Moto X Pure Edition arrives at Best Buy
Right on schedule, the new Moto X Pure Edition is now available to purchase unlocked in the US. Retailer Best Buy has the stock, with models available in black, white, and bamboo with your choice of 16GB or 32GB of internal memory.
The Moto X Pure Edition, not to be confused with the mid-range Moto X Play, is Motorola’s latest high-end smartphone. The phone is known as the Moto X Style in other regions. The handset comes with a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 SoC, 3GB of RAM, a 21 megapixel rear camera and 5 megapixel front camera, 3,000mAh battery, and a microSD card slot for an extra 128GB of storage. The display measures 5.7-inches, putting the handset on the large side, and comes with a sharp QHD (2560×1440) resolution.
As for prices, the 16GB model starts at $399.99, the bamboo version costs $424.99, while the 32GB bamboo model will set you back $474.99. The regular 32GB models cost $449.99, which are all very reasonable prices considering the hardware.
Read more: Moto X Style / Moto X Pure Edition unboxing and first impressions
Click the big orange button below to head on over to Best Buy to grab yours. Be sure to check out our hands on time with the handset for a closer look at everything that the Moto X Pure Edition has to offer.
Google Glass is now part of Project Aura
Google Glass is in the news again, with a report stating that it is now part of a division called Project Aura*, remaining within Google and not becoming a separate company in the Alphabet Group. Besides working on the next version of Google Glass, Project Aura will also attempt to accelerate development of other wearable technologies.
Ivy Ross heads up the Project Aura team, reporting to Tony Fadell, the head of Nest, who has general oversight of the project. In related news, Amazon laid off some of its engineers from its Lab126 a couple of weeks ago after the Fire Phone was deemed to be a failure, at least three of which have been hired by Project Aura according to their LinkedIn profiles.
After the negative press that Google Glass received, it’s likely that the next version will see a more measured approach from Google, with Project Aura operating with less public exposure.
*Project Aura has nothing to do with the similarly named Project Ara, which is tasked with creating a modular smartphone.
Source: BusinessInsider
Come comment on this article: Google Glass is now part of Project Aura
Pick up a discounted Honor 7 from Huawei’s flash sale on September 21
If you’ve thought of ordering the Honor 7 in the UK or mainland Europe, you might want to hold off for a few days. Reason being that Huawei is going to hold a flash sale on September 21st on its vMall store, with the price of the Honor 7 discounted down from the normal £249/€349 to £210/€300.
If you register on Huawei’s online store, vMall, you will receive a £40/€50 discount voucher, along with details on how to redeem it. The discount applies to the following handsets:
- Honor 7 – £249/€349 discounted to £210/€300
- Honor 6 – £209/€299 discounted to £170/€250
- Honor 4X – £144/€199 discounted to £120/€170
- Honor 6 Plus – €399 discounted to €350 (Europe only)
The discounted Honor 7 will be available on September 21st from 11 am (BST) or 12 pm European time, and only while stocks last, while the discount will apply on the other handsets until September 27. Huawei hasn’t revealed how many units will be made available for the flash sale, so if you are hankering after an Honor 7, it’s best to get in early. In order to be eligible for the discount voucher, you must register your details on Huawei’s online store, vMall. One thing to remember about the Honor 7 is that, like the almost infamous OnePlus 2, it doesn’t have NFC connectivity.
Let us know in the comments if you are going to pick up an Honor 7 from the flash sale.
Source: Huawei vMall
Come comment on this article: Pick up a discounted Honor 7 from Huawei’s flash sale on September 21
BlackBerry Venice gets its full body glamour shots
It’s no secret that BlackBerry are developing their own Android device, given the number of renders and leaked specs that have made their way onto the internet, but to confirm that such a device exists, there’s some new images showing the unannounced BlackBerry Venice.
You’ll recall that the BlackBerry Venice is important because it’ll not only mark the company’s strategy to regain some sort of presence into the smartphone arena, and also signal the death of their own OS and adoption of Android, but because of the keyboard.
BlackBerry devices are famous for their keyboard and Android is crying out for a device that does it well, so the combination results in a device that could be extremely interesting. There appears to be keyboard shortcuts available, which has been confirmed by the source of these images, so there’s not much left to do but wait for the Venice to be announced and enjoy the leaked images.
Will you be in the market for the BlackBerry Venice?
Source: AndroidAuthority
The post BlackBerry Venice gets its full body glamour shots appeared first on AndroidGuys.
2016 Civic is the second Honda with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay
In July Honda announced the 2016 Accord as its first car to support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, while now it’s revealed the next one up is its redesigned 2016 Civic. Our friends at Autoblog have some in person impressions of the new 10th generation model, but we’re mostly focused on the compact car’s new features. It has a 7-inch touchscreen display in the console (on EX models and above) that’s Android-based just like the Pilot, but is of course ready to let your phone take over for apps, navigation and more. Besides a markedly better interior to match a wider and lower frame, features it can have include the ability to brake itself or steer itself back onto the road when it senses danger, and it’s the first Honda to have Adaptive Cruise Control with low-speed follow. This year is also the first time we’ll be able to get a Civic Type-R in the US, and choices for power include a 2.0-liter 4 cylinder engine, or a 1.5-liter turbocharged version. There’s no word on pricing, but the new cars will be at dealerships this fall.Slideshow-320593
Filed under:
Transportation, Apple, Google
Tags: 2016Civic, AdaptiveCruiseControl, AndroidAuto, apple, carplay, Civic, DriverAssistance, google, Honda, HondaSensing, video
Samsung Pay may be heading to less expensive Galaxy phones
Samsung Pay is apparently off to a strong start in South Korea and will be arriving on the shores of the US in just over one weeks’ time. However, the new mobile payment system is currently limited to Samsung’s latest Galaxy S6 range and Note 5 handsets, limiting this useful feature to the premium tier. That may not be the case going forward though, as Samsung has hinted that the payment system will gradually be expanded to lower cost handsets.
When asked if the company was planning to bring Samsung Pay to cheaper handsets, Shin Jong-kyun, head of Samsung’s mobile division simply responded “it will gradually expand”. While this doesn’t give us a time frame or a suggestion about which devices could be supported in the future, it seems likely that Samsung will roll out its payment system to new, cheaper devices at some point.
“The Samsung Pay service is going well, and I think more users will be able to use it,” – Shin Jong-kyun
Samsung Pay relies on the company’s own magnetic secure transmission technology. Therefore, new hardware is required to fully implement the payment system, although a NFC only variant may also be on the cards. The Gear S2 will be bringing Samsung Pay to wearables via NFC.
This unique hardware is also what gives Samsung Pay a competitive advantage over the likes of Android Pay and Apple Pay, as it can be used with a wide range of existing card readers that are based on magnetic technology. The technology doesn’t come cheap, especially as it is first generation, but Samsung may be able to lower the cost of production over time, allowing it to be rolled out to a wider variety of devices.
Samsung Pay is to gradually launch in a number of countries over the coming months and the tech giant is also looking to introduce an online payment solution that runs alongside its current system. Samsung is betting big on mobile payments, so supporting a wide range of devices is surely on the to-do list.
Samsung Pay surpasses 500,000 registrations as US launch nears on Sept 28
The beta program for Samsung Pay began rolling out in the US last month, but how is Samsung’s mobile payments system faring in its home territory, South Korea? Pretty well, it seems, averaging over 25,000 registrations per day since its official launch on August 20th and going past the 500,000 milestone in less than a month.
Samsung Pay will launch in the US on September 28th, partnering up with the Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Visa, and MasterCard. Samsung has also partnered up with MasterCard to bring Samsung Pay to Europe while it’s thought that Samsung is in talks to connect UnionPay’s QuickPass card service to Samsung Pay in China. UnionPay services around 5 billion credit and check cards in China, so this would be quite the boost for Samsung Pay when it launches in China before the end of 2015.
Source: BusinessKorea
Via: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Samsung Pay surpasses 500,000 registrations as US launch nears on Sept 28
London’s Boris bikes kitted out with lasers in the name of safety
If there’s one universal truth, it’s that everything is better with lasers: sharks, dinosaurs, Facebook, and now… Boris bikes. Under a new safety trial, Transport for London has fitted 250 of the capital’s pushbikes-for-hire with a laser-projection system that beams the familiar stickman bicycle logo onto the ground ahead of the cyclist. With a six metre lead on the rider, the projection is intended to alert motorists to the close presence of the cyclist, who could be cruising in the driver’s blind spot at the time. In early tests, the laser projection was said to improve the nighttime visibility of bikers when compared with the regular LED headlamps currently in use. The tech itself is being provided by UK upstart Blaze, which already sells the Laserlight as a handlebar add-on for any bicycle. Should the 10-or-so week trial be deemed successful, the plan is to retrofit all 11,500 Boris bikes with the dynamo-driven projection system.
Filed under:
Transportation
Via:
Evening Standard
Source:
Blaze (Facebook)
Tags: bicycle, blaze, BorisBikes, laser, laserlight, lasers, tfl, transportation, transportforlondon
Android game streaming coming to YouTube “soon”
YouTube Gaming launched last month, allowing gamers to tune into live streams through Google’s own video service. The rival to Twitch allows hosts to stream content from their PC, but YouTube has now announced that a future update will allow for streaming directly from Android phones too.
The update was announced at the Tokyo Game Show and is said to be coming “soon”. The new feature will be accompanied by a Japanese version of YouTube Gaming. Mobile gaming is proving particularly popular in Japan and Google is looking to capitalize on this trend. Google’s steaming app was initially launched in the UK and US, but is gradually being pushed out to new markets.
“Japan’s mobile games define its gaming culture, far more so than in other countries … This trend shows there’s a real need for gamers to easily share what’s on their screen with the gaming community” – Ryan Wyatt, global head of YouTube Gaming
It’s not quite clear how the Android streaming option will work yet, what resolutions or any other features will be supported. Details will probably be announced closer to release time.
Read on: Hands-on with YouTube Gaming at E3 2015
YouTube Gaming has plenty of challenges ahead to rival Twitch’s popularity, but opening up mobile gaming content and a focus on regional trends could help the service gain unique a following of its own.
BLU Pure XL first impressions: hot damn!
When you think of a handset from American manufacturer BLU, chances are that you will immediately think of the handset as being a low-cost, low-end model, and there’s a good reason for that. Until now, the company has focused on delivering low cost handsets with some trade-offs with the price tag a key focus during the design stages.
In the case of the BLU Pure XL however, we have the company’s best smartphone ever released and on paper at least, the handset is definitely up there with the best of them. Does the premium specs list deliver a premium experience?
At CTIA last week, I spent some time checking out the handset and ahead of our full review, here’s my first impressions of BLU’s latest (and greatest) smartphone.
The design
The first thing that immediately strikes you about the BLU Pure XL is the display and so it should: BLU have included a 6.0-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED display that looks vibrant and colourful and at 490 pixels per inch density, it is one of the densest at the price point.
Measuring 164 x 82.2 x 9.6mm, the BLU Pure XL is certainly not the smallest or lightest smartphone on the market but given the large 6.0-inch display, the 73.49% screen to body ratio is certainly more than respectable.
In the hand, it doesn’t feel as large as the measurements suggest but stretching to reach the corners does prove to be somewhat challenging. The display is also backed by Gorilla Glass 3, which helps to prevent scratches and fingerprint marks and for the most part, this definitely helps to improve the overall experience.
The curved back of the BLU Pure XL makes the handset more ergonomically friendly and is essential to the usability of the smartphone, as without a curved rear, it would definitely feel too large in the hand. The metal trim around the edges help to make the handset feel more premium and the gold colour is by far my favourite, as it looks the best out of the three colours (Black, Silver and Gold).
Like many other devices (albeit some that are pricier), the BLU Pure XL comes with a one touch fingerprint sensor on the back. The position of the sensor is where your finger will naturally rest and at least from a quick test, it certainly seems snappy and responsive. One-touch sensors are quite useful as you can unlock your phone just by tapping the sensor with an enrolled fingerprint and at least from first glance, the BLU Pure XL definitely ticks the box here.
The smartphone also has a removable back cover and above the fingerprint sensor is the large 24MP camera, which comes equipped with a sapphire crystal lens cover to prevent damage and optical image stabilisation, phase detection auto focus, a plethora of software features and a dual LED true-tone flash.
The other specs
For a company known for making affordable smartphones in the sub $200 range, the switch to making a more premium handset at a higher price tag certainly comes with its own challenges. The biggest of these is improving the specs and experience enough to ensure that it delivers the value for money that its lower priced siblings off offer. Is the BLU Pure XL up to the mark?
Aside from the specs listed above, BLU has certainly aimed to pack the Pure XL with as much as possible, in order to justify the $350 price tag. The other key specs include a MediaTek Helio X10 octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz, 3GB RAM, 64GB internal storage (that can be expanded by a further 64GB), a 3500mAh battery with quick charging, LTE Cat 4, NFC, dual SIM card support and more.
In particular, the Helio X10 processor was the most surprising; while many MediaTek-powered handsets can be slow and sluggish compared to Qualcomm devices, the BLU Pure XL is fast, fluid and showed zero signs of lag. Granted, we only spent a few moments with the handset but with an experience that’s close to stock Android – the Pure XL runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with only a handful of changes to the stock experience – the experience certainly seems to be lag-free.
BLU Pure XL first impressions
It’s difficult to have a definitive opinion on a handset after spending just a few moments with it but the BLU Pure XL struck me from the moment I saw it. While plenty of higher priced handsets make do with IPS displays, the Super AMOLED display is vibrant and definitely a joy to use. The design is not exactly ground breaking but definitely gets the job done and given the price tag, the rest of the specs list is certainly impressive.
BLU in video:
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At a cost of $349, the handset is higher priced than anything BLU have ever made before and means the Pure XL will go up against some excellent competition, including key competition from Huawei and the OnePlus 2. We’ve got a full review coming up of the BLU Pure XL but I, for one, would certainly not rule out this smartphone if you’re looking for an unlocked smartphone for under $350.
What do you think of the BLU Pure XL from our very brief hands-on, and would you buy one? Let us know your views in the comments below guys and stay tuned for our full review. I’ll leave you with my reaction when I first laid eyes on the BLU Pure XL: hot damn!
AIVAnet 