Android Pay could launch this Wednesday
One of the big announcements back at Google I/O a few months ago was the introduction of Android Pay, Google’s mobile payment solution which hopes to rival Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. According to an internal notice that’s being passed around McDonald’s in the US, the launch of Android Pay could be just days away.
The internal notice says that Android Pay will launch on August 26th, following the launch of Samsung Pay on August 21st. While the latter is indeed incorrect (as Samsung Pay won’t launch until next month), it was the launch date of the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5 in the US, which is likely where the date came from.
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McDonald’s is set to be a major partner for Android Pay, mainly thanks to over 14,000 restaurants in the US which will all accept Android Pay from launch. As a major partner, McDonald’s is likely to have been informed by Google in advance of Android Pay’s release and while the notice above looks questionable, an image posted on Reddit seemingly looks much more official and confirms the August 26th date.
It’s likely that August 26th was touted as a potential public release date for Android Pay but it’s unknown whether this date has slipped. Google has a certain penchant for launching new or updated apps on Wednesdays and given that August 26th is a Wednesday, it is possible we’ll see Android Pay launch in just two days’ time.
It’s difficult to know if we’ll actually see Android Pay hit the shops this week but we’ll have to wait until Wednesday to find out. What do you think? Would you use Android Pay and do you use any other mobile contactless payment solution? Let us know your views in the comments below!
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 off to a strong start in Korea
Various news sources from South Korea are reporting a strong start to Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ sales in the country. This is clearly good news for Samsung, especially as the company has posted successive quarters of disappointing revenue. Average daily sales volume is said to have reached 25,000 units for the two models combined, more than a twofold increase over their predecessors’ launch results.
Combined sales of the two new Samsung smartphones are expected to have reached 100,000 units just a few days after launch. Two main reasons are being cited for the strong initial reports, a competitive price point and the introduction of Samsung Pay.
“Samsung’s decision to release the new Note and Galaxy a few months ahead of their international debut has had a good impact,” – official at SK Telecom
Beginning with price, the 32GB version of the Galaxy Note 5 retails for 889,800 won ($750), while the Galaxy S6 Edge+ starts at 940,000 won ($780). While still certainly not cheap, the Note 5 has launched at the lowest price yet for a Note smartphone in Korea, while the Galaxy S6 Edge+ retails for virtually the same price as the smaller Galaxy S6 Edge, offering consumers a larger screen size without an additional cost. Carriers have also been offering competitive contract options, with prices spotted below 500,000 won.
“Local carriers are launching aggressive promotional campaigns and this is another positive factor for Samsung. A customer who pays the highest monthly payment set by each carrier can purchase Note5 or Edge Plus for below 500,000 won” – official at LG Uplus
After some delay, Samsung Pay has also finally debuted in Korea with the launch of Samsung’s latest supersize smartphones, and this has also helped to boost the phones’ popularity. Samsung has teamed up with a number of partners in Korea to ensure widespread access to the service, which allows customers to make contact-less card payments using their phone and the built-in fingerprint scanner.
The payment system also supports the regular sized Galaxy S6 handsets and will be heading to the US next month. Additional countries are on the launch schedule, but no dates have been confirmed yet.
See also: Will your region get the Samsung Galaxy Note 5? Here’s a list of confirmed regions
We will have to wait a bit longer to see how well the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ fair in the longer term and with their global release, especially as the Note 5 won’t be making an early appearance in every region. But it looks like Samsung’s latest phones are off to a good start.
Torrent tracker bans Windows 10 over ‘terrible privacy policy’
Windows 10 is facing some fierce resistance from a few of the most dedicated torrenting communities. As TorrentFreak reports, the private torrent tracker iTS has banned its members from using the operating system over what it considers to be “terrible” new anti-privacy policies. These stem largely from a new Microsoft services agreement which covers select Windows 10 apps and services such as Cortana, Skype and Xbox Live: “We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices.”
Many fear this passage will allow Microsoft to scan and ban Windows 10 users from playing pirated games and, perhaps, using modded controllers. While that hasn’t come to fruition just yet, the fear alone seems to have put many piracy enthusiasts on edge. iTS says it’s worried Microsoft will now monitor “the contents of your local disks” and share them directly with MarkMonitor, a partnered anti-piracy company. To combat the perceived privacy intrusions, it’s decided to ban Windows 10 entirely for now. Furthermore, according to TorrentFreak, fellow torrent trackers BB and FSC are considering the same. It’s probably just a case of privacy paranoia — once the services agreement is explained in greater detail, we suspect these groups will become a little more receptive to the OS.
Filed under:
Desktops, Laptops, Microsoft
Source:
TorrentFreak
Tags: intheshadow, ist, markmonitor, microsoft, piracy, torrents, torrenttracker, windows, windows10
BBC to stop using Met Office weather data after 93 years
For almost a century, the Met Office has supplied the BBC with weather data for its daily forecasts. Its predictions aren’t always correct, and they’re often a depressing end to TV news bulletins, but they hold an important role in British culture. Until now, that is. The BBC says it’s looking for an alternative provider “to make sure we secure both the best possible service and value for money.” The Met Office, an executive agency under the UK’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has called the news “disappointing.”
Once the current contract runs out, the BBC will use the Met Office’s severe weather warnings and nothing more. The broadcaster is now reportedly looking into two alternative companies, MeteoGroup from the Netherlands and Metra from New Zealand, to take over weather data duties. Although the BBC says it’s a matter of cost, the Telegraph has cited a source which claims its inability to produce a stellar phone app was the main reason. While it’s true the Met Office iOS app has a two-star rating, the BBC’s offering couldn’t be more different. Unless the BBC wants to hand off development to another company, this particular criticism is perplexing. Whatever the reason — it’s led to the end of a historic partnership between Britain’s most iconic broadcaster and national weather service.
[Image Credit: EMPICS Sport/EMPICS Sport]
Filed under:
Misc
Source:
Met Office
Tags: bbc, bbcweather, metoffice, weather, weatherapp, WeatherForecast
BlackBerry Venice will come with BB10 features
The upcoming BlackBerry Venice slider has leaked several times and based on previous leaks, the handset appears to be running a close-to-stock version of the Android OS. However, all is not as it seems as the handset could marry the stock Android interface with some of the features from the BlackBerry 10 operating system.
Another leak from perennial tipster Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) has dumped a list of APKs that are running on the BlackBerry Venice and as you can see in the picture below, BlackBerry is porting the best bits of Blackberry 10 to its Android device.
Looking at the list of APKs, there are a few that stand out and one in particular that could be very appealing; BlackBerry Hub is the company’s unified notifications centre and one of the most impressive things about the BlackBerry 10 OS; it’s a simple way to have all your emails, contacts, calendars, messages, notes, IM and even BBM all in one place.
What the leak does show is that BlackBerry isn’t going to be just another Android OEM and instead, will show that the modern BlackBerry smartphone experience is about more than the company’s in-house OS. Will the BlackBerry Slider draw people back into the BlackBerry ecosystem? It remains to be seen but I can’t wait to see the Venice slider in the flesh.
What do you think of BlackBerry’s Venice slider? Check out all the BlackBerry Venice leaks and let us know your views in the comments below guys!
Huawei Nexus leaks again in hands-on pictures
The upcoming Huawei Nexus has already leaked rather extensively in a series of videos and renders, but now we have our first hands-on pictures of the smartphone, apparently posted by someone working within the organization.
The images match up very closely with the handset render posted online last week, which was created using leaked schematic information for third party case accessories. Just as with the previous leaks, we can again spot the rear mounted fingerprint scanner, which is also rumored for the upcoming LG Nexus. Huawei has used a similar fingerprint scanner placement in its Mate 7 and Ascend 7 smartphones.
The camera module and LED flash are housed in the black bar at the top of the smartphone, while the front design of the Huawei handset hints at a possible dual-speaker setup, which has also been rumored in the past.
Other rumored hardware specifications for the Huawei Nexus suggest that the phone could come with a QHD (2560×1440) resolution 5.7-inch display and a high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 or 820 processor. Probably the former if the handset is to appear this year.
The phone is also expected to arrive with a USB Type-C port, which we can’t see in the pictures, along with a metallic build of some sort, which we can just about make out running along the edge of the phone in the images above. We will have to see how all of these features end up affecting the handset’s retail price.
Read more: Google Nexus 2015 rumor roundup (updated on August 19)
What do you think about the design of the Huawei Nexus?
New Huawei Nexus leak shows off it’s protruding camera hump
We are edging closer to Nexus season, and this year, for the first time, it would appear that Google will be announcing two Nexus handsets made by different manufacturers – LG and Huawei. We’ve seen renders of both rumoured devices in recent weeks, and now, as you can see from the image above, images of the Huawei Nexus – Codename ‘Angler’ have been leaked. The images came courtesy of Google+ user Tiessen Fu, who, it seems, was sent the images by a friend via a Chinese instant messaging service.
Something you can immediately discern from the main image is the pronounced panel (hump) containing the camera sensor and flash. There seems to be a hint of a curve below the hump, giving the impression that it is thicker than the rest of the device. Below that is what looks like a circular fingerprint scanner. The rest of the back panel is fairly plain apart from the Nexus logo. As per the rumours, it also appears to have a metal body and frame, although it could just be a polycarbonate panel with a metallic finish.
On to the front of the alleged Huawei Nexus, and it’s a flat, black display with possibly a couple of front-facing speakers top and bottom. Apart from that, there really isn’t much to talk about.
Finally, there’s an image of the device in a case, which, thanks to the circular cut out, lends weight to the circular spot on the rear panel being a fingerprint scanner. The Huawei Nexus device is also believed to sport a 5.7-inch display, a 3,500mAh battery, as well as the almost infamous Snapdragon 810 processor.
A pinch of salt should be taken with all leaks, but, this one would seem to be pretty legit. The usual caveats apply, in that these may be pictures of an old prototype, or the device could be cancelled altogether between now and the supposed launch date around the end of October. Saying that, these pictures, combined with the renders leaked earlier this month, make a compelling case that this is, in fact, the upcoming Huawei Nexus.
What do you think? Is the protruding camera hump acceptable? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below..
Source: Tiessen Fu (Google+)
Via: AndroidPolice
Come comment on this article: New Huawei Nexus leak shows off it’s protruding camera hump
Huawei Nexus gets its first alleged leak of actual physical device
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While it seems like the LG Nexus is getting all the coverage right now, it looks like it’s now time for the Huawei Nexus to have its turn in the limelight. A number of leaked photos allegedly show the Huawe Nexus in all its physical glory and well – it’s not exactly what we expected. Being a device made by Huawei, we expected it to look a little more like the Huawei Ascend Mate series i.e. with a centred camera, however the device in these photos has a very obvious off-centre camera which sits in a really unusual raised section at the top of the device. Check out all the leaked images below:
With the back and the front of the device showing, we can see some features that we have heard to be on the Huawei Nexus, namely the front facing speakers and the fingerprint scanner on the back of the device. As always with leaks, we can’t confirm the legitimacy of what we see here, but with Google’s announcement of Android Marshmallow, a release of the LG and Huawei Nexus devices can’t be too far away either.
What do you think about the look of the Huawei Nexus? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Google+ via Android Police
The post Huawei Nexus gets its first alleged leak of actual physical device appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Huawei Nexus leak reveals a weird camera hump
Google’s Nexus phablet from Huawei looks like a steamroller ran over a periscope, if a leak from China’s iNexus.co has any merit. Google is reportedly releasing two new Nexus models with Android M, a 5.2-inch model from LG and 5.7-incher from Chinese manufacturer Huawei. The LG version already leaked, but the above photo is the first we’ve seen of the Huawei variant (other than a render). We’re not quite sure what to make of it — there appears to be a large, oval cutout at the top for a camera module, a decidedly odd design choice.
The last time we saw such a hump was on the ZTE Grand S, a nearly three year old design. The question is, why? Laser AF module? Depth sensor? There’s no sign of a depth sensor in any of the images, but the laser AF is distinct possibility. Naturally, we have some doubts about the authenticity this leak, but there are a few convincing touches. The Huawei model has a fingerprint reader on the back, just like the leaked LG model, so Google may have created a common design specification. There’s also a protective case shown above with a plastic camera cover for the hump and a cutout for the fingerprint sensor, so that’s a lot of things to fake.
The images also show a duel LED flash and stereo front-facing speakers, a la the latest Moto phones. Perhaps with the right materials the device will look alright, but the design shown in the images is pretty bizarre. Nevertheless, we’d treat this with serious skepticism until Google announces the devices, presumably alongside Android 6 “Marshmallow,” and possibly as soon as early next month.
Filed under:
Cellphones
Via:
Android Police
Source:
Tiesen Fu (Google+)
Tags: AndroidM, CameraHump, Huawei, leak, Nexus, phablet, rumor
LG G Pad 2 10.1: Full HD display, Snapdragon 800, coming at IFA next week
LG has been quietly churning out mid-range tablets following its return to the market with the excellent G Pad 8.3, but the G Pad series now has a new member, and it’s – at least mildly – interesting.
The LG G Pad 2 10.1 follows the limited release of the G Pad 2 8.0 in South Korea in mid-August. The 10.1-inch model is a higher-end affair, offering a Full HD LCD display (224 ppi), powered by a Snapdragon 800 processor (quad-core, 2.26GHz), 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage (expandable), a 7,400 mAh battery, 5MP and 2MP cameras, and LTE Cat 4. This is by no means a flashy spec sheet, but there’s no big disappointment either, especially if the price is right.
The LG G Pad 2 is 7.8 millimeters thick and features a “soft metallic-finish,” though the build material itself is probably just plastic. The larger bezels and side-mounted dual speakers suggest LG imagined this tablet for landscape usage, primarily. The faux metallic finish is available in just one color for now: Brilliant Bronze.
LG said that both LTE and WiFi-only models of the LG G Pad 2 10.1 will be available in “key markets in North America, Europe and Asia.” No further details about the G Pad 2 10.1’s price and availability have been disclosed for now, though the verbiage in LG’s press release suggests the tablet will be priced competitively.
The G Pad 2 looks competent, but it’s not a premium device and that’s a trend among Android OEMs these days. There’s been a dearth of truly high-end Android tablets in the past year, with the few exceptions including Sony’s Xperia Z4 Tablet. Samsung has released the second-gen Galaxy Tab S recently, but the series seems to be stagnating in many ways.
LG plans to give us a better look at the G Pad 2 10.1 (and hopefully more) next week at IFA Berlin, and we’ll definitely be there to check it out. Meanwhile, thoughts on this device?
LG DELIVERS THE PERFECT MULTIMEDIA COMPANION WITH G PAD II 10.1
Compact Design, Clearer Display and Powerful Functionality Ideal for Content Consumption
SEOUL, Aug. 24, 2015 ― LG Electronics (LG) will be unveiling the most advanced model of its G Pad tablet series at IFA 2015 in Berlin. Following its official debut, both LTE and Wi-Fi versions of G Pad II 10.1 will become available in key markets in North America, Europe and Asia.
The LG G Pad series offers the perfect balance of performance and price to satisfy most consumers in the market for big-screen mobile companion. The G Pad II 10.1 offers more features than other devices in the same segment with its clear WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display for enjoying multimedia content and comfortably browsing the web. And with its fast 2.26GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 800 processor and long-lasting 7,400mAh battery ― the largest in its class ― the G Pad II 10.1 can keep you entertained for hours on end.
Even with its large 10.1-inch display, the G Pad II 10.1 features a slim and sleek design with the slimmest bezel among similar-sized tablets currently on the market. It provides a truly immersive viewing experience and does so with style with a soft metallic-finish.
What’s more, Reader Mode makes reading e-books more comfortable by reducing the blue light of the display backlight, which studies have shown to cause eye fatigue and blurred vision. Dual Window divides the screen allowing you to run two applications at the same time a convenient feature for chronic multitaskers. QuickMemo+ allows users to instantly create, save and share their memos from any screen, without having to open a separate application. The G Pad II 10.1 comes pre-loaded with Microsoft Office for Android Tablet and an additional 100GB of free OneDrive storage for two years.
“The LG G Pad II 10.1 was developed in response to consumers’ feedback and optimized for multimedia consumption.” said Chris Yie, vice president and head of marketing communications for LG Mobile Communications Company. “Customers asked for a large display, bigger battery and faster performance all without raising the price. The G Pad II delivers on all counts.”
Details of price and availability will be announced locally at the time of launch. Visitors to IFA 2015 can see the LG G Pad II 10.1 for themselves in Hall 18 of Messe Berlin from September 4-9.
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