Sony starts pushing out update for the Xperia M4 Aqua in Asia and Europe to fix overheating issues
Sony is currently rolling out an update for the dual-SIM variant of the Xperia M4 Aqua in Asia and Europe to fix the heating issues that some users have been experiencing. This bumps the build number up to 26.1.B.2.102 and comes a couple of weeks after the company acknowledged that the integrated Snapdragon 615 chipset was the reason for the devices overheating problem.
As is the norm, this upgrade is being distributed in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device to hit your unit, you could always search for the update manually. To do so simply open the Settings app, scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”, hit “System Updates”, then select “Check for updates”. Once done, the upgrade will start downloading from Sony’s servers.
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Xbox 360 update will make it just as social as the Xbox One
With Windows 10, Microsoft is all about the Xbox integration. Xbox 360 preview users can now see gaming activity from Windows 10, Xbox One and of course, their Xbox 360. The feeds show achievements, broadcasts, screenshots, text posts and GameDVR clips from you or people you follow. You can then share or comment on directly from the console, or create a new post. The Xbox One has had that feature since February, but as one Major Nelson commenter put it, at least Microsoft isn’t forgetting its old warhorse completely. The feature has only rolled out to Xbox 360 preview program participants, but everyone else will likely see it with the next regular update.
Filed under:
Gaming, Microsoft
Source:
Major Nelson
Tags: Activity Feeds, Major Nelson, microsoft, Preview, Xbox, Xbox 360
Google and AT&T join in Apple iMessage lawsuit
After users discovered Apple’s iMessage platform contained an alleged “bug” that prevented users from receiving some text messages after switching to an Android phone, some former Apple customers filed a lawsuit alleging Apple’s actions were illegal. Apple has been fighting off the claims, mostly in secret, even as they launched a tool to help customers make the transition from iPhones to Android smartphones. The stakes may have ratcheted up a bit recently as both Google and AT&T have filed motions with the federal courts to access materials being filed during the lawsuit’s discovery phase.
AT&T’s involvement is noteworthy as previous reports from Apple and AT&T employees have claimed Android phones were returned by customers so they could go back to an iPhone after trying to switch. Depending on how well this can be proved, Apple could be facing some additional claims related to interfering with the market and consumer protections. Thus far the claimants in the lawsuit are focused on showing Apple accessed text messages improperly or illegally and violated laws like the Stored Communications Act and the Federal Wiretap Act.
Court watchers have noted the tech giants have specifically requested an email sent to CEO Tim Cook on April 28, 2013, amongst a group of internal communications. The list of individuals who have provided affidavits, depositions or other information includes lots of engineers and software experts and these are the individuals Google and AT&T are focused on thus far, suggesting the companies are not only seeking to figure out who knew what and when, but technically how Apple was identifying and stopping messages intended for Android phone users.
source: Business Insider
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OnePlus launches charitable auction for OnePlus 2 invites
The OnePlus invite system used to obtain their smartphones, including their latest OnePlus 2 that was recently announced, is loved by some and hated by others. Whatever consumers may think though, OnePlus seems to think it is an effective way to sell their devices. In the past the company has made some missteps in developing campaigns to give away some invites as a way to increase interest, but they may have learned from those incidences. Their latest contest is called “Invites for a Cause” and will help raise money for the UNICEF Tap Project.
OnePlus is working with eBay through the Giving Works system to auction off 100 invites, fifty each day for two days. All of the proceeds will benefit the UNICEF Tap Project. The UNICEF Tap Project brings clean, safe water to underprivileged children around the globe.
The auctions work like a typical eBay auction where users submit their bids and try to end up on top when time runs out, which is slated to happen on August 8th. The invites are a little bit different from a normal invite though as OnePlus is only giving the winners one week to claim the invite and then one month to make their purchase of a new OnePlus 2 smartphone. The invites will be for the Sandstone Black version with 64GB of storage. OnePlus does indicate bidders need to be certain their shipping address is in a country where OnePlus can ship to.
source: OnePlus
via: Android Authority
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LG’s Lollipop-powered Wine Smart flip phone goes global
Sometimes, you just have to go retro. That apparently is LG’s strategy with the release of its new clamshell smartphone, the Wine Smart, or as it’s known in Korea, the LG Gentle. Unlike the clamshell devices we used 10 years ago, though, the LG Wine Smart runs the Android operating system and carries a touch-screen display.
As you can see from the image above, the LG Wine Smart is available in navy blue and burgundy. Let’s see what this competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Folder has to offer in the way of specifications.
Specifications:
- Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
- 3.2-Inch HVGA display (480 x 320)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 Quad-core processor @ 1.1GHz
- 1GB RAM
- 4GB Internal storage
- MicroSD card support
- 3MP Rear camera
- VGA Front camera
- Networks: 4G/LTE, HSPA+, 3G
- Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0
- Dimensions: 117.7 x 58.7 16.6mm
- Weight: 143 grams
- Battery: 1,700mAh (removable)
The LG Wine Smart isn’t going to be winning any benchmark contests anytime soon, but then again, if you are looking for a clamshell, your requirements are probably different to the rest of us. The Wine Smart features larger than normal icons on the home screen along with the large 3 x 4 physical numeric keypad. There’s a navigation button as well as hotkeys for accessing frequently used functions such as the phone dialer, address book, messages or camera. While it only has 4GB of internal storage, it does have MicroSD card support, which gives it one advantage over the soon to be announced Galaxy Note 5 perhaps if the rumoured specifications are correct.
Chris Yie, the vice president of marketing communications for LG Mobile, had this to say about the Wine Smart handset:
“Our goal with LG Wine Smart was to create a smartphone that fans of flip phones could embrace. Consumers shouldn’t have to miss out on the smartphone revolution because they prefer a particular phone design over another. With LG Wine Smart, they won’t have to.”
If you are busy wondering where you can find one of these wondrous devices, you can rest easy knowing that LG plans to release the Wine Smart clamshell smartphone in countries such as France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Japan and Kazakhstan, among others. As for how much it will cost, LG says that pricing details will be announced when the handset is launched in the relevant markets, although to get an idea of how much, the Wine Smart is priced at $170 in Korea.
Source: LG
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BT exclusive ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ to premiere on August 31st
When BT announced it had teamed up with AMC to bring exclusive US shows to the UK, all eyes were on when Fear The Walking Dead, a new spin-off of the popular zombie drama The Walking Dead, would reach our screens. Turns out we’ll only have to wait a few more weeks for the BT exclusive to make its debut, after the broadcaster shared news that the show will premiere on August 31st at 9pm.
Fear The Walking Dead will come as part of a new “AMC from BT” channel, which launches on August 28th. The US TV company has already promised to premiere drama series Rectify for the first time in the UK and will air other “soon to be announced dramas from AMC Networks in addition to series from other leading producers.” If you’re already a BT TV customer, the AMC from BT channel will be available for free and it’ll automatically show up in your planner when it launches at the end of the month.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, HD
Source:
BT
Tags: amc, bt, channel, fear the walking dead, hdpostcross, the walking dead
EE recalls Power Bar chargers over fire risks
EE’s free Power Bar portable chargers have been incredibly popular with customers, but recently a medical student was left with nasty burns after one exploded while charging. And it can’t be coincidence that EE has just issued a recall request for all Power Bars sporting the model number E1-06. EE says it’s “identified a very small number of incidents where Power Bars have overheated,” isolated to this specific batch number, which Mobile News believes accounts for half a million units. The carrier warns these Power Bars “could pose a fire safety risk,” advises that customers stop using them immediately, and asks they turn them in at their nearest EE store. Returned units will be replaced once EE has figured out what’s going on with the bad batch. The network operator believes Power Bars with different model numbers are perfectly safe, but it’s still putting a temporary stop to the swap-in-shop program while it recalls and restocks.
Ty @EE for the powerbar which exploded, almost burned down our house+left my hand like this: #Firework pic.twitter.com/MRzdsbj52P
— Katy Emslie (@kemslie89) July 24, 2015
Source:
EE
Tags: ee, eepowerbar, mobilepostcross, PortableCharger, powerbar, uk-feature
Amazon’s UK Instant Video iOS app now supports HD streaming
With Amazon Instant Video set to become the new home of the Top Gear team, we’re sure many of you are looking at the value of a Prime subscription in a new light. And if you needed a little more persuading, perhaps the new features Amazon’s added to its Instant Video app for iOS will be enough push you over the edge. Most importantly, the updated app now lets you stream content to iDevices in high definition, a mobile feature previously reserved for Amazon’s Fire Phone and select Fire tablets. The other major change is you can now stream over mobile networks, not just WiFi, bringing the iOS app up to date with its Android counterpart. If these new features ring a bell, it’s probably because the iOS update dropped over in the US a few months ago, but better late than never — especially if you’re looking forward to Clarkson & Co returning to your screens next year. Let’s hope he can keep his fists to himself this time.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Software, HD, Mobile, Amazon
Source:
Amazon Instant Video (App Store)
Tags: amazon, AmazonInstantVideo, hdpostcross, mobilepostcross
Garmin’s latest low-cost running watch gives you live tracking
If you’ve been jonesing for a Garmin running watch that will talk to your smartphone without trashing your bank balance, you’re in luck. Garmin has rolled out the Forerunner 25, a follow-up to the 15 (but not a replacement) that’s much more at home in a connected world. If you link the newer wristwear to your phone, you can share live workout tracking with your friends, get important notifications and automatically upload brag-worthy results to the company’s Connect service. It’s easier to gauge your progress in mid-run, too, since there’s a 32 percent bigger active display space than before. Both small and large versions go on sale later this summer at $170 for the core model, and $200 if you want an external heart rate monitor at the same time. Slideshow-309272
Filed under:
Wearables
Source:
Garmin
Tags: activitytracker, fitness, forerunner, forerunner25, garmin, health, running, wearable
DJI’s sub-$800 drone packs smart features for first-timers
After the Phantom 3 Professional and the Phantom 3 Advanced, DJI’s back with an even cheaper drone dubbed Phantom 3 Standard to tempt beginners. It costs just $799, which is $200 less than the Advanced and $460 less than the Professional, but you still get all the essentials: a built-in 3-axis stabilization gimbal, 12-megapixel still image capture (supports RAW shooting), up to 2.7K of video capture at 30 fps and 40 Mbps, video downlink at up to 720p and a slightly longer flight time of up to 25 minutes. The only real downside here is that the Standard can only transmit video back to your phone at up to 1km or 0.62 miles, which is half as much as the other two models. Slideshow-309055
Other less important differences include the missing visual and ultrasonic sensors on the Standard’s underbelly, which are only to help the drone identify its position accurately (the more high-end Inspire 1 has this, too); and the bundled remote controller is basically just an updated version of the one that came with the Phantom 2 Vision+: no still camera trigger and no tablet holder, but you still have an integrated WiFi range extender plus a wheel to adjust the camera’s tilt. It’s worth noting that while the Advanced can only capture video of up to 1080p (for now) instead of 2.7K, it still beats the Standard with a better camera sensor from Sony. The Professional has the same Sony sensor as well.
One major complaint we had in our Phantom 3 Professional review was the lack of autopilot features. Well, these are arriving in the near future, with the Standard likely to be the first in the Phantom 3 series to receive the firmware update. Our favorite feature is the Point Of Interest mode, which keeps the drone’s camera pointing at your desired object — as configured in the app — while it flies around in a circle at your set radius, speed and height. (In fact, professional drone pilots may have already come across this feature on DJI’s A2 flight controller.) The result is a stable 360-degree shot that makes anyone in the middle of it look cool, especially while you’re hiking up a hill or driving across the field.
Another upcoming intelligent feature that we got to see is the Ground Station mode. To set a route, simply fly your drone to a set point with your desired camera angle, then save the waypoint, and repeat until you’re done. You can then let the drone automatically follow the course to make a slick video, with the gimbal taking care of smoothing out your shot throughout the entire route, rather than changing the camera’s angle on the spot at each waypoint. And say if you need to take another shot, simply pull down the remote controller’s right trigger to fly the drone backwards on the same course. It’s a pretty handy feature for both beginners and film makers, really.
The third and perhaps the riskiest feature here is the Follow Me mode. We say risky, because if it’s not used properly, then there’s always a chance that your drone could end up hitting a building or a tree. That’s the last thing DJI wants to see in the news, but apparently it’s also what a lot of customers want, so it’s working on this. Alas, we didn’t get to try it during our preview, so we’ll have to wait and see.
In addition to the aforementioned intelligent features, the Phantom 3 Standard offers a few tools that make life easier for beginners. For those who struggle to get their heads around the drone’s orientation when it’s far away, they can toggle Course Lock that changes the drone’s direction according to the pilot’s perspective, instead of the drone’s perspective. In other words, even if the drone is facing you, it’ll go left in your view if you pull left on the remote controller, rather than fly right as it normally would. Of course, you’ll want to refrain from using the live view while flying with Course Lock enabled, in order to avoid confusion.
The second notable mention goes to Home Lock. When toggled, you can pull the drone back to where it took off by simply pulling back the right stick, regardless of where the drone is. It’s like letting the drone take a shortcut back to you, but obviously, you should be wary of any object that could be in the way.
Other noob-friendly features are actually already on the Professional and Advanced. These include a geofence tool that lets you set a virtual barrier at a set distance, as well as mandatory GPS calibration on the drone before first take-off, and auto take-off plus auto landing which can easily impress your friends.
At $799, the Phantom 3 Standard will sure be a new popular choice for folks who are new to aerial videography. For those who are interested, you can grab one on DJI’s official online store, and expect shipment as early as next week.
Filed under:
Robots
Tags: aerialcamera, AerialPhotography, AerialVideo, dji, drone, hands-on, phantom 3, phantom 3 standard, video
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