Leaks indicate Blackberry’s Android slider will launch in November
Legendary leaker Evan Blass, also known as evleaks on Twitter has posted new details that “confirm” the Blackberry Venice will release on all four national carriers in November. Not only that we’re being treated to some new pictures of the device that curiously hide one of the biggest features of the device, the slide out keyboard.
BlackBerry Venice confirmed for November release on all four national US carriers. pic.twitter.com/l5jFCGKLjO
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 19, 2015
In case you’re unfamiliar with the Blackberry Venice, here’s what we think we know so far: The Venice will be Blackberry’s big entry into the Android phone market. Up until now Blackberry has relied on their own operating system but with shrinking market share and a lack of top tier apps available for users to download, it gets harder and harder to justify a Blackberry phone on hardware alone. The Venice has been said to carry a slide out keyboard which is a feature high on some users wish list and could differentiate the Venice from other Android devices on the market.
Previous leaks have pointed toward a curved screen much like the new Galaxy S6 Edge Plus along with a Snapdragon 808 SoC powering it, 1440 x 2560 QHD display, and 3 GB of RAM. Google and Blackberry had previously announced an enterprise partnership in July but it seems now that Blackberry is going to test the waters to see if their future lies in the pockets of Android users. Users have previously been able to install some Android apps on Blackberry 10 but it seems now that the Canadian giant is going in with both feet first.
What are your thoughts on the Venice? Will the strategy of top tier hardware and wide availability on all four major carriers be enough to save the wireless giant or is Blackberry still doomed?
Source: evleaks, PhoneArena
The post Leaks indicate Blackberry’s Android slider will launch in November appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Privacy-focused Blackphone 2 is ready for pre-order
Blackphone 2, the second iteration of Silent Circle’s privacy-focused handset, is now available for pre-order — assuming you don’t mind reserving a device without knowing its price. The original Blackphone was sold at the flagship-level cost of $629, but remember, this one’s more sophisticated than its predecessor, with its front and rear covered in glass. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p display, and inside, it boasts an octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. What makes it different from other phones with similar specs, though, is that it runs an Android-based platform called PrivatOS which includes a suite of secure apps, including ones for encrypted messaging and voice calls.
We saw Blackphone 2 at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year, and we have a preview you can read to know a bit more before you pre-order a unit. The device is expected to arrive sometime in September — if you’d rather get the the Blackphone+ tablet, though, you’ll have to wait a bit more, since Silent Circle hasn’t revealed when that one will be available.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Mobile
Via:
TechCrunch
Source:
Silent Circle
Tags: blackphone2, mobilepostcross, silentcircle
BBC iPlayer now lets you pause and resume shows on different devices
BBC iPlayer lets you watch TV shows on almost any device, but until now all of the different apps have felt like pretty siloed experiences. Well, that’s soon going to change. An update rolling out this week is adding support for “cross-device resume,” which, as the name suggests, lets you drop one device and pick up from where you left off on another. As long as you’re signed in with a BBC ID, iPlayer will do the rest and automatically cue up your episodes on other devices. It’ll be available on desktop, tablets and smartphones initially, but the BBC says it’ll eventually come to set-top boxes and other TV hardware too.
Another new addition is “My Programmes.” It’s a separate tab on iPlayer which lets you resume episodes you’ve partially watched, select upcoming episodes in the same series and review everything in your Favourites. It’s an amalgamation of the “My List” and “Continue Watching” carousels on Netflix, and should make it easier to burrow down into the shows you’re actually interested in watching. The feature will arrive on tablets and phones later this week, before a full roll-out on TV platforms in the coming year.
“Live Restart,” an option which lets you jump back to the beginning of a live TV show, has been available on desktop for three years. At last, the BBC has decided it should be available on all devices, and announced today that it would be coming to TV platforms such as YouView, Roku, Now TV, Amazon’s Fire TV and the Xbox One this week. So if you’ve missed the start of something important, you no longer have to wait until it’s over and uploaded to the iPlayer archives. All of these upgrades should be welcome news to iPlayer fans. Despite the furore around its future funding, the BBC clearly understands the importance of the platform and wants to make it a best-in-class experience. And with BBC Three almost certainly going online-only next year, it really needs to be.
[Image Credit: BBC/Love]
Filed under:
Home Entertainment
Source:
BBC
Tags: bbc, bbciplayer, crossdeviceresume, iplayer, liverestart, myprogrammes
Samsung kicks off pre-orders for the Galaxy S6 Edge+ in the UK
Starting today, residents in the UK can pre-order Samsung’s latest addition to the Galaxy S6 lineup. The Edge+ is anodized in either black or gold and is set to leave the warehouse on Thursday, September 3.
As for its pricing, a 32GB, SIM-free variant will set you back a whopping £749 ($1,173), whilst the 64GB version will retail for an eye-watering £829 ($1,299). If you’d rather spread the cost across 24-months, Vodafone, O2 and Three are all offering the handsets on a variety of different plans.
Just in case any of you need a refresher on its specifications, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ packs a beefy 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display, a homegrown 1.5GHz octa-core Exynos 7420 chipset powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 and 2.1GHz quad-core Cortex-A57 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 16-megapixel rear-facing shooter.
If you’re based in the UK, like the sound of the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and would like to pre-order one from Samsung itself — hit the source link below.
Source: Samsung
Come comment on this article: Samsung kicks off pre-orders for the Galaxy S6 Edge+ in the UK
Moto X Play now available in Germany
Following its eagerly-awaited release in the UK earlier today, Motorola has now launched its all-new Moto X Play in Germany. The handset is available to purchase from the Lenovo-owned company’s Moto Maker website, where it can be customized in over 126 possible combinations.
With regards to its specifications, the Moto X Play features a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 615 SoC powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera equipped with Optical Image Stabilization and a 3,630mAh battery.
Pricing starts at €379 ($419) for the 16GB baseline model, but extras will quickly bump the price up. For example, 32GB of storage will set you back an extra €50 ($55), meaning you’ll have to fork out a total of €429 ($474) for the device.
The handset will start shipping in Germany next week on Thursday, August 27.
Source: Moto Maker
Come comment on this article: Moto X Play now available in Germany
Verizon starts rolling out Android 5.1.1 update with Stagefright fix for the Nexus 7
Verizon has finally started rolling out the long-awaited Android 5.1.1 update to its carrier-branded variant of the second-generation Nexus 7. In addition to the latest consumer build of the open-source operating system, this upgrade also transports a much-needed patch for the device’s ever-so-scary Stagefright vulnerability.
All the changes you’d expect to find in the Lollipop software are bundled into this upgrade alongside Verizon’s XLTE service, such as support for multiple accounts, improved notifications, stronger 256-bit encryption, a smoother multitasking experience, a new recent screen, personal unlocking and Material Design.
As is the norm, the update is being rolled out 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 upgrade 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 Samsung’s servers.
Source: Verizon
Come comment on this article: Verizon starts rolling out Android 5.1.1 update with Stagefright fix for the Nexus 7
Samsung announces that the Galaxy S6 Edge+ will be available to order in India on August 28
Samsung has just announced that it will launch the upscaled variant of the Galaxy S6 Edge in India. The Edge+ will be priced at INR 57,900 ($888) for the 32GB model and will be available to order in both the black and gold colorways starting next Friday, August 28.
For those unaware, the S6 Edge+ is essentially a larger model of the standard S6 Edge. It features a bigger 5.7-inch QHD display, 4GB of RAM, wireless fast charging and a 3,000mAh battery. All other specifications remain the same, meaning it will continue to pack a 16-megapixel rear-facing shooter and 1.5GHz octa-core Exynos 7420 chipset.
Unfortunately, Samsung didn’t detail any information with regards to the release of the Note 5 in India, but it did suggest that it will shed some light on the subject in the not-too-distant future — so be sure to check back for more details on that.
Come comment on this article: Samsung announces that the Galaxy S6 Edge+ will be available to order in India on August 28
SLICK: “the world’s best GoPro stabilizer”
Talk about a successful funding campaign! The Slick stabilizer project has only been on Indiegogo for under 12 hours and it already blasted through its $50,000 goal. They have managed to get over $63,000 in funds… and have 45 days to go! What is this SLICK thing all about, and why is everyone rushing to sign up for it?
The title says it all. Or at least it’s what the company states about the product, and we have to say they are not too far from the truth. This is a GoPro stabilizer that will make your action videos smoother than ever. This is not your average stabilizer – the SLICK is a motorized gadget that can measure pitch, roll and yaw. It offers a complete stabilizing mechanism that is sure to offer the best results. In addition, the SLICK is waterproof, compact and features a removable battery that can last up to 2 hours in use.
To make matters even better, the SLICK doesn’t need much of an operational manual. One simply attaches the GoPro camera to the SLICK, and then places the stabilizer in any GoPro mount (all are compatible… even with drones). After this, switch the device on and you are set. Just let SLICK work its magic!
This handy accessory is compatible with all modern GoPro cameras, including the 3, 3+, 4 and 4 Session. Want to see it in action? The team has put together some videos showing the results, compared to a GoPro without the stabilizer. The difference is astounding!
Want in on the action? All early bird specials are now gone, but you can still get a good discount if you back the Indiegogo campaign. Customers can get a SLICK stabilizer for as low as $229, as opposed to the $279 planned retail price. It’s also possible for backers to obtain a couple SLICK devices by pledging $429. And if you really want to go all out, $1049 will grant you 5 SLICK stabilizers.
It’s not exactly a cheap gadget, but you can be sure it will improve the quality of your action videos. No one likes those shaky clips! Are any of you signing up for one of these? I am not a huge GoPro user, but if you are, this thing is totally worth the cash!
VAIO returns: coming to a Microsoft Store near you this October
When Sony announced that it was spinning off its PC business, many mourned the passing of the premium — but not quite best-selling — VAIO series. The company was reborn in Japan, focusing on far less PC models (only two at the start), and a Made In Japan ethic that stretched from design to manufacturing. Now the company says it plans to start selling its newest machines outside of its homeland. VAIO’s Z Canvas PC will be available both online and some Microsoft stores across the US starting this October. Prices will start at $2,200, depending on specification options. In an interview with the WSJ, the new CEO Yoshimi Ota added that the company plans to sell a slimmer laptop with cellular capability– a feature that occasionally appears in niche laptop models. Slideshow-313637
Ota added that VAIO, as a company, will also branch out into more communication devices, wearable gadgets and, perhaps oddly, factory-automation machines with artificial intelligence. The company will also start to create its own line of robots. VAIO’s factories are already building bipedal robots for a separate company using spare capacity from Sony’s biggest foray into bots: Aibo.
Filed under:
Laptops
Source:
VAIO US
Tags: laptops, microsoftstore, notebook, pc, robot, robots, vaio
Intel works with Google to develop Project Tango developer kit for RealSense devices
Google is not the only company working on environment-aware devices. Though Project Tango is outstanding, Intel’s RealSense technology happens to be very similar, and it has already reached the consumer market via the Dell Venue 8 7000 tablet. The kicker here is that these companies are not really competing in these new ventures, though. In fact, they are partnering up!
Intel’s yearly Developer Forum (IDF) has taken off and the chip manufacturer took the stage to tell us about their recent work with the Search Giant. Intel is releasing a Project Tango developer kit that uses RealSense technology. This includes a 6-inch handset that sports multiple cameras, which will help determine distances and environment data. Engadget managed to get a good look at, you will find some of their images below.
This set of tools goes by the name of ‘Intel RealSense Smartphone developer kit’, and it is looking to be quite an upgrade over what we have seen coming from Intel in the past. Google’s technology will allow RealSense devices to gain more capabilities, such as 3D scanning, virtual reality, area learning and indoor navigation.
Intel continues to keep most details on the quiet side, but we should learn more as the developer kit approaches its release date. Do we have any developers interested? If so, you will be able to get your own Intel RealSense Smartphone developer kit by the end of the year. Price is also unknown, but dev kits are never exactly cheap.
After these bundles reach developers and manufacturers, it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing more RealSense/Project Tango devices hit the market. I can’t wait for this technology to evolve. After having tested the Dell Venue 8 7000, I can honestly say the system needs to take more advantage of all those cameras. Measuring distances and blurring out backgrounds just isn’t worth the investment to me.
Intel® RealSense™ Technology Extends to New Platforms and Devices
‘America’s Greatest Makers’ Reality Competition to Premier in 2016
3D XPoint™ Comes to Storage and Memory Solutions with Intel® Optane™ Technology
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM–In the opening address at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF), CEO Brian Krzanich highlighted new products, tools and programs that support the growing personalization of computing and described the trends creating new opportunities for developers across an unprecedented breadth of technologies.
Krzanich said computing has become increasingly personal, enhancing nearly all aspects of life. “Computers are on our desks, in our bags, in our clothes, in our homes and on our bodies. They are not only growing smarter and more connected, but gaining senses and becoming an extension of ourselves.”
An ecosystem is emerging around Intel to address these growing opportunities for computing. Krzanich detailed many of the essential products, technologies and tools from the company that will help developers make the differentiated experiences possible.
He unveiled a number of updates to Intel® RealSense™ technology that will bring depth sensing to more devices and applications, and announced new collaborations for securing the Internet of Things (IoT), in addition to programs and toolkits for developers to help speed industrial IoT solutions to market. And, for the highly personalized world of wearable computing, Krzanich provided updates on the Intel® Curie™ module and previewed a new reality competition program called “America’s Greatest Makers,” produced by United Artists Media Group* CEO Mark Burnett and appearing across leading networks and properties of Turner Broadcasting*.
Each year at IDF, Intel shares its vision for the future of technology innovation with the developers and partners who will create the products, engineer the systems, render the movies, and power the toys and devices that create amazing experiences. Below are key announcements highlighted at this year’s forum.
IDF 2015 News Highlights:
- Intel RealSense technology will be available on a wide-range of platforms, opening up more opportunities for developers to create new depth-sensing hardware and software. In addition to Windows* and Android*, developers will be able to use Intel RealSense technology with Mac OS X*, ROS*, Linux*, Scratch*1, Unity*, XSplit*, OBS*, Structure SDK*, OSVR*, Unreal Engine 4* and Google’s Project Tango*. Also, a number of developers, including Razer*, XSplit and Savioke* announced new platforms, peripherals and other solutions based on the Intel RealSense technology.
- In collaboration with Google*, Intel is driving innovation in mobile depth sensing by combining Google’s Project Tango and Intel RealSense technologies into an Android smartphone developer kit. The Intel RealSense Smartphone developer kit featuring Google’s Project Tango enables new experiences, including indoor navigation and area learning, virtual reality, 3-D scanning, and more. The developer kit is targeted for release to select Android developers by the end of this year.
- Intel is collaborating with Mark Burnett’s United Artists Media Group and Turner Broadcasting to create a reality competition called “America’s Greatest Makers” that will premiere in the first half of 2016 and showcase makers competing for a $1 million prize by inventing wearable technology and smart connected consumer devices powered by the Intel Curie module.
- Intel introduced Intel® OptaneTM technology, which is based on the revolutionary 3D XPointTM non-volatile memory media and combined with the company’s advanced system memory controller, interface hardware and software IP, to unleash vast performance potential in a range of forthcoming products. Intel Optane technology will first come to market in a new line of high-endurance, high-performance Intel SSDs beginning in 2016. The new class of memory technology will also power a new line of Intel DIMMs designed for Intel’s next-generation data center platforms.
- Fossil Group* previewed three Intel technology-based products2 resulting from its wearables collaboration with Intel first announced in September 2014, including a connected watch running Android Wear. The products will be available in the fourth-quarter of this year.
- Intel announced a new software platform created specifically for the Intel Curie module2, which includes all of the hardware, firmware, software and application SDK needed to enable a variety of device experiences. Intel IQ Software Kits will support future versions of this platform.
- Intel’s Enhanced Privacy Identification (EPID) technology will be implemented by leading IoT sensor and microcontroller vendors including Atmel* and Microchip* to help secure an increasingly smart and connected world.
AIVAnet 