premium price for a premium product. With varying prices, around the 25 to 30 dollar range, Toast comes out as one of the most expensive skin manufacturers that I have encountered.
However, their price tag isn’t without a reason. The materials and design well make up for the extra costs. The extra effort that so obviously went into the creation of this skins also adds lots of value to this product.
I am not sure about paying $59 for a custom cover, previously mentioned, but I can definitely see the $29 price tag being well worth it.
Wrap Up
The Toast wood covers offer a lot for what they are. A skin that is applied to your phone. It provides a stylistic way to add grip to your device. Toast also allows you to take personalization to the next level with their custom covers.
The only thing they have me wishing for is a skin for the side of my device. They do provide side wraps, but they don’t make them for the Nexus 6 currently.
I highly recommend getting a Toast cover for your phone if you are one of those people who enjoy going caseless! For any phone, not even just the giant monstrosity that is the Nexus 6. Toast covers will provide grip and extra style to any phone that they currently have in stock!
The best part is that if they don’t currently skin your phone, you can contact them and see about sending in your phone as a model to get a skin based off of! Actually, that is how I first heard about Toast, they were looking for a first generation Moto X to use as a model for their covers!
Toast cover for the Nexus 6
Toastmade real wood ash cover on the Nexus 6…
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