Motorola scrapped a Value Tier Moto 360
Motorola recently announced its second generation Moto 360 smartwatch, which comes in classic and sport versions. New information states that a third Moto 360 Value Tier model was also in the works, but the project was cancelled before it ever entered production.
Imaan Naeem, an Industrial Designer at Motorola, has revealed that the Value Tier smartwatch was designed for the youth market and has also provided some concept images and photo-realistic renders of what the smartwatch would have looked like.
Although she didn’t share exactly what made the Value Tier 360 cheaper than the other models, a closer look at the renders reveals a plastic trim on the case, the heart rate monitor is missing, there’s a proprietary metal contact charging port rather than support for wireless charging, and the wrist band options are limited to just the NATO bands.
Although we don’t know how much this Moto 360 version would have ended up costing, the missing features and the name suggest that it would have cost quite a bit less than the new Moto 360’s $300+ price tag. The market is rather devoid of very affordable cost Android Wear devices, so such a watch may have been a good first purchase for those who are still unsure about the whole smartwatch idea. Naeem didn’t reveal why the Moto 360 Value Tier was cancelled. Perhaps Motorola simply chose the Sport option over a lower cost model?
Do you think that Motorola missed out on the opportunity to release a more cost effective smartwatch, or is the lack of features not really very appealing?
Motorola scrapped a Value Tier Moto 360
Motorola recently announced its second generation Moto 360 smartwatch, which comes in classic and sport versions. New information states that a third Moto 360 Value Tier model was also in the works, but the project was cancelled before it ever entered production.
Imaan Naeem, an Industrial Designer at Motorola, has revealed that the Value Tier smartwatch was designed for the youth market and has also provided some concept images and photo-realistic renders of what the smartwatch would have looked like.
Although she didn’t share exactly what made the Value Tier 360 cheaper than the other models, a closer look at the renders reveals a plastic trim on the case, the heart rate monitor is missing, there’s a proprietary metal contact charging port rather than support for wireless charging, and the wrist band options are limited to just the NATO bands.
Although we don’t know how much this Moto 360 version would have ended up costing, the missing features and the name suggest that it would have cost quite a bit less than the new Moto 360’s $300+ price tag. The market is rather devoid of very affordable cost Android Wear devices, so such a watch may have been a good first purchase for those who are still unsure about the whole smartwatch idea. Naeem didn’t reveal why the Moto 360 Value Tier was cancelled. Perhaps Motorola simply chose the Sport option over a lower cost model?
Do you think that Motorola missed out on the opportunity to release a more cost effective smartwatch, or is the lack of features not really very appealing?
Sony reduces asking price of Xperia Z5 range just a few days after launch
Sony unveiled its new range of handsets last week at IFA 2015 that included the regular-sized Xperia Z5, the smaller Xperia Z5 Compact and the bigger Xperia Z5 Premium. Soon afterwards, details on the handset’s prices were available, and it became blindingly obvious that the new devices weren’t exactly cheap. Just a few days later though, Sony UK has cut the prices for the new Xperia handsets, we have more details after the break.
The asking price of the Xperia Z5 range of handsets has been cut by at least £50, with the Z5 Compact being reduced from £549 to £429. That’s a hefty price reduction right there. The standard Z5 is down from £599 to £549 while the Z5 Premium has gone from £699 to a more reasonable £629.
Sony hasn’t given any reasons for the price cut/correction, so we are left to speculate about why the prices have been cut. It could be that Sony decided that the launch prices for the Xperia Z5 range were simply too ambitious, it could simply have been human error, or, it could be that the launch prices were stifling orders. Whatever the reason, the asking prices seem more realistic, especially in the case of the Z5 Compact. What do you think of the price cuts? Will it serve as a further incentive to buy one of Sony’s latest offerings?
Come comment on this article: Sony reduces asking price of Xperia Z5 range just a few days after launch
How to use Android Pay before it’s officially released
Android Pay may not be making an appearance until September 16th, at least officially, but one video has surfaced showing that actually everything you need to get Android Pay working is already in place and it works just fine.
This guy has published a video showing Android Pay being used at multiple stores:
Despite Android Pay not existing as its own standalone APK just yet, Google Play Services 8.1.03 laid the groundwork for the functionality and the Android Pay activity is just hidden away inside. You can reveal hidden activities using something like Nova Launcher, or even this app which specifically will help you.
You’ll obviously need the latest version of Google Play Services, which differs depending on what class of device you have:
If you’ve found the necessary APK you need to get Android Pay working, then go ahead and download it and sideload it onto your device. Once you’ve done so, simply launch the Android Pay activity from within Google Play Services (using those apps we mentioned above) and there you go; Google will walk you through the rest.
Drop us a comment below if this worked for you and if you’ve had luck paying with your Android Pay registered cards in store.
Via: Phandroid
The post How to use Android Pay before it’s officially released appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Lenovo Vibe X3 passes through China’s TENAA certification process
Rumors about Lenovo’s latest round of smartphone releases can be traced as far back as February of this year. Back then the rumor was that Lenovo would launch the Vibe P1, Vibe S1, and the Vibe X3 at MWC 2015. That didn’t happen, however Lenovo did announce the Vibe P1 and the Vibe S1 at IFA 2015 along with the PHAB and PHAB Plus, as well as the YOGA Tablet 3 and YOGA Tablet 3 Pro.
So what about the Vibe X3? According to official documents posted on China’s TENAA website, the Vibe X3 has been sent to the telecommunications equipment certification center in China.
The 5.5 inch Lenovo Vibe X3 sports a full HD display, 3GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, and runs Android Lollipop 5.1.1. The rear facing camera is reported to be a huge 21MP, while the front facing camera is said to use a 8MP sensor.
As can be seen from the TENAA photos, it looks like the device has a fingerprint reader and dual flash. Also if you look carefully, you can see there are two front facing speakers.
The Vibe X3 has yet to be officially announced by Lenovo, but since it has now been certified by TENAA then we can expect it to appear soon. The model described supports 2G, 3G, and 4G, however looking at the supported frequencies it looks like this phone is only designed for the Asian markets, however that doesn’t mean that Lenovo won’t release an “international” version.
Samsung launches the Note 5 in India from Rs. 53,900, available from September 20
Well, that didn’t take long. After leaving Europe to make do with the Galaxy S6 Edge+ in 2015, many Note fans wondered whether other regions would share the same fate of being unable to upgrade to the Note 5. As was previously rumoured, though, Samsung is putting those fears to bed in India, at least. Note fans in India will be pleased to find out that the Note 5 will be available to purchase from September 20th.
The 32GB variant is priced at Rs. 53,900 ($806), while the 64GB version can be ordered for Rs. 59,900 ($896) from online retailers as well as stores across India. The Note 5 will be available in Black Sapphire, Gold Platinum, and Silver Titanium options.
As is customary with pre-orders, there are a couple of perks to doing so, namely a wireless charger as well as a one-time screen replacement included in the bundle free of charge. During the launch, Samsung stated that all the smartphones it sells in India are manufactured locally, as part of its ‘Make in India’ campaign.
If you live in India, will you be upgrading to the Note 5? Let us know in the comments.
Source: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung launches the Note 5 in India from Rs. 53,900, available from September 20
Leaked Huawei Nexus case lends further weight to presence of circular fingerprint scanner
Google is announcing its new Nexus smartphones on September 29th, and that means that the leaks are going to keep coming, with increasing frequency and accuracy. Today, we have images of a case for Huawei’s Nexus device, lending even more weight to the likelihood of it sporting a circular fingerprint scanner on the rear of the device.
The images were posted on Twitter by serial leaker, @OnLeaks. In the main image above you can see the cutouts for the 3.5mm audio jack on the top of the case while on the rear there are cutouts for the camera/flash and circular fingerprint scanner. You can also see how the case makes provision for the handset’s protruding bump that runs across the top of the device housing the camera sensor.
As for the case itself, well, it seems to be of the generic type made of plastic and often referred to an ‘S-Type’ case. It’s usually quite affordable and quite often, long-lasting as well. We don’t have too much longer to wait until Google reveals all, both about the Huawei Nexus device and LG’s alleged Nexus 5X device. If you’re a Nexus fan, which new Nexus device are you most looking forward to getting your hands on? Let us know in the comments.
Source: @OnLeaks (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Leaked Huawei Nexus case lends further weight to presence of circular fingerprint scanner
Canon has a 250-megapixel sensor that fits in a DSLR
Canon has announced a “250-megapixel” image sensor that would fit into a consumer-grade DSLR camera. The Japanese camera maker says the new APS-H CMOS sensor enables “distinguishing of lettering on the side of an airplane flying at a distance of approximately 18 km [11 miles] from the shooting location.” As well as being the densest sensor of its size, it’s also extremely fast. It has a readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second, meaning it can shoot its super-high-res images at up to five frames per second.
Rather than aiming for the retail market, Canon is targeting the new sensor at “specialized surveillance and crime prevention tools, ultra-high resolution measuring instruments and other industrial equipment.” The actual resolution of the sensor is 19,580 x 12,600 pixels, or 246.7 megapixels, but Canon is being liberal with its rounding. APS-H is a semi-defunct sensor size, measuring approximately 29.2mm by 20.2 mm. That’s slightly larger than the APS-C units found in Nikon and Canon’s entry-level DSLRs and Sony’s mirrorless cameras, but significantly smaller than 35mm-equivalent “full frame” sensors in cameras used by professionals and enthusiasts.
It’s difficult to picture a world where we’d all wander around with 250-megapixel cameras, but let’s take a minute to ponder Canon’s history. In 2007, it announced a then-unthinkable 50-megapixel CMOS prototype. In 2010, it hit 120 megapixels. Earlier this year, Canon released a pair of 50-megapixel DSLRs, the 5Ds and 5Ds R.
So… see you in eight years?
Source:
Canon
Tags: APS-H, canon, cmos, sensor
BBC lays out ‘open’ vision to combat licence fee critics
The BBC is a renowned broadcaster and a part of Britain’s cultural fabric, but its future capabilities are currently under threat. The UK government is preparing to amend its Royal Charter — a document that shapes the BBC’s funding and remit — and early consultations have hinted at drastic clawbacks. In retaliation, the BBC has announced a volley of counter-proposals today that would, it claims, make its services more “open” and distinctive.
A lifeline for local news
These include ring-fencing a portion of the licence fee for a new “Local Accountability Reporting Service.” Specifically, this money would pay for 100 external journalists to cover councils, courts, and public services in towns and cities. The coverage would be shared by both the BBC and “reputable” local news organisations — and, more importantly, any paper or news agency could bid for the contract. It’s no secret that local news is struggling at the moment — such a move would give the industry a lifeline and also make the BBC an integral part of its future. In essence, justifying BBC cutbacks would then become more difficult, as it could directly affect jobs at local papers, not just those at the BBC.
In addition, the broadcaster is proposing a “News Bank” that would allow local news organisations to publish its own video and audio-based reports — it’s not clear if this would be a free service or chargeable, however. On mobile, the BBC is considering a revamped service similar to its BBC News channel. It would shift the news organisation “from rolling news to streaming news,” with a better mix of video, audio, text and graphics.
iPlayer and iPlay
iPlayer has been a huge success for the BBC, but it’s wary of the competition posed by Netflix and YouTube. To better serve its audience, the BBC wants to open iPlayer up to programming produced by other people and broadcasters. “This would be more convenient for audiences, who could find more British programming in one place,” the BBC says. The new, “open” approach would also allow an “Ideas Service” to blossom; a new platform that combines its science, arts and history-based programming with the work produced by renowned British museums and institutions. These include the Tate, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Edinburgh Festivals and the British Museum. Combined with the work the BBC does with Radio 3 and 4, BBC Four, iWonder and BBC Learning, the hope is that it would create a central hub for the arts, culture, science and history.
For children, the BBC is planning an educational platform called iPlay. Instead of cutting the BBC’s content in two — CBBC and CBeebies — the service would combine all of the BBC’s work, “from long-form video to interactive formats,” and allow children to explore it at their own pace. The focus would be on learning and creativity, with tools to help youngsters create their own animations, music, podcasts, code, apps and 3D printed objects.
A new music service
Through its radio stations, the BBC has long been an important music tastemaker for new music. But it’s fighting an uphill battle as the likes of Spotify and Apple Music come to the fore. The broadcaster has tried to adapt with Music Playlister, a service that lets anyone bookmark and export tracks aired on its radio stations, but now it wants to go one step further. It’s proposing a platform that would “make the 50,000 tracks the BBC broadcasts every month available to listen online, for a limited period.” It would expand Playlister so that listeners could create custom playlists and discover new ones curated by the BBC. The company says it would champion unsigned talent, increase support for niche genres and labels, and feature exclusive performances from Live Lounge and Radio 1’s Big Weekend. The platform wouldn’t be a direct competitor to music streaming services, however. The BBC says it would be “the only one” that’s open and integrated with other services, allowing users to transfer their playlists after they’ve expired on its own music platform.
An uncertain future
None of these plans are set in stone. For now they’re merely proposals, and emphasize the BBC’s position regarding the Royal Charter — the broadcaster wants its role to evolve, not shrink. In particular, the BBC’s Director General Tony Hall has stressed these ideas are “a million miles away from an expansionist BBC.” The broadcaster understands that it needs to make cuts and scale back some of its services — BBC Three is a prime example — but unsurprisingly, it doesn’t want them to be so deep that it loses all relevancy.
[Images: Carl Court/Getty Images (top image); BBC/Jeff Overs (BBC News studio); BBC/Jamie (Annie Mac for BBC Radio 1)]
Filed under:
Home Entertainment
Source:
BBC
Tags: bbc, cbbc, cbeebies, charterrenewal, iplay, iplayer, localnews, musicplaylister, newspaper, playlister
OPPOStyle pre-orders begin for the R7 Plus
OPPO originally announced its R7 and R7 Plus smartphones back in May, but the company has only just begun accepting online pre-orders for the impressive OPPO R7 Plus, which is available through its authorized OPPOStyle online store.
The OPPO R7 Plus may be modestly priced, but it packs in plenty of high-end options. The R7 Plus features a metallic unibody construction, 2.5D glass, and a fingerprint scanner on its back. Spec wise, the handset comes with a 6-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 615 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 16 GB/32GB of internal memory with an expandable microSD card slot up to 128 GB, and a 13MP rear and 8MP front facing camera setup.
The smartphone is also equipped with a 4,100 mAh battery and can be charged up quick using the company’s VOOC Flash Charge technology. The R7 Plus is powered by OPPO’s ColorOS 2.1 which is based on Android Lollipop 5.1. For a closer look at the handset, check out our full review.
Read more: OPPO R7 Plus review
There is also an added bonus for those who pre-order the handset before it ships out at the end of September. Customers will also receive a free iLikie Bluetooth in-ear headset with their order.
The OPPO R7 Plus is priced at €449/$499. Head on over to OPPOStyle, if you fancy placing a pre-order.
OPPOStyle Starts Pre-order of the R7 Plus to Online Consumers
Shenzhen, Sep 6th – Beginning September 5th, authorized online store OPPOStyle has started accepting pre-orders for the OPPO R7 Plus. During the pre-order period, those who pre-order the R7 Plus will also receive an iLike Bluetooth in-ear headset.
The OPPO R7 Plus boasts a premium metal build with plenty of power inside. Packing a 6-inch 1080p AMOLED display with 3GB RAM, you will certainly enjoy the device. Its multi-functional dual SIM slot allows you to either use two active SIM cards or just one SIM card and an additional microSD card of up to 128GB for extra storage space.
The R7 Plus runs on OPPO’s ColorOS 2.1 which is based on Android Lollipop 5.1 and features Flash Shot technology along with laser focus for those moments that need to be captured without hesitation. The R7 Plus can manage all your tasks without worry of running out of juice thanks to the 4,100 mAh VOOC Flash Charge supported battery, with its “5 minutes charging supporting 2 hours call” speed, enabling you to stay connected anytime, anywhere.
The price of OPPO R7 Plus is € 449 EUR/ $499 USD.
You can get the OPPO R7 Plus pre-order on OPPOStyle website
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