Pokémon GO brings Pokémon to the real world
When Nintendo announced that they would be releasing 5 mobile games by 2017, they created quite a bit of buzz. After all, Nintendo has always been a closed eco-system. Perhaps after the Wii U suffered lackluster sales, Nintendo has decided that a more multifaceted approach is best.
So today, Nintendo in conjunction with Niantic announced that Pokémon GO would be released sometime next year. If Niantic sounds familiar, it’s because they are the developer spun off from Google that is responsible for the popular real-world augmented reality game Ingress.
Pokémon GO seeks to combine Niantic’s augmented reality with Pokémon. Take a look at the trailer.
The game will allow Pokémon trainers to explore real-world locations to catch, trade, and battle with each other in their search for Pokémon. There will also be a separate Bluetooth device for their smartphone called Pokémon GO Plus, developed and manufactured by Nintendo, alerting Pokémon trainers to nearby events (such as Pokémon in the vicinity) with flashes and vibrations, and the ability to catch them with the press of a button.
“Our challenge was to develop a great game for smart phone devices that expressed the core values of Pokémon,” said Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company. “Pokémon GO is the answer to that challenge.”
“Pokémon GO is a wonderful combination of Niantic’s real world gaming platform and one of the most beloved franchises in popular culture,” said John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, Inc. “Our partnership with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo is an exciting step forward in real-world gaming and using technology to help players discover the world and people around them.”
Pokémon GO will be a free download on Google Play in 2016 with available in-app purchases.
This game sounds really interesting to me. I had a hard time getting into Ingress because I didn’t really have time to spend away from home capturing spots. I have 3 children. However, this looks like a game that I can take the kids with me to play.
What do you think? Will you be downloading Pokémon GO next year? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Pokémon GO brings Pokémon to the real world appeared first on AndroidGuys.
inStream SeptimusB Premium 7-port charging station review
Many of us have multiple devices, and they all likely need to be charged at some point. Whether we have tablets, smartphones, smart watches, other wearables, or Bluetooth headphones, we all plug in at the end of a long day. But with so many devices, it has become increasingly difficult to plug them all in at once, especially with those notoriously bulky AC adapters taking up your outlets. Enter the inStream SeptimusB charging station, a USB charging hub with 7 ports and a small profile. I put the SeptimusB to the test, and this is what I found.
Design
Given that it’s a USB charging hub, there isn’t much to talk about as far as design goes. We’re looking at a square-shaped brick that sports 7 USB 2.0 ports on the front, an on/off switch and the power port around the back, and virtually nothing on either side other than a few aesthetic lines and a logo. Right above the ports on the front sits a small green LED light that indicates the hub has power and is ready to charge. The SeptimusB is made of a rigid plastic, and is incredibly light. With that being said, I was not worried about it breaking or being damaged. It is built to be sturdy, without leaving too much of a footprint in your home or office (the device as a whole measures only 4 x 1 x 3.5 inches). The SeptimusB can be purchased in either black or white, both of which actually look very nice.
Included in the box is the AC power cord, a Lightning cable, and a microUSB cable. Both of these extra cables are fairly short at less than a foot long, but it’s nice that inStream threw in a few extras with the charging hub.
Performance
The great thing about this particular product is that it literally has one job, and it does that job very well. It doesn’t have to look flashy or have a ton of extra features. Its job is to charge devices as quickly and efficiently as possible, and it definitely hits the mark where that is concerned. The SeptimusB has 7 USB ports, but inStream went above and beyond by giving fast-charging power to each port. The hub is able to manage multiple devices plugged in at once, and allocate power flow so that every device is getting the maximum charging speed. InStream boasts a maximum of 3A on each port, which is more than most smartphones or tablets require even for fast charging.
In my few weeks of using the SeptimusB every night, I found this to be fairly accurate. Charging three smartwatches, two smartphones, and a set of Bluetooth headphones was no problem, and my Galaxy S6 even registered it as a fast charger with five other devices plugged into the same hub. InStream did very well with the technical side of this charging station. If fast charging is what gets you through the day, this would definitely be a good option for charging multiple devices at full speed.
There’s an added bonus in the fact that the SeptimusB is fully circuit protected, so your devices will be safe in the event of a power surge. Although if you’re like me, you’ll have it plugged into a surge protector just to be safe. As a final point for performance, I did not notice the SeptimusB getting warm or making any noise whatsoever, which should be a relief for users worried about overheating or nuisance sounds.
Conclusion
The inStream SeptimusB charging station does exactly what it is supposed to do. It looks fairly normal and doesn’t stand out, and it doesn’t take up much space. It charges devices quickly and doesn’t rob users of the output they need to charge all their devices at once.
The only real downside to the SeptimusB is the $34.95 price tag, which puts it in the higher price range for a USB hub (similar 7-port hubs can be bought for less than $20 on Amazon). Luckily, our friends over at inStream are giving a 25% discount coupon code, so you can actually pick up a SeptimusB for just $26.20. If you want to take advantage of this deal, just head over to the SeptimusB Amazon page, select the color you’d like, and apply the coupon code SEPBREVW to get 25% off. It is worth noting that the deal only lasts until September 30th, so time is limited!
The post inStream SeptimusB Premium 7-port charging station review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG Nexus 5 shows up on leaked internal slides
Google is announcing two new Nexus devices this year, one manufactured by Huawei and the other by LG. The new LG Nexus 5 has been leaked multiple times but nothing concrete as surfaced as of yet.
What appears to be an internal slide dubbed ‘Project N3’ shows the next Nexus 5 made by LG in its full final form. The image hows the front and back of the device and once again we see the fingerprint sensor that seems certain to be part of the final build now given how much it has been leaked.
As well as confirming the physical appearance of the LG Nexus 5, the internal slide leak also comes with some specs that confirm the 5.2-inch full HD (1080p) display, which will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor. The leak does state, however, that the device will only have 2GB of RAM, which is contrary to the 3GB we have been hearing, all supported by a 2,700mAh battery.
Thoughts?
The post LG Nexus 5 shows up on leaked internal slides appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Leaked Nexus 5X case reveals all, arrival imminent?
We’ve already seen several convincing leaks of the alleged Nexus 5X – A successor to 2013’s Nexus 5. With an announcement date around the corner (possibly October 13) , we get another peek at what could be Google’s next Android phone. This time, thanks to case maker Ringke and the infamous leakster @evleaks.
There appears to be a USB type-C port on the bottom, with no buttons on the left side of the phone, meaning they’ll likely all be placed on the right.
A cutout for the fingerprint scanner is below the camera, and there’s also a cutout for the flash and most likely for what will be laser focus, all of which fall in place with leaks this far. Perhaps the most appealing aspect it the two front facing speakers.
Rumored Specs for Nexus 5X
- 5.2-inch 2K display
- 13MP camera
- 3GB RAM
- LTE Cat 9 with support for 450Mbps speeds
- Fingerprint scanner
- Snapdragon 808
- 64-bit hexa-core processor – Adreno 418
Stay tuned to AG for more!
The post Leaked Nexus 5X case reveals all, arrival imminent? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Early details emerge about the Samsung Galaxy S7, aka Project Lucky
The Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ may have only recently launched, but Samsung will already be well under way with development of its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S7. Although we’re still a long way from launch, some early details have surfaced which give us some idea about what we can expect from the handset.
First up, the Galaxy S7 seems to be going by the codename Project Lucky, as several mentions of such a device have appeared in a couple of benchmarks recently. We’ll start with these benchmarks, as they give us a little look at the possible specifications for the S7.
New processing hardware
Qualcomm is gearing up to launch its Snapdragon 820 SoC in early 2016 and a Samsung Lucky device has passed through AnTuTu sporting this chip. The handset also sports 4GB of RAM, which matches the amount included in Samsung’s most recent smartphones, along with a 16 megapixel rear camera and a large 5.7-inch display.
A separate rumor from Korea suggests that Samsung may be preparing to launch two sizes of its Galaxy S7 at the same time. One with a 5.1-inch QHD display and one at 5.8-inches, possibly with a 4K resolution that would match the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.
A separate Geekbench listing also reveals a Samsung LUCKY-LTE device featuring a custom octa-core chip, so the company may be going back to two SoCs for regional variants with different modem support. The speculation is that this could be a new Exynos processor from Samsung, dubbed the M1, as the profile doesn’t appear to match up with any existing chips.
There is also reference to a universal8890 motherboard in the listing, which means that the chip might appear as the Exynos 8890 come launch. The make-up of the SoC is unknown but it seemed to benchmark well ahead of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820, although it is far too early to infer any real world performance results at this stage.
The return of microSD?
An additional leak suggests that the Galaxy S7 will arrive with familiar 32GB and 64GB internal storage options and that microSD card support may be returning too, although we are unlikely to see a replaceable battery. Current Samsung flagships make use of fast UFS 2.0 internal memory, which isn’t compatible with the memory controller used for SD cards, hence why Samsung has had to drop support for extra storage. Samsung may have found a workaround or could backtrack on UFS 2.0, but this rumor seems a little more doubtful than the others.
See also: Samsung switches to LPDDR4 and UFS 2.0 memory, but what does it mean?
Finally, although the benchmark listing points to a familiar 16 megapixel sensor in the S7, Samsung is said to be testing a new 20 megapixel ISOCELL camera sensor, which the company has dubbed the “all lens cover.” That could mean anything, but it’s possible that Samsung will return to its own sensor technology if it produces superior results. The company may also reserve its ISOCELL sensor for some models, as it did with the Galaxy S6.
There is still a long way to go until we hear anything official about the Galaxy S7, so the rumors here are likely to change over time. Still, what do you want to see from Samsung’s next flagship smartphone?
You can get a good idea of what the Nexus 5X looks like from these case renders
Intrigued by the Nexus 5X? Renders from case listings on Amazon may give you a good idea of what to expect in terms of appearance.
The renders come from a familiar source: case manufactures looking for an early marketing lead who create unofficial renders of upcoming devices. These renders are based on product schematics that phone makers share with accessory companies ahead of new phone launches. The images are typically accurate in terms of the general dimensions and layout of ports and buttons, but case makers don’t know the finer details, like the material or finish of a device.
The Nexus 5X renders below come from Spigen and Ringke, two case makers that have released accurate phone renders in the past, most recently with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
A source has confirmed to Android Authority the design of the upcoming Nexus 5X – from images we have seen, we can say that these renders (as well as the images leaked by Android Pit a few days ago) are spot on.
The LG-made Nexus 5X is expected to feature a Snapdragon 808 processor, a 5.2-inch Full HD display, and a fingerprint sensor on the back. According to our sources, the device will be around $50 more expensive than the original Nexus 5. We’re just weeks away from the expected September 29 launch, so everything should become clear very soon. In the meantime, we can’t rule out even more revealing leaks, so keep it tuned for more Nexus 5X coverage.
‘Pokémon GO’ App Will Let Players Search the Real World for Pokémon
The Pokémon Company today announced a new app called Pokémon GO coming to iOS and Android, that will allow fans of the series to search real world locations to collect, battle, and trade Pokémon (via IGN). The company noted that the app itself will be free when it comes out, but gave no more specifics besides saying it’ll be available for download sometime in 2016.
Users will also be able to buy an optional Bluetooth accessory that syncs with the game, called the Pokémon GO Plus. The wrist-worn device will alert players in real-time to events going on in the game nearby — like the appearance of a new wild Pokémon, or other players battling — with flashing lights and vibrating alerts.
The Pokémon Company also announced that they’ve partnered with Niantic to help fine-tune the augmented reality aspect of the new game. Niantic already has some experience in the field, with the global espionage and mystery AR game Ingress [Direct Link] under its belt and some of its founders having originated from the Google Earth team. Although not officially one of Nintendo’s mobile titles (The Pokémon Company operates independently of Nintendo), as our sister site Touch Arcade points out, it could be an interesting glimpse into what Nintendo itself will do with its own mobile games.
iPhone 6s Supports T-Mobile Extended Range LTE on 700MHz Spectrum
T-Mobile customers should notice an improved LTE experience in the United States with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, as Apple has included support for LTE band 12 on the new smartphones. Both GSM and CDMA models of the new iPhones support the 700MHz spectrum.
Model A1633 and Model A1634
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)Model A1688 and Model A1687
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
T-Mobile uses the 700MHz spectrum to offer what it calls T-Mobile Extended Range LTE across the U.S., which it says extends the network’s LTE signal twice as far from its cellular towers and works four times better in buildings. T-Mobile Extended Range LTE is live in 170 markets and covers more than half of the American population.
T-Mobile plans to cover another 600,000 square miles with Extended Range LTE over the next three months, expanding coverage to over 260,000 homes each week to reach over 350 markets across the U.S. T-Mobile shared a map of its projected cellular coverage in the U.S. through the end of the year to highlight its progress.
T-Mobile’s projected LTE coverage in the U.S. by the end of 2015
T-Mobile is confident enough that customers will be satisfied with their network coverage that it has announced a Lifetime Coverage Guarantee for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus purchased through JUMP! On Demand. The carrier will unlock your iPhone and offer partial refunds to customers that are unhappy with their coverage.
For as long as you use your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus on T-Mobile, if you aren’t completely satisfied with your coverage experience we’ll refund you for every penny you’ve paid for your new device in the first month, or after that, we’ll unlock it at no charge so you can use it with one of the other wireless companies. We’ll even refund up to a full month of your service.
T-Mobile has also announced that it will be offering the iPhone 6s through JUMP! On Demand for $0 down with equal monthly payments of $20 for 18 months. At the end of the 18 months, you can return your iPhone to T-Mobile and pay nothing more or pay an additional $164 more to keep the iPhone 6s — a total cost of $524, which is $125 cheaper than Apple’s $649 price.
Yes! We’ll have #AppleWatch @tmobile. Who wants one?? #appleevent
— John Legere (@JohnLegere) September 9, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsT-Mobile CEO John Legere also announced on Twitter that the carrier will begin selling the Apple Watch, although he stopped short of providing a specific release date. Since launching in April, the Apple Watch has slowly been expanding to resellers such as Best Buy in the U.S. and other countries following a period where sales were limited to Apple Stores and select fashion boutiques.
Staples teams up with Sculpteo to offer online 3D printing services
Staples has been keen to offer its customers access to both 3D printers and printing services for quite some time. Today, though, the company announced that it’s teaming up with Sculpteo on a “new online 3D printing platform.” In other words, you’ll be able to upload your designs or choose from a collection of pre-designed models before adding text or images, selecting from different materials and more. Sculpteo, a 3D-printing outfit with experience in bulk orders, will use its know-how to power the online service that looks to offer a better option for customers. Staples previously managed 3D printing through its own in-house Copy & Print counters. If you’d rather manage the entire process, the retailer sells 3D printers, too. However, if you’d rather not splurge for the whole setup, the new service is scheduled to go live next week with a primary focus on customers in the US, UK, France and Germany.
[Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Misc
Tags: 3dprinting, online, order, sculpteo, staples
Here’s why the iPhone 6s has a smaller battery
Although the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus don’t look all that different, Apple has sneaked in a few major hardware changes. 3D Touch was one of the big announcements, which allows the iPhone to determine how much pressure you apply to the screen and display shortcuts and other features accordingly. However, this enhancement appears to come at a small cost: battery size. In a video introducing the iPhone 6s family, Apple briefly flashes the battery capacity of the base model. Its 1715 mAh rating is a touch lower than the 1810 mAh battery in the iPhone 6.
If you’re fretting that your (potential) new iPhone will offer less day-to-day usage than its counterpart, worry not. Apple claims that the iPhone 6s will offer the same battery life as the iPhone 6, suggesting that the company has improved power efficiency in its new models. Another reason for the smaller battery could come down to the iPhone 6s’ Taptic Engine, which takes up the space previously allocated to the battery. Apple’s new sensor detects the level of pressure by measuring the tiny amount of flex between the cover glass and the backlight. Apple hasn’t shared the size of the iPhone 6s Plus’ power source, so we’ll likely have to wait for a third-party teardown before we find that out.
If you’re comparing the specifications of your shortlisted smartphones, then the smaller battery may stand out. But for most people, the difference will likely be negligible. Then again, users have differing opinions on iPhone battery life, including Jony Ive. Apple’s Chief Design Officer argues that the thin and light design of the iPhone simply means that people are using it more, so they need to charge it more often.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Via:
MacRumors
Tags: 3d touch, 3dtouch, apple, battery, iphone, iphone 6s, iphone6s, mobilepostcross
AIVAnet 