Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus visit the FCC
Bolstering claims that Samsung will release two new top-tier devices in August, variants of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus have both appeared in the FCC database. This is a good sign that the devices are very close to being ready to hit the market and the appearance in July hints that their release will be before Samsung’s traditional September launch date. The latest indications are that Samsung will announce the devices on August 12th and sales will commence on August 21st.
According to the FCC database, the Verizon version of the Galaxy Note 5 gets model number SM-920V while the AT&T version is model number SM-N920A, both coming with support for the carriers’ LTE bands. Two other devices listed as the SM-G928V and SM-G928A are believed to be the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus for Verizon and AT&T respectively.
Versions for Sprint and T-Mobile will likely show up in the very near future.
source: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus visit the FCC
Ingress gets Android Wear support
Niantic Labs, part of the Google collective, has released an update for their popular Ingress augmented reality game. Whether playing for the Resistance or for the Enlightened, users will finally be able to hack portals using their Android Wear smartwatch.
Support for smartwatches makes sense since one of the concepts of the Ingress title was to get gamers out from behind their computers and out into the real world. Moving around to portals also introduces some health and exercise facets to the experience. Even with this construct, users still had to use their smartphones to participate. The move to support Android Wear will hopefully keep players more “in” the real world instead of the screens on their devices.
Niantic Labs first announced Android Wear support was coming to Ingress earlier this year, although the release has been delayed since the expected March release. If you want to give Ingress a try, including the Android Wear support if you have a smartwatch running Wear, hit the download link below.
Come comment on this article: Ingress gets Android Wear support
Misfit Unveils $20 Flash Link Activity Tracker and Link App, Drops Prices on Shine and Flash
Misfit today announced the debut of Misfit Link, a new app that’s designed to add new capabilities to the Misfit Flash, which is the company’s inexpensive activity and sleep tracker.
With the Misfit Link app, a Misfit Flash can be morphed into a multi-function Bluetooth-connected smart button that can perform tasks like controlling music or activating the camera button on the iPhone for selfies.
The new Misfit Link app lets you use any Flash to take a selfie with your phone camera app or Snapchat; control your music with Spotify, Pandora, and more; or advance slides in a presentation. Additional functionality is coming soon, including IFTTT and Logitech Harmony integrations. The iOS app is available for download now; an Android version will be released next month.
Misfit is also debuting the Misfit Flash Link, an even less expensive activity tracker and smart button that’s able to work with the Misfit Link app, much like the Misfit Flash. The company is also lowering its prices on the Misfit Shine and the Misfit Flash, which are now available for $70 and $30, respectively. Previously the two devices were priced at $100 and $50.
Both the Misfit Shine and the Misfit Flash look similar, but where the Shine uses aluminum, the Flash uses a cheaper plastic. The Misfit Flash is lighter, but the Shine has better water resistance. The even cheaper Flash Link has the same circular design as the Shine and the Flash, and it includes the same activity and sleep tracking functions, but it comes with a clip rather than a bracelet.
All three products can be purchased from the Misfit website. The Misfit Shine is priced at $69.99, the Misfit Flash is priced at $29.99, and the Misfit Link is priced at $19.99.
The new Misfit Link app is available from the App Store for free and will work with both new and existing Misfit Flash devices.
Mario and Sonic look absolutely stunning in Unreal Engine 4
Unreal Engine 4 has shown us what the next generation of video games can look like: large, realistic and mind-bogglingly gorgeous. Frankly, its tech demos are breathtaking — technical marvels that show off photo-realistic apartments and stunningly beautiful landscapes; but what happens when you cram cartoonish mascots like Mario and Sonic The Hedgehog into these technical marvels? Mind-blowingly awesome YouTube videos, that’s what.
It was bound to happen eventually. Back in March, Unreal made its incredibly popular game engine free to anybody who wants to use it, leaving amateur game developers with immediate access to professional game creation tools. Search around YouTube, and you’ll find more than a few folks using it to put our favorite game characters into hauntingly realistic worlds. Check it out:
See that vast landscape? That’s the setting for Unreal Engine 4’s Kite demo, which shows off the engine’s ability to handle large worlds and procedural asset placement. YouTube user CryZenx decided it was the perfect place to drop in Sonic The Hedgehog. The resulting demo isn’t much of a game (though it does show off just how fast a blue hedgehog can run), but it binds the potential of Unreal Engine 4 to a familiar face — letting us imagine what the coming generation of games could really look like. CryZenX made a Mario demo, too — but the plumber looks a little out of place in the Unreal’s endless prairie.
YouTuber Aryoksini put Mario in a more familiar environment, a series of castles and caverns more suited to his adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom. The canned environments (taken directly from the Unreal marketplace) look a little too polished for the off-beat world Nintendo’s mascot normally inhabits, but it’s still a stunning look at where console gaming could be in a few short years. Want to see more? Hit up the YouTube search bar with “Unreal Engine 4″ and your favorite video-game mascot. Let us know if you find anything good.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: YouTube (1), (2)
GPS gets a satellite launch for its 20th birthday
GPS was declared fully operational two decades ago, and what better way to celebrate your 20th birthday than with a rockin’ party satellite launch. The US Air Force’s Space Command (probably) toasted with military-grade champagne after firing a shiny new GPS satellite into orbit on an Atlas V rocket from Florida. GPS IIF-10 is the seventieth piece of navigation hardware that’s been sent into space as part of the program that’s been running sine 1978 and has been available for everyone to use since 1995.
It’s a different world now, of course, since both Russia and Europe are building their own proprietary GPS offerings, although there’s been a few hiccups along the way. As such, the US will begin launching the first true third-generation satellites at some point in 2017, that’ll eventually be able to offer greatly-enhanced search and rescue capabilities.
For now, however, the event is being used by the state of Colorado to celebrate its own role in the success of GPS over the years. After all, the ULA (Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s new rocket partnership) is headquartered there, and every satellite has been propelled by its vehicles, or those of its parents. As such, July 17th is being declared GPS Day in the state, and we’re hoping for a ticker-tape parade full of people all celebrating finding the route on their smartphones.
Filed under: Transportation, Science
Source: PR Newswire
Marshall’s ‘London’ is a smartphone for music lovers
For a long time, Marshall’s bread and butter was guitar amps. Then came headphones and Bluetooth speakers (via its partnership with Zound, makers of Urbanears) — a fairly fitting diversification. Today, the brand is moving on to phones, announcing the “London,” an Android (Lollipop) device for music lovers. We bet you weren’t expecting that? Us neither, to be honest. But it’s happening, and we’d be lying if we said we weren’t a little curios.
The Marshall London looks a lot like you might imagine it would, if you’ve ever set eyes on one of the company’s other products. the Flat, rectangular handset has a soft-touch faux-leather finish, with knurled gold color buttons. There are dual speakers on the front, along with two stereo jacks up top. All of which hint at the London’s music focus. More on that later.
What about the actual phone? Well, it’s a 4.7-inch (720p/IPS) device, with 16GB of internal storage (expandable via SD card), running on a Snapdragon 410 chip (1.4GHz, quad-core), 8- and 2-megapixel cameras and a Wolfson DSP. Some of that specification may seem a little modest by today’s flagship standards, but it’s fair to say Marshall’s not going after the typical flagship-phone buyer here. Marshall partnered with Finnish firm, Creoir, whose previous collaborations include Jolla and Nokia, to create the hardware to Marshall’s specification.
The London’s music focus is a mix of hardware and software. The dual headphone jacks let two people listen to music in stereo, and mean no more having to split a pair of earbuds. Neat enough, but the London also has a bespoke DJ app, and the dual outputs lets wannabe jocks cue and mix their tunes in headphones, while the current track plays through a speaker. Something that other phones cannot do (without crude workarounds).
If you’re into recording, rather than mixing, London’s dual microphones will scoop up your impromptu acapellas, and help your calls with active noise cancellation too. Again, Marshall has installed a custom app to help you along with your recordings. We hear there will be some app goodies for guitarists, too, but we’ve no details on specifics just yet.
Should you just want to consume, rather than create music, then the London’s got a few tricks in that department also. We saw a quick glimpse of an app that combines all your music sources (Spotify, music collection etc.) into one place, along with a global E.Q., which sounded impressively loud on the phone’s dual speakers. There’s also support for FLAC files, which will please audio fiends.
The question is, is all this enough to woo buyers? The London will cost $499/£399 when it’s finally available in August (21st). This makes it a tough choice when you compare it to other, higher spec phones at that price (and a world of third-party music apps to choose from). Believers, bands and beat-lovers can pre-order starting today.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Buying a Slingbox finally gets you free TV streaming apps
As handy as a Slingbox can be for watching TV away from home, it’s not as good a deal as it sounds. You usually have to shell out another $15 or more just to get the Slingplayer streaming app for your phone or tablet. Sling is starting to see the light, however. It’s shipping a $200 Slingbox M2 bundle that lets you download the Slingplayer Android and iOS apps for free, not just the desktop versions. While this kit costs $50 more than what you’d pay for the M1, it’s potentially less expensive if you want apps for multiple mobile devices — especially if you’re not the only one that wants to watch. You’ll have to endure “seamlessly integrated” ads for the privilege, but that could be a small price to pay for viewing your favorite shows on every possible screen.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Slingbox
The best Android phones from the UK’s MVNOs
We have covered the four major networks in the UK, but the market is also bustling with smaller retailers running on the larger infrastructure provided by the main networks. These MVNOs offer a range of SIM deals, contract options and are even selling flagship handsets these days.
So, let’s take a look at the best Android phones available from some of the UK’s minor mobile players.
#1 – Samsung Galaxy S6
Flagship smartphones aren’t just reserved for the big carriers these days, Samsung’s cutting edge Galaxy S6 is also available on a number of minor networks in the UK.
The Galaxy S6 features some of the finest mobile hardware around, including a 5.1-inch QHD AMOLED display, an octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and a 16 megapixel camera. There’s also 4G LTE connectivity to make the most of the UK’s expansive 4G network.
Starting prices are roughly similar across all of the networks that we’re looking at, but Tesco Mobile is probably the best deal, as it offers the most minutes without an upfront cost. GiffGaff’s month-by-month contract is also a compelling option, if you can stump up the lump sum. A comparison of the cheapest offers from each carrier can be seen below, although they all offer more expensive options with additional data and some also allow for tweaking the contract length.
| Carrier | Up front cost | Monthly cost | Contract Months | Mins/Texts/Data | Total Cost | PAYG Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BT | – | – | – | – | – | £609 |
| iD | £99.99 | £35.50 | 24 | 600/5000/1GB | £951.99 | – |
| Tesco | £0 | £36 | 24 | 1000/5000/1GB | £864 | – |
| GiffGaff | £37 | £33.25 | 24 | 500/ ∞/1GB | £835 | £489 |
| Virgin | £0 | £42 | 24 | 250/∞/250MB | £1008 | £888 |
Specs
- 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 1440×2560 resolution
- 2.1GHz Samsung Exynos 7420 SoC
- 3GB of RAM
- 32/64/128GB internal storage
- 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 2,550mAh battery
- 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm, 138g
- Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum or White Pearl colours
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
Read more
Buy now from £0 from Tesco Mobile
#2 – Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Sony’s Xperia range can be spotted in numerous advertisements up and down the UK and the Z3 Compact is still one of the most unique smartphones on the market.
Despite its compact form factor, the Z3 Compact still features processing power that rivals larger flagships. The handset also comes with a 20.7 megapixel camera for crisp photos, 2GB of RAM for smooth multitasking and IP68 water and dust resistance for extra protection.
The Z3 Compact is also less expensive than many larger flagship smartphones. Virgin Mobile is by far the cheapest deal, although the call and data limits are quite restrictive. Fortunately this can be bumped up to a more competitive 2500 mins, 1GB of data and unlimited texts for £24 per month.
| Carrier | Up front cost | Monthly cost | Contract Months | Mins/Texts/Data | Total Cost | PAYG Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BT | – | – | – | – | – | £361.24 |
| iD | £0 | £29.50 | 24 | 600/5000/1GB | £708 | – |
| Tesco | – | – | – | – | – | £429 |
| GiffGaff | £37 | £24 | 24 | 500/ ∞/1GB | £613 | £299 |
| Virgin | £0 | £19 | 24 | 250/ ∞/250MB | £456 | £336 |
Specs
- 4.6-inch IPS LCD display with 720×1280 resolution
- 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB internal storage with 128GB microSD card support
- 20.7MP rear camera, 2.2MP front camera
- Non-removable 2,600mAh battery
- 127.3 x 64.9 x 8.6 mm, 129g
- Black, White or Green
- Android 4.4 KitKat (Android 5.1 Lollipop update)
Read More
Buy now from £0 from Virgin Mobile
#3 – LG G4
If you are in the market for a larger high-end smartphone, then the 5.5-inch LG G4 is the most recently major flagship in its class.
As well as featuring LG’s latest curved QHD LCD display, a high-end Snapdragon 808 processing package and 3GB of RAM, a lot of fuss has been made about the handset’s camera. With a 16 megapixel resolution and f/1.8 aperture, the G4 boasts impressive camera capability in bright and low light conditions.
The G4’s specifications are compelling enough, but the phone is also a fair bit cheaper than its competitors. Over the course of a 24 month contract you can save hundreds of pounds over the Galaxy S6, and its PAYG price tag is also notable cheaper from some networks.
The best deal this time comes from GiffGaff, which offers a decent monthly package, the lowest overall contract cost and also has the smartphone reasonably priced if you can stump up the cash up front.
| Carrier | Up front cost | Monthly cost | Contract Months | Mins/Texts/Data | Total Cost | PAYG Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BT | – | – | – | – | – | £482.41 |
| iD | £9.99 | £37.50 | 24 | 600/5000/2GB | £909.99 | – |
| GiffGaff | £37 | £30 | 24 | 500/ ∞/1GB | £757 | £439 |
| Virgin | £0 | £25 | 24 | 250/ ∞/250MB | £600 | £480 |
Specs
- 5.5-inch LCD display with 1440×2560 resolution
- 1.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC
- 3GB of RAM
- 32GB internal storage with support for 128GB microSD card
- 16MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
- Removable 3,000mAh battery
- 149.1 x 75.3 x 8.9 mm, 154g
- Metallic Grey, Red Leather
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
Read more
Buy now from £37 from GiffGaff
#4 – Motorola Moto E
Next in our list of best Android phones is the Moto E, an excellent low cost phone with everything you need for day to day tasks.
The phone comes with a compact 4.5-inch display, 1GB of RAM and a quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC. There’s also a 5 megapixel camera for some basic photography, 8GB of storage with a microSD card slot and the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS on-board. The inclusion of 4G in the latest model also ensures that you can make the most of the faster data speeds now available in the UK.
While the specifications aren’t top of the line, the price point is very hard to beat. Contract costs start at just £10 per month with no up front costs, or you can pick your own SIM-only deal by buying the handset up front for just £100 from Tesco Mobile.
| Carrier | Up front cost | Monthly cost | Contract Months | Mins/Texts/Data | Total Cost | PAYG Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BT | – | – | – | – | – | £149 |
| iD | £0 | £10.50 | 24 | 300/5000/500MB | £252 | – |
| Tesco | £0 | £10 | 24 | 250/5000/500MB | £240 | £99 |
| Virgin | £0 | £10 | 24 | 250/ ∞/250MB | £240 | – |
Specs
- 4.5-inch qHD IPS LCD with 540 x 960 resolution
- 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 CPU
- 1GB of RAM
- 8GB of on-board storage, MicroSD expansion up to 32GB
- 5MP rear cam, VGA front cam
- Non-removable 2390mAh battery
- 129.9 x 66.8 x 12.3 mm, 145g
- Removable colored backs
- Black, White
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
Read more
Buy now for £0 from Tesco Mobile
#5 – Samsung Galaxy A3
There’s a fine balance to be struck between affordable hardware and building a device that still feels and look great. This is where Samsung’s Galaxy A3 comes in, which comes with a well-designed metal-rimmed case but a price tag that won’t break the bank.
The internal hardware is quite similar to the Moto E, but Samsung has thrown in a better rear camera, an additional 512MB of RAM and double the internal memory, which makes up for the increased price.
All of our MVNOs stock the Galaxy A3, which has helped keep the price very competitive. The best deal is awarded to the Carphone Warehouse’s ID network this time, which probably offers the best balance of data, calls and price.
| Carrier | Up front cost | Monthly cost | Contract Months | Mins/Texts/Data | Total Cost | PAYG Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BT | – | – | – | – | – | £269 |
| iD | £0 | £17.50 | 24 | 300/5000/500MB | £420 | – |
| Tesco | £0 | £20 | 24 | 250/5000/500MB | £480 | – |
| GiffGaff | £37 | £19 | 24 | 500/ ∞/1GB | £493 | £199.99 |
| Virgin | £0 | £15 | 24 | 250/ ∞/250MB | £360 | £239.99 |
Specs
- 4.5-inch Super AMLOED display with 540×960 resolution
- 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC
- 1.5GB of RAM
- 16GB of internal storage with up to 64GB via microSD
- 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 1,900mAh battery
- 130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9 mm, 110g
- Black, White or Silver
- Android 4.4.4 KitKat, upgradable to Android 5.0.2
Read More
ICYMI: A haunting 3D heart, dino robot bellhop and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: Japan’s come up with some cool tech in the past, but this week it reached a whole new boss level. A new hotel opened in Nagasaki, manned by talking robots– including a dinosaur robot. GE Healthcare showed off its new full-color 3D ultrasound machine. And Google’s new video series takes us for a walk with the Street View Trekker. Presumably the same kind of gear climbers commandeered to bring Street View to El Capitan.
Today’s bonus gave the video team a case of the awwws: A robot designed to play Peekaboo in the cutest possible way.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under: Displays, Misc, GPS, Peripherals, Robots, Transportation, Internet, Google
Samsung Galaxy Note 5, S6 Edge+ pass through the FCC, Verizon and AT&T variants in-tow
Suggested render of what the Galaxy Note 5 may look like.
As the clock ticks down to the rumored August 12th launch of the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, a premium pair of phablets to be sure, what was once a tiny trickle of leaks is now a full-blown stream. Today’s offerings come directly from the FCC itself, which has apparently certified both devices for release in the United States in AT&T and Verizon variations.
Verizon: The Galaxy Note 5 (SM-N920V) and Galaxy S6 Edge+ (SM-G928V) are compatible with the carrier’s LTE bands: 13, 4, and 2.
AT&T: The Galaxy Note 5 (SM-N920A) and Galaxy S6 Edge+ (SM-G928A) are compatible with LTE bands 17, 4, and 2. The Note 5 also has support for Band 12 which is going to be added to the carrier’s LTE coverage spectrum this September.
We would expect to see other carrier variants pass through the FCC in the next few days, presumably with support for their respective LTE bands. The fact that the FCC has already tested and certified two of the US variants further supports the August launch scenario as devices typically are being prepped for immediate release, with this procedure being one of the last major steps on the path to the customer’s hands and heart.
Suggested render of what the Galaxy S6 Edge+ might look like.
While the Galaxy S6 Edge+ is expected to be, more or less, a larger version of the Galaxy S6 Edge, it will have some minor hardware differences, such as the inclusion of a Snapdragon 808 SoC instead of the Exynos-variant that powered the standard model. (It is currently unclear as to if the device will formally spell-out the word “Plus” or if it will use the symbol “+” perhaps more in line with Samsung’s recent logo redesign strategy.) The Galaxy Note 5, on the other hand, has been the subject of much discussion as of late following reports it will make use of a glass back thereby forgoing a user-replaceable battery, and sans any microSD support.
The pair of devices, expected to be announced simultaneously (possibly with the Samsung Gear A smartwatch), are said to be launching earlier than in previous years due to Samsung’s intent on avoiding a direct confrontation with Apple’s upcoming smartphones, presumably to be called the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, with rumors suggesting an iPhone 6C might also be present.
For a look at everything we currently know about the Galaxy Note 5, please check here. For the Galaxy S6 Edge+, please check here instead.
AIVAnet 
