IDOL 3 4.7 coming to the US & Canada this week
The IDOL 3 with its 5.5″screen is one of the best budget flagships you can buy right now, but for some people, the size may be too big. If you remember the original announcement of the IDOL 3, you know that this phone comes in two sizes, 5.5″ and 4.7″. This Friday, August 14, the smaller IDOL 3 is making its way to the US and Canada for a low $179.99 price tag.
The display is not the only difference in these two phones. The 4.7″ IDOL 3 has a resolution of only 720p instead of 1080p. It also comes with a Snapdragon 410, 1.5GB RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, a 13MP rear camera and 5MP front camera all running on Android 5.0.2 and powered by a 2000mAh battery.
One thing that everyone should be thankful for is the fact that this smaller IDOL 3 still comes with the same dual, front-facing speakers we praised in our review of the 5.5″ IDOL 3. These JBL powered speakers sounded like they belonged on a phone triple the price, and we are hoping to find the same fantastic sound on its smaller twin.
For those of you wondering about the security of this phone, it comes with an out-of-the-box update that includes Google’s Stagefright security patch.
While you are waiting for the IDOL 3 4.7 to be up for sale, you can check out our review on the 5.5″ IDOL 3. When this smaller version becomes available, you can grab it at Alcatel OneTouch’s US site or their Canadian site, as well as on Amazon.
Do you think the IDOL 3 4.7 will be your next smartphone? Tell us in the comments!
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HTC “worthless” – Tech giant trading below cash
HTC, one of the biggest Android OEMs on the planet is essentially worthless. The company has taken a massive hit, losing 60% of its stock’s value. Currently the troubled tech giant has more cash on hand than the value of it’s stock which means investors think that the assets the company owns are essentially worthless. HTC’s assets are not only physical things like factories, building and their current stock of products but also their brand which has taken a huge hit in the last year.
HTC had NT47.2 billion cash on hand and their market price has fallen to NT47 billion ($1.5 billion). This counts as a 60% drop in the company’s value this year and almost 10% since June. HTC had been valued as high as NT900 billion in 2011 about two years before the release of the release of the redesigned HTC One M7.
Since then a series of strange advertising choices, small evolutionary changes in their flagship devices and changes at the top of the company have signaled to investors that the path forward for HTC is going to be rocky, if there is one at all. In the third quarter, HTC is forecasting sales as low as 48% below analyst estimates.
In the early days of Android, HTC was the best selling brand in the United States. Google thought so much of the company that they’ve partnered with them on several projects including the Nexus One in 2010 and Nexus 9 in 2014. But after the failure of the One, Butterfly and Desire lines to gain any traction in globally, HTC now sits in peril. It should be no surprise that they’re in trouble right now.
They bet big on the HTC One M9 which many people have seen as a step back from the HTC One M8 and sales back that up. Many tech sites have panned the camera as a regression and the processor, a Snapdragon 810, as reason to avoid the newest flagship. In a day when one failed launch can significantly hurt you, the consequences loom large.
Source: Bloomberg
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Deal: 50 percent off PNY memory cards on Amazon
Expandable microSD memory may still be a sought-after feature, despite some OEMs dropping support with their recent phones, but it can be rather expensive to bulk your phone up with lots of additional storage. Fortunately, Amazon’s Deal of the Day is offering around 50 percent off a selection of PNY memory cards.
At the least expensive end, you can grab a 16GB PNY microSD card for just $6.99, a saving of $13 or 65 percent off the regular retail price of $19.99. If you are looking for a larger 128GB card to save movies and a big music collection on, then you can grab a high performance 60MB/sec card for $51.99, a saving of 48 percent. There are 32 and 64GB class 10 cards available too at similar discounts.
While you’re at it, the deal also includes full size SD cards for your other gadgets. PNY also has a selection of discounted USB sticks with capacities ranging from 16GB to 258GB included in the deal, with up to 78 percent of the RRP. Remember, you can connect USB flash drives up to most Android phones and tablets using a simple powered OTG cable.
You can find the full range of deals by clicking the button below:
Xiaomi thinks its next big opportunity lies in India
China’s smartphone market isn’t the hotbed of new customers that it once was, which means that companies now need to look elsewhere for fresh profits. Plenty believe that India is the next big thing and Xiaomi is putting money where its mouth is by setting up a manufacturing facility in the country. The firm has teamed up with Foxconn to produce devices from a base in Sri City in Andhra Pradesh, India’s hotbed of science, engineering and technology talent. The first piece of hardware to roll off the production line is the Redmi 2 Prime, a localized version of the company’s Redmi 2, which is available today for 6,999 Rupees ($110).
India’s probably going to become the buzzword of 2016, with lots of companies directing efforts to produce cheap phones for its booming market. That process will be helped by Google, which is revamping its Android One program in an attempt to produce high quality devices that cost as little as $50. Unfortunately, Google’s efforts are likely to be stymied due to the country’s weak mobile infrastructure, at least for right now.
As for the Redmi 2 Prime, it’s certainly got a respectable spec-list, with the 4.7-inch device packing a Snapdragon 410 and dual-SIM card support. Rounding out the vital statistics you’ll find 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, which will delight anyone who’s spent more than half an hour with the Aakash 2.
[Image Credit: Hugo Barra/Twitter]
Filed under:
Cellphones, Google
Source:
Xiaomi (Facebook)
Tags: Android, AndroidOne, google, India, Xiaomi
Cardiovascular health app is the UK’s first ResearchKit project
One of the first health apps built with Apple’s ResearchKit platform is now available to download outside the US. MyHeart Counts, which was first announced at Apple’s “Spring Forward” event in March, has been opened up to iPhone users in the UK and Hong Kong for the first time. Once you’ve opted in, you’ll be asked every few months to take part in a weeklong test, which includes seven days of activity monitoring, a 6-minute walk and a submission of personal risk-factor information. Stanford University will offer a review of your heart’s health in return, as well as some advice for improving general wellness, but the idea here is to make it as easy as possible to become a volunteer. ResearchKit was, after all, invented to help scientists and medical professionals conduct large-scale studies. There are over one billion iOS devices in the world, so if even a fraction of those take some time to use the app, that’s a trove of new information that will benefit medical research.
[Image Credit: AP Photo/Eric Risberg]
Filed under:
Cellphones, Apple
Via:
Wired
Source:
Stanford University
Tags: apple, cardiovascular, fitness, health, heart, medicine, myheartcounts, researchkit, stanforduniversity
Opera revenue growth disappoints, company considers finding buyer
Opera Software, developer of the Opera browser, has announced the company may go up on the sales block “in response to strategic interest in the company from a number of parties.” Even if the company is not sold, the board is considering other forms of partnership as they commence a “strategic review” with the help of Morgan Stanley International and ABG Sundal Collier during the second half of 2015. It is unclear whether there is a connection, but Opera Software also released second-quarter revenue results which missed forecasts by analysts and they had to cut their full-year expectations.
According to Opera Software, the company missed expectations for revenue growth during the quarter due to weaker than expected results from their mobile advertising business. The company now anticipates 2015 revenues will be $600 – $618 million, down from previously issued guidance of $630 – $650 million. Analysts had projected the company should have $642 million in revenue for 2015, which is an increase from 2014 revenue of $481 million.
This is the second time in the last six months that Opera Software has had to cut their revenue outlook after a similar move this past February.
While announcing financial results, Opera Software also revealed they had acquired Bemobi, a Latin America subscription service for mobile games and apps. The acquisition cost $139.5 million with an initial cash payout of $29.5 million and the rest tied to Bemobi’s future performance. Based on the structure of the deal, the transaction “will be self-funded after closing.”
If Opera were sold, who would you like to see buy them and what should they do with the browser?
source: Reuters
Come comment on this article: Opera revenue growth disappoints, company considers finding buyer
How to transform your Android device into a professional camera
Smartphones have essentially replaced point-and-shoot cameras for not only being more accessible and convenient but also in providing superior image quality. There’s virtually no reason to have a point-and-shoot camera anymore when you’re already carrying it with you wherever you go.
In fact, some smartphones excel in taking photos so much that they’re used for professional photo taking, too. They might not be as on par as a DSLR camera, but they do come pretty close. However, there are other ways to take your smartphone’s camera quality beyond the stock options. There are a lot of accessories and apps available that all work towards that common goal: producing the best image possible for a smartphone.
External Lenses
A camera lens attachment isn’t required to take a professional photo with your smartphone, but they can certainly help a lot, especially if you get a fish eye Lens or wide-angle lens. A fish eye lens will not only give you a wide angle, but can also help you take a focused and even spherical view of an object.
Wide-angle lenses are pretty self-explanatory. As the name implies, it will give you a wider field of view on the sides of the photo. They’re most commonly used for capturing gorgeous landscape photos, sporting events, and weddings. Of course, you aren’t limited to just those scenarios — put your imagination to use and capture something beautiful with a wide angle lens!
Neewer’s 3-in-1 Lens Kit is not only a quality solution to getting yourself an attachable lens, but it is also priced at an affordable rate and works with most smartphones, including newer devices like the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.
[Amazon]
Software
Software plays a big part in producing great images, and usually the stock camera app on your smartphone is your go-to choice as it’s often the best option out there. For instance, take a look at Apple’s World Gallery, full of shots taken on the stock iOS 8 camera app. While Apple does really well when it comes to cameras, Samsung, Motorola HTC, and others do just as well with their stock camera apps, too.
Of course, if you’re not happy with the stock camera app, there are plenty of great options in the Play Store.
Google offers a responsive and easy-to-use free camera in the Play Store with important features such as HDR+, Panorama, and more. It has some unique features, too, such as the ability to create Photo Spheres.
HD Camera is another great easy-to-use option packed full of awesome features. In addition to the usual HDR and Panorama features, it also has different shooting modes such as Timer if you want to get yourself in the photo. There are some other photo quality settings, such as white balance, exposure adjustments, and so on.
If you’re running Android 5.0 or higher, I’d highly recommend just using the stock Camera application. It allows you to shoot in RAW format, at least as far as some Nexus devices and a few other brands go, allowing for better photo quality and editing on the computer at a later time.
Accessories
Another handy thing to keep in mind when shooting professional photos on Android is the accessories you might need. Are you shooting group wedding photos? Your own personal family photo? Then you might need a smartphone-compatible tripod.
If you have a tripod already, this ChargerCity tripod attachment will bode you well. If not, you’ll the full set. Really, any tripod will work here, so you won’t need to go all out. Amazon sells their very own tripod fairly cheap, and based off of product reviews, it works extremely well.
Lighting
The final thing to keep in mind is your lighting. Nothing is worse than a poorly lit photo, especially if you’re doing a shoot for a video or a bunch of shots on a device you’re reviewing. The lighting situation will usually make or break your photos, and in the case of a product review, you almost always want your photos to pop.
The LimeStudio SoftBox light kit is perfect for a situation like this. They can be rather pricey, but they usually pay for themselves if you’re doing professional video and photography. You can never go wrong with these, and they’ll last you a long time.
[Amazon]
Wrap Up
You don’t necessarily need all of these extra goodies to take professional photos on your smartphone. When it comes down to it, you just need your camera settings set correctly, a good angle, good lighting, an eye for detail, and a moment worth capturing.
What do you use to take photos with your Android device?
Come comment on this article: How to transform your Android device into a professional camera
iPad Mini 4 Again Rumored to Be Smaller Version of iPad Air 2 in New Design Renders
The upcoming iPad mini 4 will be the smallest the line-up has seen, equivalent to a miniaturized version of the iPad Air 2, according to a new design render video shared by uSwitch and Nowhereelse.fr‘s OnLeaks channel. The render gives the iPad mini 4 a thickness of 6.1mm, the same as the iPad Air 2, and less than the current 7.5mm thickness of the iPad mini 3.
The design render video backs up a part of a previous rumor that claimed the next iPad mini would adopt the slimmer form factor of the current line-up of iPad Air models, alongside the Air’s 8-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera and a fully laminated display with anti-reflective coating. Today’s report gives no news on the iPad mini 4’s internal upgrades, nor its camera or display changes, but Apple will undoubtedly aim to make the new generation of mini a bit more substantial than the simple addition of Touch ID that was introduced with last year’s model.
Apple is expected to reveal the new line-up of iPads at the next major company keynote, rumored as of now to be taking place on September 9. Alongside the iPad mini and iPad Air, the company is likely to showcase the so-called “iPhone 6s” and “iPhone 6s Plus” at the event, and possibly even finally reveal the next-generation Apple TV set-top box.
[Deal] Learn anything you want to know about IT for only $59
Last week, we had a bunch of great deals and steals to bring to everyone, and today is no different. We hope that you’re actually getting some use out of these, and have jumped on a few of them. In the meantime, be sure to check out today’s deal and all of the AndroidGuys deals going forward.
Today’s deal is complete technology and software training for anything you can possibly think of. From Coding and Design, to Game Development and HTML5, this set of courses, literally has everything you could possibly want.
Virtual Training Company will provide you with the best training for over 1000 different courses. These courses promise to not only get you on the road of learning some awesome new things in the world of technology, but will help you with any certifications you are looking to get.
- Master the latest releases of must-know software w/ over 1000 courses ranging from about 3 to 8 hours in length
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- Watch video tutorials on software from publishers such as: Apache, Core, FileMaker, Dreamweaver, Flash & more
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Normally priced at $500, you can get these various courses bundled in a two-year subscription for only $59. Regardless of the subscription, two years is plenty of time to get your feet planted in whatever you would like to do. So what are you waiting for? Get started today, and work towards learning something that you’ve been putting off, or didn’t have the money for. So be sure to, head over to our Deals Page and grab this subscription today!
You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals Page. Backed by Stack Commerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
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What to do when your Galaxy S6 won’t turn on
Many people consider removable batteries to be important for when you’ve run out of juice but another key element is to be able to restart a handset when it freezes, just by pulling the battery out. On past Galaxy flagships, this was the easiest way to soft reset the handset, but with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, this is no longer possible due to the non-removable battery.
A couple of days ago, my Galaxy S6 Edge decided to turn off and wouldn’t turn on; although it showed signs of life thanks to a blinking red notification light, the display was completely black leaving me wondering whether I had a hardware fault. Luckily, fixing this proved to be really simple, so here’s what to do when your Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge won’t turn on.
Galaxy S6 Edge in video:
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Restarting the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge
For most issues, restarting your phone can certainly fix the problem and it’s recommended to perform this step if your handset ever becomes slow and unresponsive, is draining battery quickly or you receive error messages in the camera.
To restart your Galaxy S6, you can use one of the following methods:
- Press and hold Galaxy S6 power button for a few seconds, then follow the on-screen instructions.
- Press and hold Galaxy S6 power button until the phone restarts.
- Press and hold the Power button and the Volume buttons simultaneously for more than 7 seconds, if the phone is not responsive.
Still didn’t work? Let’s try this
If you’ve tried the above steps and they haven’t worked, connect your handset to a charger and if there’s still no signs of life, you’ll need to try the steps below.
When performing these steps, you’ll definitely want to follow them in order and for me personally (as well as many other people), step number 4 (highlighted in green) was the one that bought my phone back to life.
- Press and hold Power button for more than 20 seconds to check whether it turns on your phone or not.
- Press and hold Volume Up button for a few seconds and without releasing the Volume up button, press and hold Power button until your screen displays something.
- Press and hold Volume Up button for a few seconds and without releasing the Volume up button, press and hold the Power + Home buttons until your screen displays something.
- Press and hold Volume Down button for a few seconds, without releasing the Volume down button, press and hold Power button (totally 2 buttons) until your screen displays something.
- Press and hold Volume Down button for a few seconds and without releasing the Volume down button, press and hold Power button + Home button until your screen displays something.
If you get anything (such as Download mode) on the screen, you can just press and hold the power button to reboot normally. It is not necessary to do anything else. - Press and hold Volume up + Volume down + Power buttons until your screen displays something.
If these steps have failed, you’ll then need to visit your local Samsung care centre as it’s likely your handset has a hardware fault. Did these steps work for you? Let us know your views in the comments below.
AIVAnet 