Fly over a giant ‘Warcraft’ city in a 360-degree video
Duncan Jones’ Warcraft movie doesn’t hit theaters for another year, but that isn’t stopping Legendary Pictures from giving you a first-hand look at the cinematic version of Azeroth. The studio has released a 360-degree YouTube video (also available in VR, if you use Android and iOS apps) that has you flying over the human capital Stormwind on the back of a gryphon. While this isn’t as juicy as a full-fledged trailer, it’ll give you a sense of the movie’s grand scale: there are giant towers, narrow streets and majestic mountains. Something tells us that Stormwind won’t look quite so pristine once Jones is finished with it, so give this clip a look if you want to see the fantasy city at its best.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: Wired
Source: Legendary Pictures (YouTube), App Store, Google Play
Google’s Nearby API allows for proximity-based communication between devices
Google today introduced Nearby, a way for your mobile device to communicate with other devices based solely on your proximity. Using a combination of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and inaudible sound with your device’s speaker and microphone, the use of the Nearby API will allow devices to be able to establish proximity and communicate cross-platform between both Android and iOS. Developers can easily this proximity API, called Nearby Messages, to integrate this functionality into their own applications.
Google has already built these features into a few of its own services such as Chromecast Guest Mode, Nearby Players in Google Play Games and Google Tone. The company has also shown off a few third party developers who have incorporated this new API into their apps. For example, Pocket Casts lets you view what nearby folks are listening to, Trello will let you share a board with someone who is close to you with the tap of a button, and edjing lets you publish your track list to people around you.
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This new API will be available across all devices running Gingerbread or higher, and will be rolled out as part of Google Play Services version 7.8. If you’re interested, you can find more details by following the source link below.
ZTE officially launches the Axon phone
ZTE has been steadly climbing up the ranks in the U.S., currently situated at the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer spot. In the past weeks, they’ve given us a tease that something significant was coming, dubbed the Axon phone.
Today is the day we got to hear what it’s all about, and she’s quite a contender.
Coming in at a starting price of $450, we’re not looking at a budget phone, but not a pricey beast either. ZTE is reinforcing their stance in the U.S., claiming that “Axon is a flagship phone designed in the U.S. for the U.S.”. Their aim was to make a phone that encompassed all that consumers desired in a phone. That’s a bold undertaking, let’s review what they’ve come up with:
- Design/Build: Metal chassis, 9.3mm thickness, Ion Gold, Chromium Silver, or Phthalo Blue color options
- Display: 5.5″ QHD LCD with Gorilla Glass 3
- SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 @ 2.0GHz
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 32GB
- Camera: Dual rear (13MP + 2MP depth sensor) and 8MP front
- Speaker: Mono front-facing, from the bottom of the phone
- Battery: 3,000mAh
- Buttons: Capacitive navigation and a dedicated camera button
- OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop with light ZTE UI tweaks
If the Axon performs well, I would say this is an outstanding value. ZTE has also made a point to deliver outstanding audio. The Axon is said to contain two dedicated audio chipsets for HiFi sound from your headphones and HiFi recording via twin microphones.
Although this is a phone aimed for U.S. customers, it is GSM only. Thus, Verizon and Sprint customers are left out. This fact leaves me scratching my head. How can you make a phone for the U.S., but ignore two of its major carriers?
The Axon phone is now up for pre-order, with shipments beginning as early as July 27th. Hit up the source link for more info. Did ZTE sway you with the announcement or are you underwhelmed?
Source: ZTE
The post ZTE officially launches the Axon phone appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Moshi iGlaze Napa LG G4 case review; added protection with great style
One of the most important accessories someone can buy for their smartphone is a case to protect their investment. Smartphones cost upwards of $800+, so it only makes sense to put a case around it to protect it from every day drops and dings. Fortunately for us, the consumer, there are many case options for nearly every device. That brings us to this review. I got my hands on Moshi’s brand new iGlaze Napa LG G4 case.
I’ve been using the LG G4 as my daily driver ever since the release and luckily my phone hasn’t taken any serious spills. When I received the Moshi iGlaze Napa in the mail, I was immediately impressed with the quality of the case. It adds a little bulk, but it is all in the name of protection.
The case has a hybrid construction, meaning that it has a shock-absorbing inner shell and a tougher outer shell. Thankfully, it is all in a one-piece construction. I am not a fan of two piece cases as it adds to the chance that it might fall apart or break during a big fall. With the Moshi iGlaze Napa LG G4 case, you don’t have to worry about that. I had no problem strapping my phone into the case and letting it go for the ride.
Moshi definitely did their research beforehand, because this case fits over the LG G4 like a glove. It is slightly curved to go along with the G4’s curve, so there are no unwanted gaps in the phone case. When the device is in it, it feels very rigid and like it was meant to be there. To top it all off, all of the cutouts on the case allow for easy access to the buttons, headphone jack, and charging port. One of my biggest issues with cases sometimes is the fact that larger microUSB cables and headphone cords will not fit through the cutout; that isn’t an issue on this case.
Another thing I appreciated about Moshi’s design with the iGlaze Napa case is that it accentuates the curves of the device. When the G4 is in the case, it still feels very ergonomic, even though it adds a little height and width to the device. The curves of the case fit very nicely in the hands. The LG G4 is already a beautiful device without a case due to the leather backing on the device; when making the iGlaze Napa case, they didn’t forget that. Moshi employs a vegan leather backing that would even make LG proud. It still gives the device a refined and sophisticated look, but it adds much need grip to the device. I am a huge fan of LG’s leather back on the G4, but I honestly prefer the look and feel of Moshi’s leather on the iGlaze Napa case.
Currently, the case for the G4 is only available in Red and Black. I would personally like to see them add a few extra colors to match LG, but you can’t win them all. If you are in the market for an LG G4 case, don’t hesitate to give the Moshi iGlaze Napa case a look. Not only does it add protection to your device, but it will also maintain the looks and sophistication of your barebacked G4. The case is available for $44.95
If you would like to check out the Moshi iGlaze Napa LG G4 case, you can do so by visiting their official site.
The post Moshi iGlaze Napa LG G4 case review; added protection with great style appeared first on AndroidGuys.
ZTE Axon charges into the United States this summer
This summer, a new push will be made by ZTE in the United States. The Chinese hardware manufacturer previously focused on low-end and mid-range devices in the country but looks to change that with the Axon. ZTE utilized thousands of surveys and focus groups to develop the Axon’s hardware and software from conception to release. The company believes that the new phone is part of a “you-focused revolution.”
Even as an unlocked device, the Axon is positioned to go against the most popular devices on the market. The Axon has a Quad HD display, top-tier processor from Qualcomm, the latest version of Android, and front-facing speakers. That latter inclusion, the front-facing speakers, along with Hi-Fi audio playback and recording gives the Axon what should be alongside the HTC One M9 as one of the best audio experiences a mobile device has ever offered. And, to make it a truly premium piece of hardware, ZTE has constructed the Axon’s body with metal.
The metal frame of the Axon measures 153.92 x 73.66 x 9.4mm while weighing 172.9g, making it one of the heavier devices available today. Being that its display is rather large at 5.5 inches, we would assume that the weight is distributed well and, thus, the device remains comfortable to hold.
Key specifications:
- 5.5-inch, 2560×1440 display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (MSM8994)
- 4GB of RAM
- 13MP and 2MP rear cameras, 5MP front camera
- 32GB of internal storage
- 3000mAh battery (Quick Charge 2.0-ready)
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
Don’t expect to see many advertisements around the world for the Axon if any at all. ZTE will not be spending very much money on marketing and that is because the company wanted to keep the cost of the device low. It does seem like a puzzling decision because of how much time and money was invested into the development of the Axon. Perhaps social media will be leveraged heavily for the Axon’s release.
The Axon costs $449 without a contract from ZTE, Amazon, Newegg, and eBay. Shipping begins on July 27 and color options include Phthalo Blue, Ion Gold, and Chromium Silver. All orders come with in-ear headphones from JBL. The Axon also comes with a two-year warranty.
Source: Axon
Meet Axon, a Phone Made Entirely with You in Mind
ZTE delivers the first Hi-Fi audio phone to the U.S. and brings with it, a new you-focused revolution
RICHARDSON, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ZTE USA, the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in the U.S. and second largest in the no-contract market*, today announced the availability of the ZTE Axon, a phone designed with you entirely in mind to keep you ahead in life. Much like the axon nerves that help keep the mind and body connected, the Axon is the nerve center of everything you do.
“We put consumers at the heart of everything we design, build and deliver and our phones reflect what consumers want, value and use,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO and chairman of ZTE USA. “From start to finish consumers told us exactly what was missing from today’s premium smartphones. Thousands of U.S. consumers guided the development. We listened, developed, and delivered. We revolutionized the product development process. Axon is a flagship phone designed in the U.S. for the U.S.”
Enjoy the unlocked life that is uncomplicated. From choice of wireless carriers including AT&T and T-Mobile, who have some of the fastest 4G LTE+ networks, in addition to the Axon Passport 1.0 program, beginning today, Axon Pro is delivering the highest value among flagship smartphones available today. At the unlocked price of $449.98, preorders can be made at www.zteusa.com/axon, with shipments starting as early as July 27.
Through thousands of surveys and focus groups, from conception, design, to developing the user experience, U.S. consumers helped guide the creation of Axon, and this is what they came up with.
The first phone to arrive in the U.S. with Hi-Fi sound
Excellent sound quality was a missing component among today’s smartphones. An industry first in the U.S., the Axon features two dedicated audio chipsets that allows you to experience sound quality from a smartphone that you’ve never experienced before. The high-quality sound reproduction feels like the real thing, giving you the sense of atmosphere where the music was originally played, the depth from where the sounds came from, and the goodness of balanced harmonics.
You can also record Hi-Fi music, sounds and voice that enhances any content you want to create, send or share on social media. Advanced audio capabilities reduce wind noise, dual microphones, auto level controllers, and long-distance voice pickup will capture the slightest of sounds from up to 20 feet away.
High-end JBL E13 in-ear headphones are included in-box so you can enjoy high-quality audio just about anywhere.
Captures 4K video and action shots so you don’t miss a beat
Dual rear-cameras capture high resolution images and videos that can be viewed or played on a 4K TV. The second lens delivers advanced functionality such as sophisticated bokeh photography affects. A large f/1.8 aperture that spans to f/1.0 helps produce quality images in low-light settings. The dual cameras auto focus in milliseconds and a fast shutter speed at 1/90,000 of a second can capture and freeze frame a moving subject with crisp details and clarity.
Photo adjustments can be made in real-time with multiple camera modes and filters. With a dedicated camera button and the ability to refocus before and after a shot is taken, you can capture moments that previously passed you by.
A style icon that fits in your pocket
Axon was designed in the U.S. for the U.S. The premium metal and glass casing evoke a fashion forward design with modern colors that together are best described as, urban prestige. Sophisticated color contrast are available in three color options, Phthalo Blue, Ion Gold, and Chromium Silver.
The distinctive grill pattern highlights standout phone features that grab attention without shouting. Ergonomic button placement, a smooth metal casing, and glass quad HD display make the phone marvelous to hold and use.
Delivers a premium experience every time you use it
The performance is smooth and never hesitates when delivering the content you need the second you need it. Axon Pro comes ready with the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system, powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with Adreno™ 430 GPU, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB memory, and a large 3000 mAh battery with Quick Charge™ 2.0.
The phone isn’t preloaded with unnecessary apps or features that can unknowingly slow a phone’s performance. You’ll get a clean Android experience with the addition of only a few pre-loaded apps that look out for your health.
A ZTE Innovation Venture Fund success story, Azumio’s Argus app is a pedometer that provides easy to a step counter even when your phone is locked and alerts when and how you want. The Rock my Run app knows when you want to take it easy or go hard with your workout and times music beats to the pace of your steps.
If something goes wrong, no problem, you’re covered
With Axon Passport 1.0, you get a two year warranty that also includes incidentals, free shipping, 30 day buyer’s remorse returns and the easiest upgrades available today. For full warranty and protection details visit www.zteusa.com/axon.
With more than 20 million U.S. customers, 66 actively selling devices across all U.S. wireless carriers, ZTE has the proven experience to build and deliver quality mobile devices that you can be confident purchasing.
ZTE Axon Pro Product Specifications
Audio Hi-Fi Audio Chipset AKM 4961 In-ear Headphones JBL E13 Microphone 2- mic noise suppression Battery 3000 mAh Quick-charge 2.0 Connectivity Bands AT&T, T-Mobile network compatible:
LTE B2/B4/B5/B12/B17/B29/B30, LTE IR B7/B3/B1/B13, USM/HSPA 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, CA Band 2/4 + Band 17
High-Speed Data
LTE (Cat 6) Dimensions (HxWxD) 6.06″ x 2.9″ x 0.37″ (154 x 75 x 9.3mm) Display 5.5″ CGS (Continuous Grain Silicon) TFT LCD Resolution: 2560 x 1440 WQHD, PPI 534
Sharp, Gorilla Glass Gen 3.0
OS/Platform Android 5.1 (Lollipop) Memory 4 GB RAM, 32 GB ROM, Materials Metal (aluminum) Photo & Video Rear-Facing Camera Dual lens 13MP, 2MP, dual LED Flash, 4K HD resolution
Front-Facing Camera
8MP, 88 degree wide-angle, 1080p HD resolution
Video Capture
4K HD resolution at 30 FPS Processor 2.0 GHz Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (MSM8994) SIM Card Nano (4FF) Weight 6.10 oz (175 g) *Strategy Analytics, Q1 2015
About ZTE USA
ZTE USA (www.zteusa.com), headquartered in Richardson, Texas, is a subsidiary of ZTE Corporation, a global provider of mobile devices, telecommunication systems, and enterprise solutions. Operating since 1998, ZTE USA is dedicated to making cost-efficient, quality communication technology accessible to all. ZTE is ranked by independent industry analysts as the fourth-largest supplier of mobile devices in the U.S. overall, and second-largest supplier of prepaid devices.
Visit ZTE USA at www.zteusa.com on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ZTEUSA, Twitter https://twitter.com/ZTE_USA, and on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/ZTEUSAInc.
Come comment on this article: ZTE Axon charges into the United States this summer
Foxconn plans on opening 10-12 centres in India to create 1 million jobs
Foxconn CEO Terry Gou visited India recently and said he plans on opening new manufacturing units and to do it as quickly as possible. For those unaware Foxconn is one of the largest hardware manufacturers in the world and most famous for manufacturing the iPhone.
Gou said he plans on creating 10-12 manufacturing plants in India by 2020.
“I am ready, ask your government,” says Gou. “Which state will make India most friendly for manufacturing – that’s where we will start. There will be at least 1 million jobs created by 2020, maybe more, and not just basic jobs but jobs for skilled workers and engineers. We want to set up our plant in rural areas, and transform the area, with jobs and infrastructure.”
Gou also said to do this the Indian government needs a big push forward. Foxconn had already opened a manufacturing plant in India a few years ago, but things didn’t go very well with Gou blaming the government for it’s failure. However now with new political leaders in India he feels like it’s the perfect time to try again.
“Indian local [state] government is also much more friendly now,” he adds, saying, “I met with the Chief Ministers of three of your states, AP [Andhra Pradesh], Gujarat, and Maharashtra. [The CMs of] Gujarat and Maharashtra came to China, and saw my facilities, and they’re keen that we set up in their states. Ten years ago, government was not friendly.”
Another reason Gou thinks India is such a good place to manufacture is because of the growing online business yet it lacks manufacturing.
People also asked about Apple and what businesses he will manufacture there. He responded that he doesn’t care what he manufactures as long as it makes sense for them and listed no current brands.
Gou listed that “infrastructure will be a big limitation” stating that it was supposed to take 20min to arrive, but it took 1 hour and 20 minutes due to rain. He also listed taxes as being a problem as every state has different tax rates, but all these can be worked on.
“Your infrastructure will be a big limitation. Today I was told it will take 20 minutes to reach you, but it took 1 hour 20 minutes because it rained,” he points out. “Power is a problem. If there is a power cut, the entire factory has to stop working. Power, water, skilled workers, all these problems need to be solved.”
It will be a tough road ahead for Foxconn in India with all these and many more problems. However Gou still believes that all these problems can be solved quickly and efficiently.
Source: NDTV
Come comment on this article: Foxconn plans on opening 10-12 centres in India to create 1 million jobs
ZTE thinks its Axon is the unlocked flagship America deserves
“It’s designed in the US, for the US.”
That’s not the sort of bluster you’d normally hear from Lixin Cheng, CEO of ZTE’s American division, but he proffered it several times during a pre-show pow-wow to make sure it stuck. Not long after that, Cheng and his team pulled back the curtain on the $450 Axon — a phone that really, really doesn’t feel like the company’s usual fare. It’s all metal, runs a deliciously near-stock version of Android 5.1.1 and packs one of Qualcomm’s updated Snapdragon 810 processors with 4GB of RAM for good measure. Make no mistake: The Axon is a full-on flagship from a company that hasn’t always had the best luck making them.
Perhaps naturally, Cheng thinks his chances with Axon are pretty good. As far as he’s concerned, more than a few players currently fighting for US recognition with cheap, good-ish phones are just taking devices launched in other markets and dumping them here. The Axon was designed to be the antithesis of those phones, something built around surveys and feedback straight from the mouths of American consumers. If the Axon’s feature set is a hint, we’re a country of finicky photographers (the Axon sports a 13MP rear camera lens and can capture 4K video) and sound buffs (it has two dedicated sound chips) who love hi-res screens (the Quad HD screen is 5.5 inches wide).
Even the Axon name apparently came to be thanks to customer feedback, though I wonder if the phone’s design got the same sort of focus-testing rigor — it’s festooned with pleasantly funky honeycomb-like grids near the front speaker and the dual-camera setup. The Axon is also one of the thicker flagships I’ve seen lately, but it shouldn’t strain your skinny jeans too much. Its lightweight metallic construction and sloping back kept it from feeling too substantial in my hands, to boot. My biggest question mark? There’s a row of capacitive nav buttons just below the screen, but the ones to the left and right of the home button are just… dots. Would it have really hurt to add “Back” and ‘Recent apps” icons?
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, smartphone performance is always a tricky thing to suss out at events like these. Fortunately for ZTE, this first Axon (Cheng’s already got one dreamed up for next year) is the sort of effortlessly smooth that high-end hardware so often achieves. I didn’t stumble across any stuttering or slowdown despite being sort of a jerk to it; it just works. We’ll dig more into the performance particulars in our full review, but I got enough alone time with the thing in a secluded area to watch AndEBench crash on the thing twice. C’est la vie — this is non-final hardware. At the very least, the thing sounds pretty good. Alexis Cole’s “Ain’t We Got Fun” felt spacious and warm even through a pedestrian pair of Sony earbuds, though it wasn’t dramatically better than the sound coming out of an iPhone 6. Alas, it was nigh impossible to tell how good the single speaker (yeah, those grilles up front are a little misleading) sounded amid a crowd of nerds.
All told, ZTE did something I more or less thought impossible: It made a phone I actually want to use. The bigger question (and the one a pensive Mr. Cheng is certainly pondering right now) is whether one good phone is enough to get the ZTE name stuck in people’s heads. I’m not convinced, but hey — I’m more than happy to be proven wrong.
Filed under: Mobile
Twitter rethinks its war against developers
For the past three years, Twitter has sent third-party developers not-so-subtle clues that they’re unwanted — its programming rules arbitrarily limit the success of unofficial apps, such as their audience sizes or features. That low ceiling might not last for much longer, though. Co-founder Ev Williams tells tech conference guests that the restrictive API was one of Twitter’s “strategic errors.” Twitter should be a platform that developers genuinely want to build on, he says, and the earlier decision “wasn’t a win/win” for developers, users or even Twitter itself.
It’s not clear what the reforms entail, although Williams hints that Twitter might not be waiting for a new permanent CEO to shift direction. Either way, it’s easy to see why the company would have a change of heart. While Twitter is still adding lots of users, it’s also losing money. Critics regularly accuse it of a lack of focus (Williams now wants it to be a “real-time news platform”) and doing little to innovate besides snapping up other companies. Stronger third-party support might save Twitter from depending so heavily on its own apps and websites — it could ride the success of someone else’s smash hit by selling ads and generating buzz.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Business Insider
Twitter rethinks its war against developers
For the past three years, Twitter has sent third-party developers not-so-subtle clues that they’re unwanted — its programming rules arbitrarily limit the success of unofficial apps, such as their audience sizes or features. That low ceiling might not last for much longer, though. Co-founder Ev Williams tells tech conference guests that the restrictive API was one of Twitter’s “strategic errors.” Twitter should be a platform that developers genuinely want to build on, he says, and the earlier decision “wasn’t a win/win” for developers, users or even Twitter itself.
It’s not clear what the reforms entail, although Williams hints that Twitter might not be waiting for a new permanent CEO to shift direction. Either way, it’s easy to see why the company would have a change of heart. While Twitter is still adding lots of users, it’s also losing money. Critics regularly accuse it of a lack of focus (Williams now wants it to be a “real-time news platform”) and doing little to innovate besides snapping up other companies. Stronger third-party support might save Twitter from depending so heavily on its own apps and websites — it could ride the success of someone else’s smash hit by selling ads and generating buzz.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Business Insider
Television Academy replaces DVDs with Chromecasts for Emmy voting
Emmy voters won’t have to worry about keeping up with the remote for their DVD players for much longer. The Television Academy is teaming up with Google to replace the truckload of physical media sent out each year by giving each eligible member a Chromecast. “The initiative represents the latest move by the Academy to evolve and enhance the viewing and voting procedures for the Emmy Awards with state-of-the-art technology and methodology,” the press release explains. Opting for streaming rather than mailing out DVDs for the final round of voting isn’t only more environmentally friendly, but it’ll also open up the voting process. Instead of only being able to make selections in four “blue ribbon panels,” members can cast their vote for any of the major programming categories alongside professional categories that align with their experience. As you might expect, the streaming will be handled through from the Television Academy’s members-only web and mobile apps.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Via: Android Central
Source: Television Academy (Emmys)
AIVAnet 