Qualcomm’s wireless charging tech now works on metal phones
Until now, you’ve had a choice: a smartphone with a sleek metal chassis, or one that played nice with wireless charging standards. Those days may be over. Qualcomm just announced that its WiPower charging technology can now power smartphones, tablets and other devices with metal cases. The updated standard is already available to device manufactures and licensees, the company says. Everything else about WiPower seems to be the same: it still charges at the same rate and still meets Rezence standards — it’s just doing the same job better now. Good enough.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Qualcomm
Moto X Style, Moto X Play, and Moto G hardware roundup
The Motorola Moto X is a respected device, and many fans of the device have been waiting for more than just another incremental upgrade for the device. Last year’s refresh was minimal, however, Motorola more than delivered this year, introducing not only the Moto X Style/Pure Edition and the Moto X Play, but also a better Moto G.
All three devices are sporting some great specs, and each one might be the best in its class. Hit the break to check out what all three devices are packing, hardware wise.
Moto X Style Specs
- 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 Quad HD display
- Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset
- Dual-core 1.8GHz Cortex-A57 and quad-core 1.44GHz Cortex-A53 CPU
- Adreno 418 GPU
- 3GB of RAM
- 16/32/64GB internal storage options
- microSD card support up to 128GB
- Universal 4G LTE bands
- 21-megapixel rear camera
- 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 3,000mAh non-removable battery
- TurboCharge capabilities
- NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 4.1
- Android 5.1.1
You can check out more information on the Moto X Style here and a beautiful gallery here.
Moto X Play Specs
- 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display
- IP52 certified
- Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset
- Quad-core 1.7GHz Cortex-A53 and quad-core 1.0GHz Cortex-A53 processor
- Adreno 405 GPU
- 2GB of RAM
- 16/32GB storage options
- microSD support, up to 128GB
- 21-megapixel rear-camera
- 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 3,630mAh non-removable battery
- TurboCharge capabilities
- NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0
- Android 5.1.1
Click here to view the embedded video.
You can check out more about the Moto X Play here.
Moto G Specs
- 5-inch 1280 x 720 IPS LCD display
- Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- IPX7 certified, water resistant in 1 meter of water, up to 30 min
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset
- Quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 CPU
- Adreno 306 GPU
- 1/2GB RAM
- 16/32GB of internal storage
- microSD card support, up to 32GB
- 13-megapixel rear camera
- 5-megapixel front-facing camera
- 2,470mAh non-removable battery
- NFC, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0
- Android 5.1.1
Click here to view the embedded video.
You can check out more information on the all-new Moto G here.
Wrap Up
Motorola has certainly impressed us, from their flagship devices to their mid-range offering. Whichever device you choose to buy, Motorola has made sure to put together an excellent experience. Be sure to stay tuned with Talk Android, as we’ll have some awesome hands-on videos for you to check out tomorrow!
Did Motorola meet your expectations? Surpass them? Sound off in the comments below!
Come comment on this article: Moto X Style, Moto X Play, and Moto G hardware roundup
Google on ‘Stagefright” exploit: not all Android bugs are this bad, thanks to Google’s security measures
Bugs may be endless, but that doesn’t mean they are harmful… at least not all them are. Lead engineer Adrian Ludwig made sure to touch on this subject after the whole ‘Stagefright’ exploit was discovered by the media. This vulnerability is said to leave about 95% of Android users exposed to hackers, who could gain access of your handset by simply sending you an MMS message with a malicious file.
As expected, this was a major cause of distress for the industry and all Android users, but Ludwig took it to Google+ to tell us we shouldn’t worry too much, as they are working on this issue and not all bugs are like this one. In fact, it’s amazingly rare to find similar exploits, as Google takes several precautionary measures to make sure your device is protected. Let’s go through some of the most important ones.
ASLR – Address Space Layout Randomization
ASLR is a security technique that shuffles code location, making it harder for hackers to predict it. The system hides memory addresses and these values then have to be guessed.
“For the layperson — ASLR makes writing an exploit like trying to get across a foreign city without access to Google Maps, any previous knowledge of the city, any knowledge of local landmarks, or even the local language. Depending on what city you are in and where you’re trying to go, it might be possible but it’s certainly much more difficult” -Adrian Ludwig, Android security lead engineer
non-PIE linker support removal
ASLR and PIE (position-independent executables) work together, allowing for memory location-based protection. Since Android 5.0, non-PIE content is no longer supported. This makes it harder for any attacker to make its way through the code and find what he needs in order to build an exploit.
NX – No eXecute
Google introduced NX with Android 2.3. Essentially, this is a technology used in CPUs, which seclude memory areas and limit the way code is executed. In Android, it mostly protects the stack and heap.
Fortify Source
Fortify Source is a security method that allows the system to recognize when too many bytes are being copied from a source to its destination. Hackers are known to copy more bytes than usual when they want to overflow a buffer. If such an event were to occur, the system can stop the process. In Android, all code is compiled with these protections.
RELRO – Read-Only-Relocations
Read-Only-Relocations protect internal data sections from being overwritten, in case of a bss or data overflow. It gains control over software execution flows, making attackers harmless in many ways.
And more!
Google has been working hard to keep Android secure. Even if some vulnerabilities come up here and there, Google is confident most people will be fine. More issues start arising when you unlock certain root capabilities and manage to get attacked, but not as many people ever tinker with their smartphones in that way.
Those who want to learn more about security enhancements in Android can always go ahead and take a look at Google’s official security page.
But are you really safe?
We would be lying if we told you there isn’t some risk of being hacked, despite all these security measures. The truth is, Android is the most popular mobile OS in the world. When an operating system becomes so popular, hackers start working, and we aren’t seeing an exception here.
According to Eset, Android Malware increased by 63% in 2013, compared to 2012. So did the malware families for Android. The numbers are more modest when we compare 2014 to 2013, but a 25% increase in infections (according to Alcatel-Lucent) is still a significant rise.
This is why we urge you to be smart with your devices. Try not to have MMS auto-download activated, don’t install apps from unreliable sources and make sure not to dig into weird websites. Meanwhile, Google does continue to try and improve security matters by asking for help from the developer community, which has always been the foundation of this glorious operating system.
Android Security Rewards – help Google find exploits and earn good cash
In an effort to discover possible exploits, Google is willing to offer a monetary reward to those of you who discover a vulnerability. The cash amount will depend on the severity of the hack, but Ludwig does state the Search Giant will pay up to $30,000 to anyone who provides a working remote exploit against the Nexus 6 or Nexus 9.
Adrian Ludwig goes on to mention there have been no attempt to claim the Android Security Rewards, which is a bit reassuring for users. It might also be a challenge to our beloved developers. If you are up for the challenge, just visit the Android Security Rewards page and learn all about the program.
White House speeds up (and opens up) online petitions
The White House’s We the People site is supposed to help the government hear your calls for change, but that isn’t quite how it worked out: backlogs meant that it took ages to respond to petitions. You’ll be glad to hear that the service is getting a much-needed tune-up, though. As of today, the White House plans to respond to any petition that hits the 100,000-signature goal within 60 days “wherever possible.” There’s also a new team dedicated solely to making sure that the right people see a petition, which should help cut through some of the bureaucratic hierarchy.
The feds are taking some additional steps to open up the platform, too. It’s posting the code for We the People to Drupal and GitHub in the hopes that other organizations (ideally, including other governments) can use it to create their own petition systems.
None of these improvements guarantee that the White House will actually say “yes” to petitions, of course. Just ask those whose hopes of a pardon for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden were shot down at the same time as the White House unveiled its We the People reforms. This effort should still be a big help for relatively safe causes (think of the smartphone unlocking petition), but don’t be surprised if it mostly leads to hearing quicker “nos” on hot-button topics.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong]
Filed under: Internet
Source: White House Blog
What’s on your HDTV: ‘Review’, ‘American Summer’, ‘Reading Rainbow’
We’re checking in a bit late with this week’s selections of what to watch — luckily the highlights are yet to come. For anyone who writes or reads reviews, Comedy Central’s Review with Forest Macneil is ready to scratch your scoring itch in a funny, out of control way each week. Last season Forest reviewed addiction, theft, racism, orgies and many other topics — we can’t wait to see what season two brings. Netflix is ready this week with Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, a prequel to the movie. ESPN also has its final 30 for 30 of this round of documentaries, as Angry Sky focuses on Felix Baumgartner predecessor Nick Piantanida’s three attempts at setting a highest jump record. Finally, this weekend a collection of Reading Rainbow episodes is coming to Netflix.Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Blu-ray & Games & Streaming
- Home (3D)
- Miracle Mile
- Zone Troopers
- NHL Stanley Cup Champions 2015: Chicago Blackhawks
- NBA Champions 2015: Golden State Warriors
- Miracle Mile
- Cherry 2000
- N++ (PS4)
- Life is Strange (Episode 4), (PS4, PS3)
- The Swindle (PS4, PS3)
- Lost Dimension (PS3)
- Kings Quest: A Knight to Remember (PC,PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360)
- Never Alone: Foxtales (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Magic Duels: Origins (Xbox One)
- Dream (PC)
- Reading Rainbow (Netflix, August 1)
Tuesday
- America’s Got Talent, NBC, 8PM
- WWE Tough Enough, USA 8PM
- Knock Knock Live, Fox, 9PM
- Face Off (season premiere), Syfy, 9PM
- Zoo, CBS, 9PM
- Rizzoli & Isles, TNT, 9PM
- Stitchers, ABC Family, 9PM
- Hollywood Game Night, NBC, 10PM
- Scream, MTV, 10PM
- Clipped, TBS, 10PM
- Proof, TNT, 10PM
- Tyrant, FX, 10PM
- Another Period, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
- The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, Comedy Central, 12:30AM
Wednesday
- America’s Got Talent: 10 Year Anniversary Special, NBC, 8PM
- White People, MTV, 8PM
- Melissa & Joey, ABC Family, 8PM
- Life on the Reef, PBS, 8PM
- Unsung Hollywood: George Wallace, TV One, 8PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- Baby Daddy, ABC Family, 8:30PM
- Dating Naked: Playing for Keeps, VH1, 9PM
- Extant, CBS, 9PM
- Suits, USA, 9PM
- Jim Rome, Showtime, 9PM
- Rogue, DirecTV 101, 9PM
- Last Comic Standing, NBC, 10PM
- The Jim Gaffigan Show, TV Land, 10PM
- I Am Jazz, TLC, 10PM
- Key & Peele, Comedy Central, 10PM
- Catfish, MTV, 10PM
- Mr. Robot, USA, 10PM
- The Game (series finale), BET, 9PM
- Twinning, VH1, 10PM
- Impastor, TV Land, 10:30PM
- Why? With Hannibal Burress, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
- America’s Best Dance Crew, MTV, 11PM
- The Exes, TV Land, 11PM
Thursday
- 30 for 30: Angry Sky (season finale), ESPN, 8PM
- Food Fighters, NBC, 8PM
- Boom!, Fox, 8PM
- Beauty and the Beast, CW, 8PM
- The Astronaut Wives Club, ABC, 8PM
- WWE Smackdown, Syfy, 8PM
- Dates, CW, 9PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 9PM
- Aquarius, NBC, 9PM
- Dates, CW, 9 & 9:30PM
- Mistresses, ABC, 9PM
- Review with Forest Macneil (season premiere), Comedy Central, 10PM
- Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, FX, 10PM
- Dominion, Syfy, 10PM
- Lip Sync Battle, Spike TV, 10PM
- Rectify, Sundance, 10PM
- Under the Dome, CBS, 10PM
- Graceland, USA, 10PM
- Rookie Blue, ABC, 10PM
- Hannibal, NBC, 10PM
- Maron, IFC, 10PM
- Married, FX, 10:30PM
- Geeks Who Drink, Syfy, 11PM
- One Bad Choice MTV, 11PM
- Reactor, Syfy, 11:30PM
Friday
- Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Netflix, 3AM
- Cold Justice (spring finale), TNT, 8PM
- Cold Justice: Sex Crimes (series premiere), TNT, 9PM
- Masters of Illusion, CW, 8PM
- Defiance, Syfy, 8PM
- Killjoys, Syfy, 9PM
- Strike Back (season premiere), Cinemax, 10PM
- American Greed, CNBC, 10PM
- Dark Matter, Syfy, 10PM
Saturday
- The Perfect Girlfriend, Lifetime, 8PM
- Cedar Cove, Hallmark, 8PM
- Boston EMS ABC, 9PM
- Hell on Wheels, AMC, 9PM
- Mythbusters, Discovery, 9PM
- Power, Starz, 9PM
- Atlantis, BBC America, 9PM
- Jay Pharaoh: Can I Be Me?, Showtime, 10PM
- Hannibal, NBC, 10PM
- Johnathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, BBC America, 10PM
Sunday
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- I Am Cait, E!, 8PM
- Welcome to Sweden, NBC, 8 & 8:30PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- Last Tango in Halifax, PBS, 8PM
- Ray Donovan, Showtime 9PM
- True Detective, HBO, 9PM
- Humans, AMC, 9PM
- The Last Ship, TNT, 9PM
- Patient Killer, Lifetime, 9PM
- Masters of Sex, Showtime, 10PM
- The Strain, FX, 10PM
- Ballers, HBO, 10PM
- Falling Skies, TNT, 10PM
- Halt and Catch Fire (season finale), AMC, 10PM
- Naked & Afraid, Discovery, 10PM
- Brink, HBO, 10:30PM
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Check out this awesome gallery of the Moto X Style
Motorola announced the Moto X Style today during its live streamed event across London, New York City, and São Paulo. The Moto X Style is truly a beautiful device, and we’ve put together a gallery of gorgeous photos showing off the device.
Hit the break to check out the Moto X Style in all of its glory!
If you missed out an all the excitement today, be sure to check out our initial coverage of the Moto X Style, Moto X Play, and Moto G. Be sure to stay tuned with Talk Android, as there’s plenty more in the works!
Come comment on this article: Check out this awesome gallery of the Moto X Style
Gear A with Samsung Pay capabilities to come alongside Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus
The Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus may not be the only new devices debuting on August 13. According to a new report, Samsung is preparing to launch ‘Orbis’, the device that will be marketed as the Gear A smartwatch. The report states the new smartwatch will make a great addition to the official launch of Samsung Pay, which is also likely to make its debut at the upcoming event.
Samsung’s Gear A will reportedly come with Samsung Pay functions built directly into its sensors. The smartwatch will be operated by Tizen and likely feature a round display and cellular connectivity.
The new payment system has been undergoing testing in South Korea on a trial program for some time now, and looks like it’s ready to go full-time. Although the payment system launched with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, we are expecting the new flagship’s to come with this compatibility as well.
Samsung lost smartwatch market share in recent quarters to Apple when the Apple Watch launched, and the company is looking to get back on top.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Via: Ubergizmo
Come comment on this article: Gear A with Samsung Pay capabilities to come alongside Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus
OnePlus 2 vs Moto X Pure Edition, which OEM did it better?
We’ve been bombarded with back-to-back flagship announcements in the past 24 hours. But now that the dust has settled, we can start asking ourselves, which OEM is offering a better deal?
Although the OnePlus 2 is dubbed as a “Flagship Killer”, the true sense of it is value. Motorola went with a similar ideal on their next Moto X. The retail price of the Moto X (Pure Edition) was reduced from $500 last year to $400, all whilst making significant improvements. Therefore, in my head this makes for a good dogfight.
Storage
If you do fine on 16GB of storage, then the OP2 will win out here. It is priced at $330, compared to Motorola’s starting price of $400 for the 16GB Moto X.
But if you care about ample storage space, the two phones close in on each other. This is because the Moto X has microSD card expansion, while the OP2 does not. The top-tier, 64GB OP2 is $390. Considering a 16GB Moto X with microSD card, the price difference isn’t too far apart. Plus, the Moto X is expandable by up to a 128GB card.
Design/Build
While design is subjective, these phones include their own customization methods. The OP2 has several backings to chose from (wood, sandstone finish, kevlar).
Motorola have used Moto Maker to bring phone customization to a level not seen before. It has been evolved it to allow for even more choices. Back cover materials include leather, wood, and textured plastic. You also are able to alter the frame color and accents around the phone.
Both devices sport a metal frame, for that premium feel. Although the back of the OP2 is removable, it is specifically for the switching cover, as the battery is non-removable. The Moto X’s back cover is not removable.
Chipset
It’s a toss-up on which chipset to prefer. The OP2 uses the unpopular Snapdragon 810, tuned to avoid overheating concerns. The Moto X uses the Snapdragon 808, a slight step down to a hexa-core CPU (also used in the LG G4). Both phones should be blazing fast.
The 64GB verison of the OP2 has 4GB of RAM, while the Moto X makes do with 3GB.
I’ll make the point here that the OP2 does not have Qualcomm’s quick charging on-board, while the Moto X does. This is a huge blow IMO. Quick charging has spoiled those of us who’ve had the pleasure. The omission of quick charging on the OP2 is due to the USB Type-C port, because of incompatibility. While I want the latest tech as much as the next guy, not sure this gamble was the smartest.
Display
The displays on these two phones are fairly close on paper. OnePlus maintained a screen size of 5.5″ on the OP2, while Moto bumped up the Moto X to 5.7″. Very small difference. However, the Moto X makes it a point to keep bezel down, with a screen-to-body ratio of 76%. The OP2 has a body-to-screen ratio of 73.3%.
The OP2 sticks with a 1080P res, while the Moto X moves up to QHD. Which approach is better is arguable. Some say that QHD does indeed look better, while others say that the gain isn’t worth the battery life loss. Both phones use an LCD. But the OP2 uses more current IPS technology, while the Moto X uses TFT. We have to reserve our opinions until we can see both displays.
Camera
Again, this is another feature that needs some real-world testing. Spec-wise, the Moto X’s camera bests the OP2 by 8 megapixels. And the Moto X camera was ranked 2nd best to the Galaxy S6 by DxOMark.
But the OP2 camera specs are nothing to scoff at. OnePlus has added a laser super fast auto-focusing. They have also made a point to counter low-light situations, by using a sensor with 1.3 micro pixels. And the OP2’s camera has something important that the Moto X is missing, optical image stabilization.
Both phones use a f/2.0 aperture on the rear lens, have dual-LED flash, and wide-angle, 5 MP front facing cameras.
Other Important Factors
- The OP2 has a fingerprint scanner. The Moto X does not.
- The OP2 let’s you chose between capacitive or on-screen buttons. The Moto X has on-screens buttons.
- The OP2 has a larger 3,300 mAh battery vs. the 3,000 mAh battery on the Moto X.
- The OP2 uses the latest connection standard, USB Type-C. The Moto X uses the old microUSB.
- The Moto X has a water repellent nano-coating. The OP2 is not water resistant.
- The Moto X is compatible with all U.S. carriers. The OP2 only works with GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile).
- The Moto X has dual, front-facing speakers, while the OP2 has a mono, bottom speaker.
- The Moto X runs nearly stock Android with minimal additions, while the OP2 uses OxygenOS 2.0
- Neither phones have wireless charging.
- And last but not least, the OP2 does not have NFC, which the Moto X does have.
Considering the overall package, it is my opinion that Motorola’s offering edges OnePlus slightly. I think microSD expansion, quick charging, NFC, QHD, dual-front speakers, win over a fingerprint scanner, 3,000 mAh more battery, OIS, an extra Gig of RAM, and USB Type-C.
Also, we can’t ignore the fact that you need to obtain an invite before you can purchase a OP2. The Moto X will be available for all through Motorola, Amazon, and Best Buy. And for Verizon and Sprint customers, the OP2 isn’t even an option.
Do you agree that Moto takes the cake, or are these two actually more neck-and-neck? Let us know in the Comments!
Moto X Pure Edition Product Page
The post OnePlus 2 vs Moto X Pure Edition, which OEM did it better? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Pentagon shuts down Joint Chiefs’ email network
The Department of Defense reportedly shut down an unclassified email system on Tuesday after detecting “suspicious activity” over the weekend, according to CNN. The network served General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as a number of civilian contractors. The Pentagon refused to release many details about the attack, even what the “suspicious activity” was; instead downplaying the hack as a run-of-the-mill cyber attack that caused minimal damage.
The DoD is on the receiving end of hundreds of cyberattacks everyday and, as such, “We obviously have redundant systems in place,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates said during a press conference for an eerily similar attack back in 2007. However, while that earlier attack only resulted in “administrative disruptions and personal inconveniences,” we could see more extensive fallout from this weekend’s event just as we did when the White House, Office of Personnel Management and IRS were attacked earlier this year.
[Image Credit: Digital Vision]
Filed under: Internet
Netflix schedules loads of new shows, says why ‘Lilyhammer’ died
You won’t have to wonder about when Netflix will start streaming much of its its exclusive and original programming — the company has provided scheduling for seemingly all of it in one shot. To begin with, it’s renewing the weird-yet-familiar cartoon BoJack Horseman for a third, 12-episode season that will arrive in 2016. Can’t wait that long? Longmire, the rescued A&E crime series, will make its Netflix debut on September 10th of this year, while a documentary about Keith Richards, Under the Influence, is due on September 18th. There are a slew of comedy specials arriving between August 14th (Demetri Martin) and December 18th (Mike Epps). Aziz Ansari’s comedy series Master of None will show up on November 6th, and Chelsea Handler is hosting a four-movie documentary series that’s “coming soon.”
Not all is sunshine and roses in Netflix land, however. The service has confirmed that it will axe Lilyhammer, its first original (or rather, pseudo-original) show, after its third season. Chief content officer Ted Sarandos claims that Netflix is a fan of the mobster-in-Norway series, but that it has turned into an “economically challenged deal” due to the partnership with Norwegian broadcaster NRK1. While Netflix wanted to maintain tight control over Lilyhammer and its distribution, that just wasn’t possible under the agreement. Whatever the reasons, it’s a sad day… Netflix’s early experiment with producing content has come to a close.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Via: Deadline Hollywood, Hollywood Reporter
Source: Netflix (1), (2)
AIVAnet 