Latest OxygenOS update addresses StageFright exploit for OnePlus One devices
OnePlus recently announced that it is slowing down the rate at which it issues invites for its 2016 flagship killer, the OnePlus 2, which isn’t great news for its fans. But, on the other hand, it has also just announced that it’s released a firmware update for the OnePlus One to deal with the marauding StageFright exploit. And that is good.
According to announcement on its forums, the OxygenOS firmware for the OnePlus One has been updated to v1.0.2 and includes security fixes for the StageFright exploit. Before proceeding to flash the updated, it’s recommended that OnePlus One owners backup their data. If your OnePlus One already has the OxygenOS installed, there’s no need to factory reset your device, again, a good thing. Needless to say, it’s strongly advised to upgrade your OnePlus One to this latest firmware. More information about the update can be found on the OnePlus website.
Source: OnePlus
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Samsung quietly adds 128GB options for the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5
Samsung has quietly listed 128GB models of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+. At yesterday’s announcement, Samsung told the press the two devices would only come in 32/64GB models, which was to many consumers’ dismay since these devices will not have microSD card support.
The 128GB models should be available to buy through Samsung’s website alongside other memory options on August 21, barring no unforeseen delays.
There are a few odd details, such as the 128GB S6 Edge+ only being offered in black through Sprint and T-Mobile. But it’s available in black or gold via Verizon and AT&T. It’s slightly disappointing if you have a color preference.
Either way, this is still fortunate news. Having a 128GB memory option will no doubt help offset the disappointment of offering no microSD card support, despite Samsung saying there would only be 32/64GB options.
Both 32GB/64GB options of either device are not far under the $1,000 mark, and there’s no doubt that the 128GB model will put you past that. What’s unfortunate is that it doesn’t seem Samsung is offering any 128GB memory options unlocked and straight from their store.
Let’s just hope carriers will actually offer these options on August 21 and this isn’t some mistake. After all, none of these memory options actually show up on the carrier websites themselves, and that’s a bit worrisome.
source: Samsung (1), (2)
via: Slashgear
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SoundCloud now supports casting
SoundCloud, the popular audio distribution platform, has just added support for Google’s casting technology, meaning that you can wirelessly beam music and other audio files to a selection of gadgets and even your home audio system.
The audio steaming app now supports ChromeCast, Android TV, and other devices which support Cast technology. A couple of speaker ranges also support casting, including LG’s Music Flow range and Sony’s SRS-X77, SRS-X88 and SRS-X99 speakers.
.@Android, @Google Cast & SoundCloud: together at last. Stream via Android to your Cast-enabled devices now: http://t.co/oOe0zwQB0V
— SoundCloud (@SoundCloud) August 13, 2015
Earlier in the year, SoundCloud also updated its app with a new Material Design inspired interface, Facebook integration and some artwork blurring when you pause the track.
If you want to check out what SoundCloud is all about, remember that you can listen to our weekly Podcast through the platform. You can download the app for free from the Google Play Store.
AT&T tweaks mobile data plans to match T-Mobile
With T-Mobile now behind it as the nation’s third largest carrier, AT&T has updated its wireless data plans (below) to give you a bit more data for a bit less money. Unsurprisingly, the benefits get juicier if you spend more — there’s 5GB more data if you spend $100 for 15GB, but the 5GB plan is just a dollar per gigabyte less than the previous $70/6GB one. In total you’ll now spend $75 per month for 5GB including the access charge, compared to $70 with T-Mobile. That might stop some folks from straying to Legere’s flashy network, especially given AT&T’s overall superior coverage.
| Monthly plan (after) | Monthly plan (before) | Data (after) | Data (before) | Plan access charge |
| $20 | $20 | 300MB | 300MB | $25 |
| $30 | $25/$40 | 2GB | 1GB/3GB | $25 |
| $50 | $70 | 5GB | 6GB | $25 |
| $100 | $100 | 15GB | 10GB | $15 |
| $140 | $150 | 20GB | 20GB | $15 |
*Verizon has acquired AOL, Engadget’s parent company. However, Engadget maintains full editorial control, and Verizon will have to pry it from our cold, dead hands.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, AT&T
Tags: att, data, mobile, mobilepostcross, plans, Pricing, T-Mobile, Wireless
Apple hired more women, but still has a huge gender gap
Apple’s largely white guy workforce isn’t going to change overnight, but the company made strides this year, according to its latest diversity report. After promising changes in June, Tim Cook said “we’re working hard to expand our recruiting efforts, so we continue to hire talented people from groups that are currently underrepresented in the industry.” Globally, it hired 11,000 women over the past year compared to around 6,500 this year before. The company also took on 50 percent more black employees and 66 percent more Hispanics in the US over the same period. That’s positive, but Apple is still 69 percent male and 55 percent white, just a percent better than last year.
Apple has taken measures like supporting historically black colleges and disadvantaged universities and increasing intern diversity, but other companies set more concrete goals. Intel promised to reach “full representation at all levels” by 2020, and managed to hire 3.3 percent more workers from such groups this year. Other companies like Pinterest, eBay and Yahoo also set targets, and have significantly better gender diversity than Apple.
Some people will… see our progress. Others will recognize how much farther we have to go.
Apple still has serious glass ceiling issues, too, as its leadership group is 72 percent male and 63 percent white. As Wired pointed out, 60 of Apple’s 83 top executives are white men, and there’s just one woman — Angela Ahrendts, Senior VP of retail — in the upper echelon. Today’s report is a good sign, though, and with nearly 100,000 employees worldwide, it’ll take time for Apple to make a dent in its diversity stats. Cook acknowledged as much, saying “some people will… see our progress. Others will recognize how much farther we have to go.”
Source:
Apple
Tags: apple, Diversity, Ethnicity, Gender, Hiring, TimCook
ICYMI: Far away haptic hello, birthing robot mom and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: The Haptoclone allows users to touch and interact with distant objects, in a way you have to see to understand. But basically, long-distance makeouts over Skype are coming. Cambridge University researchers designed a robot that can make it’s own ‘children,‘ then test them for the strongest features, to then incorporate for the following generation. And the FIA Formula E Championship (the E is for electricity-based power) just showcased its new cars for the start of its second official season.
Then we needed to show you the beauty of artist Charles Young’s 3D mini-models.
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:
Misc, Gaming, Peripherals, Robots, Transportation, Science, Internet, Software
Tags: 3Dart, 3Dhouse, art, artist, Cambridge, CambridgeUniversity, CharlesYoung, engadgetdailyshow, engadgetvideo, FE, FIA, FormulaOne, haptic, hapticdevice, Haptoclone, icymi, InCaseYouMissedIt, minihouse, robotmom autonomousrobot, robots, robottakeover, video
[Deal] Keep your files backed up and protected with SkyHub for only $89
In a day and age where we keep A LOT of files in various cloud services, it’s good to not only have a “solid” backup somewhere, whether that’s on your computer or on a server somewhere else. We’ve all had the issue where your file that you thought was backed up, and isn’t. Then you search everywhere for it, and it’s just gone.
Today’s deal from SkyHub aims to provide some extra cloud storage for your important files. With SkyHub, you will get a bunch of features and services to help protect your files, and keep them from getting lost or stolen. Here are some of the features that are included in SkyHub’s Unlimited Cloud Backup service:
- Get unlimited, automatic backup for 3 computers, add more to your account anytime and backup all your devices, discs & thumb-drives
- Back up as much data as you need—there’s no catch!
- Quickly & easily get set up
- Rest assured that all your data is secure thanks to the advanced encryption security
- View your backed up files on the web, iPhone, iPad & Android
Normally priced at $600, you can get a Lifetime subscription to SkyHub’s Unlimited Cloud Backup for only $89.99. That’s a savings of 85% and once you’ve signed up, you never have to worry about misplacing your files ever again.
With compatibility across multiple platforms, you will be able to pull up your files from wherever you are, regardless of what type of device you are using. Do you use Android at home, but work provides you an iPhone and you need to pull something important up? Just login from your work device and get whatever it was that you need. SkyHub is trying to provide the end-all-be-all for your backup needs, and with a deal this great, it’s definitely worth checking out.
You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals Page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
The post [Deal] Keep your files backed up and protected with SkyHub for only $89 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Mountain Goat Mountain: Simple, gorgeous, and plenty of replay value (App of the day)
If you’re my age, you likely grew up playing your first video games on the Atari 2600. As a young child I fell in love with Q-Bert and its simple premise and mechanics. Fast forward a few decades to the first generation of Android smartphones and we had games like Doodle Jump to keep us entertained for hours on end.
Today, however, our mobile phones are super powerful and can handle all sorts of graphic-intense demands. Sure, we still play plenty of casual games with our devices, but they’re designed to handle so much more.
Look through some of the top first-person shooters or racing games and you’re bound to see spectacular effects such as dust particles, dynamic lighting, and life-like water. What happens when you squeeze some of those polished and refined features into a game with a more casual and carefree approach? I suspect it looks a lot like Zynga’s latest Android game, Mountain Goat Mountain.
First Impressions
Upon first opening the game up I thought that Mountain Goat Mountain was a one-trick pony that would get old quickly. The premise? You have to hop your goat character up the mountain as high as possible. To do so, you move in diagonal directions by tapping or swiping the screen.
Looking very much like a cross between the aforementioned Q-Bert and Doodle Jump, I quickly realized there’s a lot more at work in this one.
Not only are you drawn to constantly shoot for a higher score, but you’re collecting coins along the way. What’s more, you’re on the lookout for obstacles and items that will stand in your way or hinder progress.
That sounds all too familiar to a lot of you, I know. But, give Mountain Goat Mountain a half hour of your time and you’ll realize that the developers put a lot of effort into the game. See, the coins you collect can be used to unlock other goats. Said goats come with their own music, board layout, and a completely refreshed look. Unlock, or purchase (in-app) a few goats and that’s when you really see the polish.
Graphics and Replay Value
The graphics, which are cute and cuddly, are very detailed. Much attention has been paid to the hillside, falling hindrances, and other moving parts. This is accentuated when moving to different goats.
With nearly two dozen characters to choose from, Mountain Goat Mountain is able to shake up and refresh the same mechanics over and over. And, really, who isn’t motivated by the desire to one-up your high score? Speaking of which, the Google Play Games lets you see how you stack up against other players, too.
Additional Options
If you’re the kind who would prefer to simply pay your way through a game, you’ll be somewhat dissatisfied. Yes, you can buy goats for $.99 a piece but that’s basically it. There’s no way to boost your score or improve your goat’s capabilities.
There are a number of player-defined settings in Mountain Goat Mountain that can improve your experience. This includes, enabling and disabling music sound effects, adjusting frame rate, and selecting the preferred method of hopping.
Although there are ads that can be watched in the game, it’s very few and far between. In fact, I can only recall being asked if I would like to watch a clip in exchange for coins. Otherwise, the game flows right along. Die, and you’re right back at the beginning, ready to roll.
What We Liked:
- High replay value
- Graphics are better than expected for a game of this nature
- Family-friendly
- Very few ads
Room for Improvement:
- Music gets a little repetitive
- Would like to purchase all goats at a discounted rate
Summary
I appreciate that Mountain Goat Mountain is a fun game that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Although I was the first to find it in my household, my son has managed to unlock far more goats than me in the last few days. We’re now competing for high scores and achievements and neither of us has invested a dime.
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Nexus 5 (2015) renders appear courtesy of uSwitch and onleaks
One of the most highly anticipated, and rumored, phones of 2015 may be getting closer and closer to fruition. Over the last month or so, we’ve been seeing more and more information coming out about a new Nexus 5. However, there haven’t been many images to follow the rumors, but even that has been changing as of late.
While most of us were asleep, @onleaks, tweeted out some renders from uSwitch, which show off what could be the new design. The two big additions to take note of are the fingerprint scanner, and the USB Type-C charger. Currently, the only phone that has been released while sporting USB Type-C is the OnePlus 2. If LG’s Nexus 5 2015 comes with the updated charging capabilities, it would be awesome, and would hopefully kickstart other manufacturers to follow suit.
Here is your very first (as usual) look at #LG's New #Nexus Phone,in collab with @uSwitchTech! http://t.co/GTOKq66MWZ pic.twitter.com/bpRZW8eKV0
— OnLeaks (@OnLeaks) August 14, 2015
As for the rest of the Nexus 5 2015, the device includes a 5.2-inch display with two front facing speakers. Of course, this could be like the Moto X 2014, where one’s a speaker and the other is just the earpiece, but let’s hope for some dual-speakers on this front. One more thing to take note of is the protruding Camera. I’ve never been a fan of having a camera bump, but these renders don’t make it look too terrible.
Just as a reminder, these are just renders, and aren’t actual images of the device. However, from uSwitch, these renders are based from the “detailed factory schematics provided to accessory-makers.” Nonetheless, I’m getting more and more excited for the impending release of this device.
The Nexus 5 is probably my #1 favorite device, with exception to the camera, so an updated version featuring a fingerprint scanner and updated specs, would be an insta-buy for me. Drop us a line and let us know what you think about the renders, and what seems to be the impending release of the Nexus 5 2015.
The post Nexus 5 (2015) renders appear courtesy of uSwitch and onleaks appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG Launches it’s 8-inch G Pad II tablet under the radar in Korea
In stark comparison to yesterday’s Unpacked event that saw Samsung unveil the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ handsets, LG has silently launched its G Pad II tablet in Korea. The 8-inch G Pad II tablet is a mid-range offering, and we have the specifications after the break.
As you can see, the G Pad II comes with a stylus, and yes, it is stored internally. Another interesting feature is the inclusion of a full-size USB port, which could prove handy when plugging in external hard drives and memory sticks.
Let’s have a look at what else the G Pad II brings to the table.
Specifications:
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
- 8-Inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution (WXGA)
- Snapdragon 400 quad-core @ 1.2GHz
- 1.5GB RAM
- 32GB Internal storage
- MicroSD card support (up to 128GB)
- 5MP Rear-facing camera
- 2MP Front-facing camera
- WiFi connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0 LE
- 4,200mAh battery
- Dimensions: 210.8 x 124.2 x 8.95mm
- Weight: 347 grams
- Available in titanium black and white.
LG hasn’t released any details regarding pricing, nor whether it plans on releasing the G Pad II outside of its home market, Korea. It might not be a powerhouse of a tablet, but provided it’s priced appropriately, it could prove quite popular with its built-in stylus. What do you think of the 8-inch G Pad II?
Source: LG
Come comment on this article: LG Launches it’s 8-inch G Pad II tablet under the radar in Korea
AIVAnet 