Stagefright patches now rolling out to the AT&T HTC One M9 and One M8
Many smartphone manufacturers have been working hard to push out patches for the Stagefright vulnerability to their smartphones, and today we can add two more devices to that list. AT&T has just issued small updates to both the HTC One M9 and One M8 that bring patches for the Stagefright exploit. These updates only range in size from 28MB to around 55MB, so security fixes are likely the only changes present in these updates.
If you need a refresher, a new vulnerability has been recently uncovered by researchers that exploits the Stagefright media playback engine in Android. This can allow attackers to access your device through a simple multimedia message. Various OEMs, including LG, Samsung, Motorola and more have announced their plans to release monthly security-focused updates to their devices in wake of this exploit.
Don’t miss: Worried about Stagefright? Here’s what you can do for now
As per usual, the update may take a few days to make its way to your smartphone. You can also check for the update manually through your phone’s Settings menu. Once it makes its way to your device, be sure to let us know in the comment section below!
YouTube Gaming now available in the Google Play Store
We first heard about YouTube Gaming back in June, and we were even lucky enough to go hands-on with the new game streaming service at E3 2015. If you’ve been waiting to see what it’s all about, the time has finally come. YouTube Gaming has officially launched on Android!
YouTube Gaming already contains over 25,000 dedicated game pages. It’s designed to not only support static videos, but also features the ability to stream video games live. The new application makes it easy to find channels you might be interested in, as well as popular titles that are being streamed right now.
To get a better look at the application before you download, be sure to check out our initial hands-on at E3!
At this point we’re not entirely sure if YouTube Gaming will be a viable Twitch competitor, but Google has clearly made an effort to make this service as accessible and as convenient as possible for users. For right now, YouTube Gaming is only available in the U.S. and U.K., though we can expect to see it roll out to more regions in the near future.
Head to the Play Store link below to try it for yourself!
[Deal] Google Chromecast only $20 via Groupon for a limited time
Normally selling for $35, Google’s Chromecast is on sale for a mere $20 through Groupon for a limited time.
There’s a limited quantity available, and so far, over 10,000 people have bought one. There’s no telling how fast this deal could end, so interested buyers will need to act fast.
Keep in mind that these units Groupon is selling are refurbished, and shipping will cost you an additional $4, which makes this deal only about $10 off. It’s still money saved, though.
Anyone picking one up?
source: Groupon
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Google Chromecast only $20 via Groupon for a limited time
ARCHOS announces pair of budget smartphones just in time for IFA 2015
ARCHOS announced two Android smartphones they will be making available this fall and that will be on display at IFA 2015 this year. The two devices include the ARCHOS Diamond S, described as a “superlative” smartphone “that the average person can afford” according to Loic Poirier, CEO of ARCHOS. The other smartphone announced is the ARCHOS 50e Helium.
Both devices come with 5-inch displays running at 1280 x 720 resolution. However, the Diamond S gets a Super AMOLED display covered with Gorilla Glass 3 while the 50e Helium IPS screen. ARCHOS opted for a Mediatek 6753 processor running at 1.5GHz and backed by 2GB of RAM for the Diamond S. The 50e Helium will be powered by a Snapdragon 210 processor and gets 1GB of RAM. Another difference between the devices is in the cameras where the 50e Helium only gets an 8MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing combination while the Diamond S is upgraded to a 16MP, 8MP combination of cameras. The Diamond S also has a slightly larger 2300mAh battery versus the 50e Helium’s 2100mAh battery. Both devices will come with Android 5.1 Lollipop installed.
When the devices go on sale in November 2015, the Diamond S is expected to retail for £159.99 ($248 USD) while the 50e Helium will only set buyers back £99 ($153 USD).
Come comment on this article: ARCHOS announces pair of budget smartphones just in time for IFA 2015
Qualcomm agrees to sell UK spectrum to Vodafone and H3G
Qualcomm has announced that they have reached two separate deals to sell UK L-Band spectrum to Vodafone and Hutchinson 3G (H3G). Each of the buyers has agreed to purchase a 20 MHz block of the total 40 MHz of L-Band spectrum that Qualcomm owns. Terms of the deals have not been announced and both transactions are subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.
L-Band spectrum in the European Union is targeted at providing Supplemental Downlink (SDL) service for Mobile Network Operators. SDL can help them meet demand for downlink-centric services like streaming video on-demand over the cellular network.
source: Qualcomm (PR)
Come comment on this article: Qualcomm agrees to sell UK spectrum to Vodafone and H3G
AT&T to begin selling the Galaxy Tab S2 on September 4th
If you’re eager to pick up Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2 with LTE connectivity, you’ll be able to order one through AT&T starting September 4th. Like all other carrier enabled tablets, hardware will be identical to the WiFi-only model, but it will be able to be activated on a carrier’s network as well.
The Tab S2 will be available on AT&T’s tablet installment plan for $30 a month, or $499 with a two-year contract.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2 sports a 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display, an octa-core Exynos processor, and 32 GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card slot. It’s shaping up to be one of the best tablets Samsung has ever made, once it’s made widely available.
source: AT&T
Come comment on this article: AT&T to begin selling the Galaxy Tab S2 on September 4th
Verizon simplifies its BYOD process, allows compatible unlocked phones to be activated on its network
Verizon has made some effort to become a little more friendly towards unlocked devices, which means getting on their network is easier than ever. Now any compatible, unlocked iPhone 6 or Nexus 6 can be brought to Verizon’s network with little effort. You’ll just need to punch your phone’s device ID into Verizon’s site and purchase a Verizon SIM card to get started.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean you’ll be able to take any unlocked phone to Verizon’s network, since there aren’t many phones that have the required CDMA and LTE radios to work properly. That might change as LTE becomes more prevalent, but as of right now, you’re pretty much locked to the handful of devices that include tons of radios.
source: Verizon Wireless
via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: Verizon simplifies its BYOD process, allows compatible unlocked phones to be activated on its network
Get over $10,000 worth of free apps from Amazon Underground
Everybody loves free apps. Unfortunately, there aren’t THAT many opportunities to catch app giveaways via the Play Store. But we have always had the Amazon App Store to thank for picking up the slack. With their free giveaways and random bundles of free apps, we were always able to get some of the best apps and games without paying a dime.
Today, Amazon introduced Amazon Underground. Instead of the traditional Amazon App Store, this one features apps that “are actually free.” When Amazon says these apps are “actually free” they mean that not only is the up-front cost of the app free, but also that there are no in-app purchases that you need to worry about.
In order to get your hands on over $10,000 worth of apps, you need to download the new/updated version of the Amazon App Store. Since you can’t download the app via the Play Store, you’ll have to download it from Amazon directly. Before you do that, you need to ensure that the Security Settings on your device are set correctly.
- Open up your Settings app
- Navigate to Security or Applications
- Check Unknown Sources
Once this is done, head over to the Amazon Underground page, and enter your phone number or email address and you will be provided with a link. Once downloaded, you will be asked to sign into your Amazon account, and you’re on your way to all the apps you could want, and more.
As we stated above, there are over $10,000 worth of apps available via Amazon Underground, for free. From Goat Simulator and Fruit Ninja, to productivity apps, such as OfficeSuite Professional and mSecure Password Manager, there are loads of apps to grab.
Source: 9to5Google
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Gmail and Google Calendar to make business travel planning even more seamless
We can always rely on Google to make our lives that much more efficient. This time, communication between Google apps are updated to help us save time (and trouble) when planning our business trips or vacations.
Specifically, Google Calendar will now automatically extracts traveling information from relevant Gmail emails. The goal is to make a seamless experience (and to save you planning work).
“When an individual receives an email in Gmail with flight, hotel, restaurant, or ticketed event information, that event will be automatically added to their Google Calendar, complete with things like flight numbers and check-in times. Calendar will even update those events if plans change and a new email is received (for instance, when a flight is delayed or a reservation pushed back). “
Users should receive a notification once the feature is activated.
The feature will be enabled by default. However, if you prefer to still handle such matters yourself (or think this kind of thing is creepy), you can disable it in the Calendar settings.
Google says that the feature will launch in the coming weeks. Hit up the source link for more details. Are you glad to this see this integration with Google Calendar?
Source: Google Apps Updates
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Control these Samsung speakers with the Gear S and Gear S2
These past few weeks have been mighty busy for the folks over at Samsung. With the release of the Galaxy Note5 and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, and IFA 2015 coming up around the corner, with the expected announcement of new smartwatches. Well they are still working their tails off and announced three new wireless speakers. These ones are a bit more special though.
The speakers that were announced today are a part of a series, the Wireless Audio 360 speakers. The R5, R3, and R1 models will be shown at off at IFA 2015, and will have some pretty awesome features in-tow. Users will be able to control the speakers by just tapping various sections on the tops of the speakers.Samsung is hoping this will be more intuitive for the consumer, and help provide a better experience overall.
In addition to that, Samsung is stating that these speakers will be able to be controlled directly from your wrist. As long as you have the Samsung Multiroom App for Android, you will be able to control each one of these speakers with not only the Samsung Gear S, but also the upcoming Samsung Gear S2.
This isn’t unprecedented since you can already control your music from your smartwatches, but it is really cool to see Samsung focusing on creating a better, and easier, overall experience for users.
The price range for the R5, R3, and R1 speakers will be between $199 and $399, and will release later this year. However, for those going to IFA 2015, you will be able to play around with these while you’re there.
Source: Samsung Tomorrow
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AIVAnet 