New renders of the Blackberry Venice surface, shows Chromecast support
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The rumour mill has gone quiet around the Blackberry Venice, the rumoured smartphone from Blackberry that is going to be running Android rather than Blackberry’s native operating system. Thankfully, it starts up again today as new renders of the device have surfaced, showing us a little more about just how Android the device is going to be. From the images, we see a Material Design inspired email and social hub, as well as a sneak peek at the phone’s 18MP rear camera and a final image that shows that the Blackberry Venice will have Chromecast support for various apps, presumably showing YouTube as an example. Check out the renders below:
So far, what we know about the device is that it probably runs Android Lollipop and that it’s going to have a slide out keyboard. This latest information seems to suggest that the Blackberry Venice, unlike other devices that have adopted Android and forked their version for their own purposes, could have an Android experience that is closer to what we’d expect from an average Android device. Of course, all of this is speculation and Blackberry is yet to confirm that it’s even considering Android, so we’ll just have to wait this one out till some more news drops.
What do you think about the Blackberry Venice? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: CrackBerry via Phone Arena
The post New renders of the Blackberry Venice surface, shows Chromecast support appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Hangouts 4.0 begins rolling out to Android
Forget Update Wednesdays, Monday morning is apparently where it is at. Google Hangouts 4.0 for Android is now official and is rolling out from today. The new update brings several enhancements to the table, including a more responsive redesign that fully embraces material design. The new app features a compose button that makes it easier than ever to start group or individual conversations, and you’ll find the entire experience is also faster and more battery life friendly than ever before.
Overall design and responsiveness are the biggest perks in Hangouts 4.0, though Google is also adding group MMS using Google Voice, better Android Wear integration, and new Outbound Caller ID in the Hangouts Dialer.
Here’s the full list of key changes, for those curious:
- Hangouts is sleeker. Now updated with material design, Hangouts has a new look and feel: items respond to your touch in more intuitive ways and transitions between tasks are more fluid.
- Hangouts is simpler. The new Compose button makes it easier for you to start a new group or conversation. Our streamlined contacts list helps you find the right person quickly. And attachments have been revamped and simplified, so sharing—of emoji, GIFs, your location, even multiple photos at once—is a snap.
- Hangouts is faster. Whether you’re sending a quick message or video chatting with family, you don’t want hold-ups. We’ve been obsessively fixing bugs and speeding up message delivery to make Hangouts faster and more reliable. Bonus: less battery consumption.
- Make affordable calls from the Hangouts Dialer, now with Outbound Caller ID (so your friends won’t get any more calls from the great “Unknown”).
- Receive and reply to group MMS messages in Hangouts using Google Voice.
- Use Hangouts on Android Wear when you really have an eye on the time (just say, “Ok Google, send a Hangouts message,” into your watch).
- And if you’re not around but want friends to know what’s on your mind? Custom status messages are back.
At the moment, we don’t quite have an APK, though we’ll try to update this post with a link if and when that surfaces. Anyone get their hands on Hangouts 4.0 yet? If so, what do you think so far?
Android users can fire Google Now and replace it with Cortana
Microsoft recently unveiled plans to launch its Cortana digital voice assistant on arch-rival Google’s Android OS, but until now, you could only use it as a standalone app. However, the latest beta (1.0.0.204) lets you activate Cortana instead of Google Now by pressing and holding your Android home button. That’s a new way for Android users to test the app’s friendly ways and be tempted away from the businesslike Google Now. Since Cortana relies on Bing, it’s also a sneaky way for Microsoft to do an end-run around Google search.
It won’t displace Google Now completely, however. For instance, you’ll never be able to shout “Hey, Cortana” instead of “OK Google” due to always-on listening limitations for third-party Android apps. In addition, the feature is only available on beta to Microsoft Insiders, so you won’t find it on Google Play. Neverthless, it’s another step in Microsoft’s plan to get Cortana on more platforms and do to Google what Google’s done to it for years.
Filed under:
Internet, Microsoft, Google
Via:
Slashgear
Source:
Microsoft News (unofficial)
Tags: Android, Cortana for Android, Cortona, digital assistant, google, Google Now, microsoft, voice search
Omate’s pricey ring vibrates just for your beloved
While Apple, Olio and Opening Ceremony are already tinkering with premium materials in the smartwatch space, other wearable devices haven’t received just as much love. But today, Omate and French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro launched the Ungaro ring, a simple notification wearable that ranges from $500 to a whopping $2,000. Why the premium? For one, the Italy-made ring is plated with either 18K gold or silver, and there are five options for the gemstone: blue topaz, opalite, onyx, sapphire and ruby. As for the “smart” part, this ring links to your phone — iOS first, Android due Q1 2016 — over Bluetooth LE, and will only vibrate when you receive a call or text message from your one and only selected contact. The tiny battery inside lasts up to five days.
Admittedly, this isn’t the first vibrating ring on the market. The summer collection of the Ringly is now available for pre-order, going from a more affordable $195 to $260, but it also benefits from a multi-color LED to indicate which app is pinging you. The Ungaro ring’s approach, on the other hand, is intentionally simple: no LED, and vibrates for just one contact. If you can stomach the premium prices for this perfume bottle-inspired ring, then keep an eye out for it at Richline Group’s retail partners this November.
Filed under:
Wearables
Tags: emanuel ungaro, EmanuelUngaro, omate, Richline, RichlineGroup, ring, smartring, ungaro, wearable
Watch live as two ISS Cosmonauts perform a spacewalk
With only a bit of fabric preventing certain death, spacewalks are one of the most thrilling and dangerous jobs (among many) that ISS astronauts and cosmonauts do. You’ll be able to watch one (here or in the video below) shortly as Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko exit the Russian Pirs airlock. Their goal is to make it easier for ISS occupants do future spacewalks by installing so-called “gap spanners,” a type of soft handrail. The duo will also photograph “Expose-R,” a NASA experiment testing how biological samples like seeds, bacteria and ferns tolerate space, a stepping-stone towards future Mars missions. The whole thing will take about six hours, but it kicks off soon at 10:14 EDT.
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream
Filed under:
Science
Via:
Space.com
Source:
NASA (Ustream)
Tags: cosmonauts, expose-R, International Space Station, ISS, NASA, spacewalk
NFL highlights return to your Twitter feed this season
If you enjoy seeing NFL highlights in your Twitter feed on Sundays (and Mondays, Thursdays and some Saturdays, too), you can rest easy as those clips are staying put. The 140-character social network signed a new two-year deal with the NFL that’ll bring even more action from the gridiron as part of its focus on live-event coverage. Twitter was already working with the National Football League with deals in 2013 and 2014, but this will be the first multi-year agreement between the two. If you’ll recall, the league also has deals in place with Facebook and YouTube for highlight clips, so there’s more than one place to follow along. Twitter also rolled out curated timelines last season to provide a dedicated feed for the team(s) or game(s) that you’re most interested in without the clutter of your main timeline.
[Image credit: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Internet
Source:
Re/code
Tags: football, highlights, internet, nfl, social, twitter, video
American Express Introduces Apple Pay Support for Corporate Cards in the United States
American Express today announced that the company is the first to introduce corporate credit card support with Apple Pay. The new addition will let customers pay at locations and within apps that support the contactless payments service with an eligible American Express corporate credit card.
“Businesses today are going digital, and American Express is at the forefront of digital innovation, helping companies to streamline their payments systems and simplify their processes,” said Greg Keeley, Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Payments, American Express. “We continue to invest and expand digital offerings for our corporate customers in ways that maximize security and enhance the user experience.”
All corporate cards that will work with Apple Pay include: American Express Corporate Green Card; American Express Corporate Gold Card; American Express Corporate Platinum Card; American Express Corporate Centurion Card; American Express/Business Extra Corporate Card; and the American Express Corporate Defined Expense Program Corporate Card. Apple Pay has been expanding ever since its launch last October, with more retailers and financial institutions debuting support for the service as time goes on.
‘iPhone 6s’ and iPhone 6 Displays Compared in New Video
MacManiack, a reseller of iPhone, iPad, and Mac parts and accessories, has shared a new video that compares a purported “iPhone 6s” display with an existing iPhone 6 display. The side-by-side comparison reveals that the displays are very similar overall, with identical dimensions and the same placement of the FaceTime camera and proximity sensor, but the front panels do have some notable differences.
The alleged “iPhone 6s” display has a new connector in the top-left corner that supports multiple rumors claiming the next-generation smartphone will be equipped with pressure-sensitive Force Touch technology. The “iPhone 6s” display also has slightly redesigned flex connectors, Touch ID is integrated in the LCD and digitizer connector, and the protective plate on the back of the LCD is glued in place.
As the launch of the so-called “iPhone 6s” and “iPhone 6s Plus” inches closer, multiple components for the upcoming smartphones have leaked from within the supply chain. Chinese phone repair company GeekBar shared three photos of an identical looking “iPhone 6s” display assembly last week, while photos of the device’s purported rear shell, logic board, battery, and more parts have also surfaced.
4.7-inch Alcatel IDOL 3 hitting US and Canada shores this week
Alcatel, in order to cater to the crowd that prefers smaller devices, will launch a 4.7-inch model of the IDOL 3. This is quite a step down from the IDOL 3, which features a gargantuan 5.5-inch panel.
This new device will sport a 4.7-inch TFT 720p display, a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, LTE connectivity, a 2,000mAh battery, and Android 5.0.2.
If you’re interested in getting a peak on what the IDOL 3 is all about, check out our review on the original device.
Alcatel will launch this version of the IDOL 3 on Amazon in the United States and Canada on Friday. It will be available in Alcatel stores and on Amazon for $179.99, whereas the original model sells for $249.
Come comment on this article: 4.7-inch Alcatel IDOL 3 hitting US and Canada shores this week
New mid- and entry-level tier chips from Qualcomm announced
Qualcomm has announced some updates to their mid-level and entry-level chips. The Snapdragon 412 and the Snapdragon 212 will replace their predecessors which were announced close to a year ago and will power a large number of smartphones that will be hitting the market. Although watching chip manufacturers push the bounds with their top-tier chips used in premium smartphones is exciting, the rest of the lineup is important to the industry as these will be the “bread and butter” products powering the majority of smartphones and gives us a look at what the base will be for smartphone performance.
For this latest round of updates, the primary difference is some updated speeds. The processor speed for both chips has been pushed up by 200MHz, to 1.4GHz for the Snapdragon 412 and 1.3GHz for the Snapdragon 212.
The Snapdragon 412 will be capable of supporting cameras up to 13MP resolution as well as both full HD video capture and playback. The Snapdragon 412 will also support Quick Charge 2.0.
The Snapdragon 212 continues as a 32-bit processor solution and supports most standards, similar to the Snapdragon 412. The Snapdragon 212 supports full HD capture but not playback and is limited to only supporting cameras of up to 8MP resolution.
Qualcomm will continue to produce these chips using a 28nm manufacturing process. Devices built with these new chips should be hitting the market soon.
Come comment on this article: New mid- and entry-level tier chips from Qualcomm announced
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