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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SplashID Pro: Lifetime Plan
Pause for just a second and try to calculate how many passwords you use on a daily basis. Your phone’s lock screen, your laptop, your WiFi network, your garage door… and we haven’t even left the house yet. Passwords are vital to keeping our sensitive information and services protected but nobody can dispute that there is a true fatigue that can set in from trying to remember dozens of character combinations. Have you ever lost an important password? No problem, you’ll just reset it real fast before your son’s baseball game — aaaaand you’re on the phone with customer service all afternoon trying to prove you’re you.
SplashID Pro, a trusted name in password management, solves these problems. With over 10 years of successful security under their belts, SplashID is a legitimate source of protection for your financial records, sensitive data and gobs of passwords. Working across multiple platforms, SplashID is accessible on a tablet, phone or PC. You can even opt-in to backing all of your data in a cloud, or not. The choice is yours. This service typically runs $100 but AndroidGuys readers can get a lifetime of peace of mind from SplashID, today, for just $24.99!
See more at deals.androidguys.com
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HTC declares unaudited loss for Q2 2015
HTC has announced a notable financial loss for the second quarter of the year, having released its unaudited results earlier today. The news is not completely unexpected, as HTC has been struggling with poor smartphone sales this year.
The company had been expected to post revenue somewhere in the region of NT$65 billion for the second quarter, but has declared an unaudited revenue of only NT$33.01 billion ($1.07BN) for the quarter ending June 30. This means that HTC will post an operating loss of NT$5.14 billion ($166M) for Q2 2015, plunging the company into a significant quarterly loss.
The second quarter of the year is usually strong for HTC, as it directly follows the launch of its latest flagship smartphone. Such a noticeable loss in this quarter leaves the rest of the year looking pretty miserable for the company.
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Last year, HTC managed to return to minor profit after a number of quarterly losses and had been hoping to continue its recovery throughout 2015. However, its latest flagship One M9 smartphone has suffered severely disappointing sales figures since launch, with one report highlighting that shipments had fallen by some 43 percent compared with the last generation One M8.
HTC seems to have been caught out by improving technologies from high-end players like Samsung and the cut-throat pricing models of mid-range Chinese competitors such as Xiaomi. HTC has stated that it intends to focus on mid-tier products to drive up sales, but this market segment is becoming increasingly busy with companies offering flagship level hardware at very thin profit margins, which is unlikely to help HTC’s position.
The HTC One M9 is a fine handset, but it fails to stand out against the previous generation
Along with a reshuffle at the top of the company, HTC has also recently been looking into new markets with its Vive VR headset and portable RE camera. While these may eventually provide a way for HTC to diversity or transition in the future, they aren’t bringing in the short term revenue that the company needs.
2015 is looking to be another tough year for HTC, and its bulging product portfolio doesn’t appear to be cutting through the competition. Can anyone suggest a remedy?
Deal: Layze Phone Holder clips onto just about anything, only $25
We’ve all seen car mounts before. These simple mounts are designed to easily hold our mobile devices, making it more convenient to use our handsets in the car for changing music, GPS navigation, and more. But what about an “everyday” kind of mount? That’s exactly what you get with the Layze Phone Holder. Essentially a giant clip with a bendy, durable stem for holding your phone, the Layze Phone Holder can clip onto desks, parts of your car, your exercise equipment, or just about anything.
The Layze Phone Holder could be perfect for those times when you want to passively consume media or conduct a Skype/Hangouts call without holding the device. Such a holder could also be brilliant for use in the kitchen, allowing you to follow recipes without having to touch or hold the phone.
Right now the AA deals store is offering this phone holder for just $25, not a bad price considering its flexible, durable design. Even better, this price includes free shipping within the continental United States.
Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 first impressions
Once upon a time, the UK market was dominated by own-brand devices from the major networks. However, over the past decade, these devices faded out to become nothing more than bit-part players in the low end market. However, the market is changing and the Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 could herald a new era of smart, disruptive own-brand smartphones where carriers put their names on smartphones that are made by third-party companies you’ve most likely never heard of.
The Smart Ultra 6 doesn’t really fit this as it’s made by ZTE, a Chinese manufacturer who certainly knows how to make smartphones. While the design isn’t the most revolutionary, it’s the specs list and price tag where the Smart Ultra 6 could be this year’s biggest challengers to the mid-range market.
Just how good is this handset though and should other companies be worried? Let’s take a closer look in my hands-on first impressions.
Design
The Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 looks like it “borrowed” its design from Apple’s phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus. There’s no removable back cover or battery and the edges are rounded in a way that certainly reminds you of the large iPhone. The key problem with the Smart Ultra 6 design however, is that it’s free of any design inspiration whatsoever. It is a grey slab that – although it is powerful – is just another grey slab and some of the design decisions are peculiar at best.
On the back is a metallic plastic that stands no chance of ever passing off as metal and despite being a unibody, Vodafone and ZTE have strangely added contours to replicate the seam found on non-unibody devices.
Bizarre it certainly is but it’s the worst part of the phone as ZTE – who clearly know how to make mobile devices – have delivered a handset that is functional and solid. It’s made from plastic, feels solid in the hand and doesn’t flex or creak. Given the handset’s price tag, the fact it doesn’t appear to have any structural problems is certainly impressive.
On the right of the Smart Ultra 6, there’s the volume and power keys along with the micro SIM card tray. The volume buttons themselves are a slightly different colour to the back cover, provide ample feedback and are easy enough to find without looking at the phone.
On the back, the Smart Ultra 6 has a 13MP camera and single-LED flash in the top left corner, a Vodafone logo in the middle and an external speaker in the lower-right edge which supposedly offers impressive audio playback (something we will definitely be testing). The camera comes with autofocus and Full HD 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second while the 5MP front camera supports HD video as well.
The Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 looks a bit boring, there’s no denying, but as we mentioned, it’s not entering a beauty pageant. The key consideration has been to ensure the handset remains affordable and Vodafone and ZTE have certainly achieved this.
Specs & price
This is where the Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 stands out from the rest of the handsets at this price point; it currently costs just £125 (approx. $197) free of any contract and has specs that will rival smartphones costing more than double the price tag.
The Smart Ultra 6 is a rebrand of the ZTE Blade S6 and Blade S6 Plus with a few changes, the main one being an upgrade of the display to Full HD from 720p on ZTE’s devices. The front of the Smart Ultra 6 has a 5.5 inch Full HD 1080p screen that offers 401 pixels per inch density. From first glance, the handset has impressive viewing angles and offers deep blacks with vibrant colours. The display is topped with toughened glass and while it’s certainly not as durable as Gorilla Glass 3, it should still be durable enough for daily usage.
The bezels all around the screen makes this handset pretty difficult to use in one hand and while Vodafone could have tightened the profile up with smaller bezels, this would have undoubtedly increased the price of the handset; good design doesn’t come cheap and this goes against the philosophy of the Smart Ultra 6. Despite the large bezels, the Smart Ultra 6 still boasts an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 70.3 percent, which is larger than the iPhone 6 Plus.
Beneath the display, the Smart Ultra 6 features three capacity on-screen keys (Back, Home and Recent Apps) and these all light up blue which looks a little disjointed. However, the home button lights up, letting you know when there’s an unread notification for you to check, which will definitely come in handy.
Smart Ultra 6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor with four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.5GHz and four more clocked at 1.0GHz. It’s accompanied by 2GB RAM with 16GB internal storage, which can be expanded by up to 64GB using a microSD card.
Other notable specs of the Smart Ultra 6 include a 3000mAh non-removable battery, Wi-Fi n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and FM Radio. The handset runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop and from first glance, it appears that Vodafone’s ROM only adds a few preloaded applications – which can be disabled or uninstalled – to an otherwise stock-like experience.
First impressions
Yes, the Smart Ultra 6 is dull and not likely to win any design awards or make your friends jealous. At least, not until you tell them about just how much it costs. At a price of £125 ($197), the Smart Ultra 6 is significantly cheaper than anything else offering the same specs and while the design isn’t inspiring, the whole experience certainly will.
If you don’t mind being on Vodafone (or paying an small additional fee to unlock the handset, either through Vodafone or third-party services) and need a phone that will do everything you want it to, my first instinct is to recommend the Smart Ultra 6. Naturally, using a phone for a few minutes isn’t enough to provide a solid recommendation so you’ll need to wait for the full review for that but this is one smartphone that others should stand up and take notice of.
Best Vodafone Android phones (UK)
Vodafone UK review (2015): everything you need to know
While manufacturers often design with the bottom line of price and profit in mind, it seems that Vodafone is making virtually nothing on this handset, which provides reassurance that you can get value for money. If you need a powerful, impressive handset to replace your existing broken or mislaid device, the Smart Ultra 6 will certainly tick every box and the price is low enough to appeal to all users.
Cheap Android Devices:
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We’ll leave you with a hands on gallery:
Telltale Games releases first trailer and cast list for Minecraft: Story Mode
Back in December, Telltale Games announced its new point-and-click game Minecraft: Story Mode, which is being developed in partnership with Mojang. We’re still not sure when the game will be released to the public, but we’re finally getting a good look at what exactly it will entail.
Telltale has just released the first trailer for the game, which you can find attached above. From what we can tell so far, Minecraft: Story Mode looks to feature great graphics, a dark storyline and a ton of fun characters, all voiced by popular actors. The main characters will be voiced by Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Ashley Johnson, Scott Porter, Martha Plimpton, Dave Fennoy, Corey Feldman, Billy West and Paul Reubens.
Here’s a brief description of what we can expect to see in the new Minecraft game:
You’ll control protagonist Jesse throughout the season, as portrayed by actor Patton Oswalt. Jesse and his group of friends revere the legendary Order of the Stone; four adventurers who slayed an Ender Dragon. The Order are the very best at what they do: Warrior, Redstone Engineer, Griefer, and Architect. While at EnderCon, Jesse and his friends discover that something is wrong… something dreadful. Terror is unleashed, and they must set out on a journey to find The Order of the Stone if they are to save their world from oblivion.
Again, we’re not entirely sure when it will be released, but we do know it’s coming sometime this year. The game will be launched on Android, iOS, PC/Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
So what do you think? Will you be downloading the game when it becomes available?
AIVAnet 