Here are 25 OnePlus 2 wallpapers for you to gawk at before the device is released
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
While the OnePlus 2 was definitely the star of the show when OnePlus announced its new flagship, fans with an artistic eye took keen interest in the wallpaper that they saw on the OnePlus 2. As it turns out, OnePlus is very happy to share not only this wallpaper, but all the OnePlus 2 wallpapers that are going to be available when the device is released. Here’s a few wallpapers from the 25 wallpaper pack to get a feel for the style:
If those wallpapers have whetted your appetite, you can download the whole set from the link below:
OnePlus 2 wallpapers download link
Of course, since the OnePlus 2 has a 1080p display, the wallpapers are optimized for such a device at 1920 pixels tall. The OnePlus 2 is expected to release on August 11th, and if you need to get caught up on its hardware specifications, make sure to check out our summary here.
What do you think about the OnePlus 2 wallpapers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: OnePlus via Droid-life
The post Here are 25 OnePlus 2 wallpapers for you to gawk at before the device is released appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Uber reaches $50 billion value thanks (in part) to Microsoft
Uber is getting richer and richer. It’s now valued at $51 billion after raising another $1 billion in funding, and it got to this stage two years faster than Facebook did. As always, the ride-sharing service has attracted an assortment of investors during its latest funding round — one of them’s none other than tech juggernaut Microsoft, according to The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. While neither company has admitted it yet, Bloomberg says Microsoft has agreed to back Uber to the tune of around $100 million. It’s unclear whether this means they’re pursuing a deeper relationship or if they’re working together on a project or two, at least. If you recall, though, Uber’s snapped up a portion of Bing’s mapping tech back in June, along with a hundred of Redmond’s employees.
Microsoft is neither the first nor the only tech corporation/personality that has invested in the ride-hailing service. Chinese internet giant Baidu jumped in weeks after it was announced that Uber was already valued at $40 billion with an investment that could’ve been as big as $600 million. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos put his money in the company way back in 2011, while Google Ventures backed it with $258 million in 2013. That was years before both companies announced their intentions to develop self-driving taxi services, making them future competitors. In all, Uber now has $5 billion to spend on the aggressive expansion it’s planning in India, China and Southeast Asia.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Transportation, Microsoft
Source: The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal
10 best new Android apps and games from July 2015
Summer time is usually a slow time for technology. People are outside enjoying the sunshine while developers and OEMs are preparing for the autumn and winter. Even so, there were still a number of awesome new Android apps and games released this month so let’s check out the best new Android apps and games from July 2015.
Angry Birds 2
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Rovio released Angry Birds 2 this month and has decided that this one would be the actual sequel to the original game. As such there are some game play improvements and concepts that help freshen up the stale franchise such as multi-stage levels and even boss battles. We know that Angry Birds is kind of old and tired, but it’s still a decent time waster that’s free to download and good for kids.
Get it now on Google Play!
Boxer Calendar
[Price: Free]
Boxer Calendar is a new calendar app out of the same developers who released Boxer Email. The calendar app itself is fairly simple with multiple viewing options, Material Design, theming and customization options, widgets, and support for Google and Exchange Calendars. It’s main feature is the ability to send your availability quickly to just about anyone although this does require using Boxer Email. It’s free but do beware of the release day bugs.
Get it now on Google Play!
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4
[Price: $2.99]
Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 marks the second release of the franchise this year. This one kind of goes back to the origin story as you must keep watch over a bedroom while checking the closet, two hallways, and of course the bed behind you. Despite being a very simple game, it’s manages to be quite difficult and it does leave you a bit on edge. It’s a shock value game with a cheap price tag and a high entertainment value if you like scary things.
Get it now on Google Play!
Forsaken World Mobile
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Forsaken World Mobile is an MMORPG that has you going on quests, duking it out with bad guys, and finding hidden treasures. The game play is simple to use and involves either manual movements or tap-to-move while you have a range of stuff to do. It’s an easy game to play with a lot of quests to do. There is also a mount system, decent graphics, and online multiplayer options. It’s a strong option if you’re into MMORPGs.
Get it now on Google Play!
Kodi
[Price: Free]
Kodi, formerly known as XBMC, left beta this last month and is now a standalone release on the Google Play Store. For those who don’t know, Kodi is a full-fledged media center application that allows you to play all of your media as well as install third party plugins for additional functionality. There are some bugs here and there, but for the most part it works very well although smaller devices may not get the best experience.
Get it now on Google Play!
Microsoft Hyperlapse
[Price: Free]
Microsoft Hyperlapse has received a lot of press over the last month thanks to its somewhat unique functionality. This app takes a lot of images in rapid succession and then stitches them together to create a time lapse video. There are other apps that can do this, but this one does better than most and it is a fun little tool to have in the ole app drawer. It’s also totally free with no in-app purchases
Get it now on Google Play!
Tossup
[Price: Free]
Microsoft had a busy month because on top of Hyperlapse, they also released Tossup from their Garage project. This nifty little app helps you communicate with people quickly and efficiently to help set up things like meetings, take a quick yes or no vote, and ask opinions. It suffered from some release day bugs but most of them appear to have been sorted out. It’s not overly powerful, but definitely useful for quick info.
Get it now on Google Play!
Star Wars
[Price: Free]
Disney released an official Star Wars application this last month. It’s most likely in preparation for the upcoming Star Wars movie. The app is meant to act as a hub for all things Star Wars and includes news, updates, and event announcements. The app also comes with a ton of extra stuff for Star Wars fans, including themes, weather, animated GIFs, and a lot more. If you like Star Wars, give this a shot. It is totally free.
Get it now on Google Play!
Vainglory
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Vainglory is a MOBA that was released on Android this last month. It features a variety of heroes which allows for a variety of tactics along with online multiplayer, practice mode, and more. The graphics are pretty decent and the controls are easy enough to get the hang of. The developers have also promised new content and heroes to come on a regular basis which will be nice if they pull through. It’s free to play and actually really good.
Get it now on Google Play!
WiFiMapper
[Price: Free]
Last up this month is WiFiMapper. This is an application that helps you find WiFi hotspots for you to connect to. This is great for those who don’t have home web or are looking for internet on the go. It’s crowd sourced which allows you to add new hotspots as you find them if you so choose. You can also measure how well each one does so you can find the best ones to connect to. It’s had to some release day bugs but it’s otherwise a very useful application.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great new Android apps and games released in July 2015, tell us about them in the comments below! Also don’t forget to sign up for our Android Apps Weekly newsletter to catch the latest Android apps and games news!
Subscribe to Apps Weekly Newsletter
The latest apps, games and Google play news in your inbox once a week.
To see our complete list of Android apps and games lists, click here!
Shibuya Grandmaster is a devilishly minimal puzzle game
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
I love a good puzzle game so my interest was immediately piqued when I came across Shibuya Grandmaster – that and the 8-bit techno music from the trailer. Shibuya Grandmaster, made by Nevercenter, is a puzzle game with an arcade game mask, with a colour palette that will be familiar to many older gamers. The concept looks quite simple – make blocks drop from the sky, then tap them in coloured groups so that there are no remaining (or as few remaining) blocks. Check out that trailer I was talking about before – and beware: the song is catchy:
If the gameplay in the video looked a bit too fast for you, don’t fret – Shibuya Grandmaster offers 7 gameplay speeds, from slow right up to the devilishly fast Gentle Rain, and will help you progress towards the title of Grandmaster. Shibuya Grandmaster is completely free to play, but unlike many other games in this bucket, Shibuya Grandmaster isn’t offering ways to win for your hard earned dollars; they’re just offering more backgrounds and more coloursets for you to customize your game experience – and yes, there are also versions for colourblind folk. If Shibuya Grandmaster sounds like the type of game you want to dance to play this weekend, hit the Play Store link below:
What do you think about Shibuya Grandmaster? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Shibuya Grandmaster is a devilishly minimal puzzle game appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Sling TV says Comcast/NBC doesn’t want to run its ads
Just as Comcast dips its toe in the internet TV business, Sling TV is claiming that the giant is refusing to run ads for its service on NBC stations that it owns. According to Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch (last seen walking off with our Best of CES Overall Winner trophy), the ads are running across other broadcasters, and on NBC stations not owned by Comcast. If the idea was to cut down on the number of people seeing an alternative to the cable setup, that may have backfired since you’re reading this right now. Comcast’s NBC stations aren’t running the ads in three cities (San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.), but the internet stretches much further.
[Image credit: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Sling Blog
Deal: get a $100 Visa prepaid card when you buy an LG G4 from Verizon
Looking to get yourself a brand new high-end smartphone? You may want to go with Verizon’s LG G4! Big Red is currently offering a $100 Visa prepaid card to anyone who purchases LG’s current flagship phone.
The concept is as simple as they get. You just have to purchase the LG G4 between August 1-12 from Verizon Wireless. After that simply head over to www.lgg4augustrebate.com and submit your form before August 31st. That’s it!
You do need to be over 18 years of age. Eligible LG G4 versions include the Genuine Leather Black, Metallic Gray and Ceramic White.
The LG G4 is one hell of a smartphone. It managed to get a 9/10 in our review, and we had very little to complain about. One of the lures of this device is that it’s actually among the very few handsets which still tout a removable battery and microSD card support, something most manufacturers have been getting rid of.
The device also sports a very unique look, featuring that curved profile and interchangeable backs. I have a thing for wooden and leather-clad phones, so LG stole my heart with this one. Not to mention, it performs like a champ.
Who is signing up?!
LG G4 videos!
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
Nextbit phone will “easily stand out” and be priced affordibly
It was odd to hear that Nextbit is working on releasing its first smartphone. The San Francisco startup is known for its cloud-based continuity services for Android – how did they go from making apps to designing smartphones? Regardless of what the answer to that question may be, now we know they are definitely planning this well.
Design
Nextbit CEO Tom Moss took it to Hong Kong’s RISE conference to talk more about this mysterious phone his team is working on. He begins by mentioning this will look like no usual handset. Moss states the device will “easily stand out” from the ever-growing crowd of cookie-cutter devices.
And we don’t doubt the phone will look great – the company currently counts former HTC chief of design Scott Croyle as one of its main employees. This was the same man leading the design implementations that made the HTC One series so gorgeous.
Software
While Nextbit is keeping things a bit quiet on this end, CEO Tom Moss happens to be in the founding members board of Cyanogen. This makes it very likely that the phone will run the most popular third-party Android ROM in the world, but that is something we can’t be quoted on just yet.
What we can tell you is that the company is focusing on cloud features to improve some common pains that come with using a typical smartphone. That’s about all Moss would say, but their current services will likely play a big part on the handset’s software improvements.
Low prices!
What makes a good phone great is its price. This is why companies like OnePlus and Xiaomi have become so amazingly popular; the value they offer is too much to compete with. How will pricing look like for Nextbit’s phone?
Tom took some time to express his dissatisfaction with current mainstream smartphone prices, such as those attached to Apple, LG, HTC and Samsung handsets. The new trend is to price premium mobile devices at $300-$400 off contract, and that is a range Nextbit is looking to stick to, following the footsteps of companies like OnePlus and Xiaomi.
Like the Chinese companies, Nextbit aims to reduce prices on marketing, have a higher involvement with the public, and transfer all savings to its customers, effectively achieving lower prices on premium products.
Wrapping up
I must say I was a bit wary of Nextbit’s plans at first, but knowing we will have a Xiaomi-like company in America really has me wanting to believe. We still know very little about this upcoming smartphone, but more details will come with time. And you can be sure we will be here, telling you all there is to know!
Microsoft’s HoloLens headset will reach developers within a year
When Microsoft said that its HoloLens headset would arrive “in the Windows 10 time frame,” what did it mean, exactly? Thanks to a BBC interview with Satya Nadella, we now have a better sense of when this augmented reality eyewear will show up. The company chief expects developers and enterprise users to get the first version of HoloLens “within the next year” — you won’t be getting one as a holiday gift, folks. It’s not certain just when a personal version will launch, but Nadella describes the overall technology as a “5-year journey” that will eventually branch out to other fields. While that doesn’t necessarily leave you high and dry until 2020, it does suggest that you’ll have to be patient if you want to play some holographic Minecraft.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02yhy3m/player
Filed under:
Displays, Wearables, Microsoft
Source:
BBC
Tags: augmentedreality, holographic, hololens, microsoft, video, wearable, windows, windows10
Sony closing its online store this August 28th
In what appears to be a rash move, Sony has decided to shut its online store down come August 28th at 1:00 PM PST. After this date and time, no more sales will be conducted and you will be forced to find your Sony products elsewhere.
The reasoning for making this decision continues to be a mystery. Sony is keeping pretty quiet for now, but they do mention they are working on “improving their online experience” and “will have an exciting new product website that includes their authorized retailers”.
In short: the Japanese manufacturer will no longer sell directly to its customers. Instead, they will point you in the direction of other stores that carry Sony products.
You can go ahead and make any purchases until then. Be sure to use your gift cards if you have any, for they will be useless after the 28th. Everything else should work as usual. You can even make returns if you purchased your products on, or before, closing time.
Does Sony need its own online store?
Of course, purchasing directly from the manufacturer brings a certain level of comfort to a customer. It’s nice to know the website is legit and you don’t have to deal with any third parties. We are just not sure that warm fuzzy feeling should keep the online Sony store open. Maybe it’s just not financially viable for them to act as a retailer.
In the end, it honestly makes no difference to me, as a user. I always buy my Sony products at other stores, anyways. How do you feel about this move, though? Do you worry that it will be impossible to buy your gadgets directly from Sony?
Sony videos!
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
Apple and BMW have been exploring partnerships on cars
Apple and BMW may eventually have more in common than just some features in your car’s infotainment system. Sources for both Reuters and Manager Magazin understand that the two companies have had “exploratory talks,” including a trip by Apple executives to Leipzig to see how BMW builds the i3. Apple reportedly likes that BMW rethought the conventional car manufacturing process for its electric vehicle, and might use what it learned to help make its own EV. While BMW claims that there aren’t any active talks about jointly developing a car, a Reuters tipster hears that the firms may revive talks (not necessarily to co-produce a vehicle) later on.
Not surprisingly, BMW is cautious about any deals. Research lead Klaus Froehlich says the doesn’t want to “open [its] ecosystems” to a potential rival. However, it’s hard to see the two avoiding each other when they could both use each other’s help. Apple knows a lot about user interfaces and integrating mobile technology into cars, but it’s a newcomer in creating the cars themselves — that’s part of why it’s hiring so many auto industry veterans. Meanwhile, BMW knows that it can only do so much to accommodate connected devices without collaborations. You probably won’t see an Apple-designed Beemer or an Apple car with loads of BMW-sourced parts, but there’s still lots of potential for the corporations to influence each other.
Filed under:
Transportation, Apple
Source:
Reuters, Manager Magazin (translated)
Tags: apple, autonomous, bmw, car, electricvehicle, ev, i3, partnership, self-driving, self-drivingcar, titan, transportation
AIVAnet 