Report: Samsung’s future VR solutions might not require a phone at all
Virtual reality is really just starting to gain momentum among consumers and interest is expected to expand dramatically next year as commercial products from HTC, Sony, and Oculus hit store shelves. It is becoming increasingly obvious that VR is “the next big thing”. With that in mind, a new rumor out of South Korea suggests that Samsung will be making a bigger push into VR next year with a stand-alone solution.
Samsung, through partnership with Oculus, has already brought the world two versions of its Gear VR headset but the requirement of select Samsung phones certainly limits the devices’ appeal. The new report doesn’t give us any real details about what to expect from Samsung, other than we could be looking at dedicated headsets that no longer use a phone’s brains and display to operate. Whether such a device would still use the Gear VR branding remains unclear. It’s also uncertain if Samsung would take an Oculus-like approach an require a PC, or if the headset would be completely self-contained.
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A self-contained experience that uses mobile chips and other tech would allow Samsung to keep pricing down and would also expand mainstream appeal, as anyone could buy one without the need for a Samsung phone or a high-end PC. It could potentially give Tizen another home outside of the Gear watch family. Of course, that’s all really just speculation on our part.
The Oculus Connect 2 event is scheduled to start tomorrow and last until the 25th, and during that time we could hear at least a little about Samsung’s plans. After all, Oculus and Samsung are partners and so it would make sense that any future plans would continue to be tied to Oculus technology to at least some degree.What do you think, if Samsung could produce a completely stand-alone VR solution, would you be interested? How much would you be willing to pay for such a product? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Celebrating Transparent’s Emmy wins, Amazon cutting prime to $67 this Friday
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Netflix and Amazon Prime have certainly changed our TV viewing dynamic over the last few years, introducing special series that are exclusively available online with release models that differ from typical broadcast television. Amazon is especially proud of Transparent, an Amazon exclusive that won a total of five Emmy awards this weekend.
In celebration of Transparent’s success, Amazon is slashing its Prime membership down for $99 to just $67, but only this Friday at 12:00am ET and ending at one minute before midnight that same day.
For those who have never signed up for Prime before, the service gives you free two-day shipping on any item, free same-day shipping for select items in select metro areas, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows from the Prime library, Amazon’s streaming music service, free unlimited photo storage, early access to Amazon lightning deals, and free access to select Kindle books. That’s quite a few perks, though the service is limited to US consumers.
If you have ever considered pulling the trigger on Prime service, now is a great time to do it. How about it, anyone planning to sign up for this at the discounted rate? Be sure to return to this post on Friday (we’ll update this post as a reminder), and sign up from here.
New Apple TV Teardown Provides Closer Look at A8 Chip, Larger Heat Sink and Siri Remote
iFixit has posted a hardware teardown of the new fourth-generation Apple TV, providing a closer look at the set-top box’s A8 chip, flash storage, redesigned power supply with a larger heat sink and other logic board components. The website also provided a teardown of the accompanying Siri Remote.
Under the hood, the new Apple TV features a dual-core, 64-bit Apple A8 chip with 2GB of SK Hynix LPDDR3 SDRAM, custom Apple memory controller, SK Hynix NAND flash storage, Universal Scientific Industrial Wi-Fi module and SMSC USB 2.0 to 10/100 Ethernet controller.
Apple TV 4 Components List
The new Apple TV also has a larger heat sink, which is likely a contributing factor to the set-top box’s taller form factor. The redesigned power supply is rated at 12V at 0.917A, compared to the third-generation Apple TV’s rating of 3.4V at 1.75A. The heat sink is situated above the heat-sensitive logic board.
The teardown of the Siri Remote reveals a ST Microelectronics low-power ARM Cortex-M3 MCU, Qualcomm CSR1010 Bluetooth radio, Texas Instruments low-power digital signal processor, the same Broadcom touch screen controller used in the iPhone 5s/5c and iPad Air, 410 mAh battery and a few other chips.
iFixit gave the new Apple TV a strong repairability score of 8 out of 10, with ten being the easiest to repair, because it has only a few major components, a replaceable power supply and standard Torx screws. It also found the Siri Remote has a wide gap, making it easy to pry apart for repairs.
iPhone 6s Puts Focus on Its Cameras With Higher-Quality Photos and Video, Front Flash, and More
With the launch of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus a few days away, the first reviews for the new devices have begun appearing online today. Many reviewers touted Apple’s inclusion of the new 3D Touch technology and the overall performance enhancements that were brought in thanks to the A9 processor. One of the biggest points of attention given in a number of the reviews, however, was the 12-megapixel camera, which has the ability to capture Live Photos and shoot 4K video.
In one of its two in-depth reviews on the iPhone 6s, The Verge simply called the new smartphone’s camera, “the best camera most people will ever own.” Still, the site thought that the overall camera improvement from the iPhone 6’s 8-megapixel offering was a “mild” update in the grand sense, given that most customers probably won’t be able to tell the difference between the two unless they were side-by-side. Not to mention that most people will be using the camera on its simplest terms for social media.
Pocket-lint noted the front-facing camera’s 5-megapixel upgrade also has some improvements that are worth mentioning. The site described the new flash feature — which turns the entire iPhone screen into a camera flash — works quite well and provides impressively dynamic color palette to match the lighting situation, from “bright clean whites to creamy tones.”
Pointing out that the iPhone 6s rear camera upgrade is the first resolution improvement made to an iPhone since the iPhone 4 in 2011, The Telegraph called the new 12MP camera “a necessity.” Impressed with the better and more accurate autofocus and bump in pixel density, the site found photos taken with the camera to have “greater depth of field, richer, more accurate colour and greater detail.”
Aside from today’s reviews, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have also been used in a few high-profile photo shoots in recent days, including the above photos from TIME, a set from Sports Illustrated shot at recent San Francisco Giants games, and even a few pictures from New York Fashion Week taken by Vogue. Video footage taken with the 4K-enabled iPhone 6s rear camera is also appearing online, with popular YouTuber Casey Neistat trying out the high-quality format for his latest vlog.
Apple Outlines Steps for Developers to Validate Xcode Following Malware Attack
Following last week’s disclosure of new iOS malware called XcodeGhost, which arose from malicious versions of Xcode hosted on third-party servers, Apple has outlined instructions for developers to ensure the version of Xcode they are using is valid.
When downloading Xcode from the Mac App Store, or Apple’s website so long as Gatekeeper is enabled, OS X automatically checks the app’s code signature and validates it against Apple’s code. If you must obtain Xcode elsewhere, follow these steps:
To verify the identity of your copy of Xcode run the following command in Terminal on a system with Gatekeeper enabled:
spctl –assess –verbose /Applications/Xcode.appwhere /Applications/ is the directory where Xcode is installed. This tool performs the same checks that Gatekeeper uses to validate the code signatures of applications. The tool can take up to several minutes to complete the assessment for Xcode.
The tool should return the following result for a version of Xcode downloaded from the Mac App Store:
/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted
source=Mac App Storeand for a version downloaded from the Apple Developer web site, the result should read either
/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted
source=Appleor
/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted
source=Apple SystemAny result other than ‘accepted’ or any source other than ‘Mac App Store’, ‘Apple System’ or ‘Apple’ indicates that the application signature is not valid for Xcode. You should download a clean copy of Xcode and recompile your apps before submitting them for review.
Apple issued a statement in response to XcodeGhost over the weekend, noting that it has removed all infected apps it is aware of from the App Store and is working with developers to ensure they are using a legitimate version of Xcode.
“We’ve removed the apps from the App Store that we know have been created with this counterfeit software. We are working with the developers to make sure they’re using the proper version of Xcode to rebuild their apps.”
XcodeGhost affected dozens, and possibly hundreds, of App Store apps. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users should read what you need to know about XcodeGhost to learn more about the malware and how to keep yourself protected.
Xiaomi announces their new Mi 4c flagship, priced aggressively at $203
Xiaomi, one of the biggest cell phone manufactures in China have announced their newest phone, the Mi 4c. The Mi 4c is an upgrade to the Mi 4i which was released in April. The Mi 4c has an upgraded processor, a bump in RAM from 2 GB to 3 GB and comes with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.
As you can see, the Mi 4c has a really impressive spec list. What may be even more impressive is the price. In China it will be priced at 1,299 yuan which translates to $203 US Dollars. 1,299 yuan will get you a Mi 4c with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of memory while 1,499 yuan ($235 US Dollars) will get you the upgraded 3GB/32GB variant. Both variants will be available in several colors including white, pink, yellow and blue.
We’re happy to see more companies adopting the USB Type-C connector and it’s reversible cable, but it would be nice to see version 3.0 instead of version 2.0. USB 3.0 allows for faster transfer speeds and faster charging time. The Mi 4c WILL offer Qualcomm’s fast charging 2.0 standard unlike the OnePlus 2 which also features a USB Type C with no fast charging. There has been no word on wireless charging yet so we’re going to assume it’s not present. If you have nothing but Micro USB cables laying around, Xiaomi will offer a USB Type C to Micro USB connector extremely cheap (5 yuan).
The Mi 4c will debut a brand new feature from Xiaomi called Edge Tap. Edge Tap will allow you to quickly take a picture with one tap on the side of your phone and will allow you to go back to your previous picture or task with a double tap. It appears from the press photos that there will be an area under the power button where you can tap to take advantage of this feature. We just wonder how many pictures of the insides of pockets the Mi 4c will be taking.
And speaking of the camera, the Mi 4c will be packing a 5 MP shooter on the front for your selfies and a 13 MP main shooter on the back. The main camera has a Sony IMX258/Samsung S5K3M2ISOCELL sensor and dual tone flash. The front camera has a wide angle lens and a beautify feature.
So far we’ve only heard that the Mi 4c is going to be only released in Chine, but we hope to see it come to other parts of the World with the impressive spec-line and even more impressive pricing.
Source: Lowyat
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(Deal) Watch TV on the go with the MJ Technology Android Tablet
The MJ Technology Android Tablet is a great option for those who want to be able to watch TV from wherever you are. With the built-in HDTV tuner, you can pull down any of the available channels whenever you want to watch your local channels. Whether it’s football Sunday, or trying to catch up on the local news, this is a great solution to a growing problem.
Cord-cutters are becoming more and more prevalent, so being able to view your local channels is also becoming important. Sure, you can just buy an HDTV Antenna and connect it to your TV, but that doesn’t help you if you’re on the go, and have some time to kill.
- Watch 4 to 6 hours of HDTV-tuned TV or get 8 hours of basic use w/ one charge
- Watch HDTV anywhere there’s signal
- Take the lightweight, compact gadget anywhere
- Benefit from Android 4.1’s top-notch technology
- Enjoy lightning-fast speeds
- Take advantage of ports for microphone, headphone jack, micro-USB & micro-USD card
While the MJ Technology Android Tablet doesn’t have the biggest battery, and isn’t updated to the latest version of Android, that’s not a huge deal. Well, unless you plan on using this bad boy all day and all night. Then you’ll need a portable battery to go with it.
Regardless of that, this deal from AndroidGuys and StackCommerce is unique and should be considered if you’re taking the path of cord-cutters. Regularly priced at $170, you can head over and grab this deal for $139.99, a savings of 17%.
You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals Page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
The post (Deal) Watch TV on the go with the MJ Technology Android Tablet appeared first on AndroidGuys.
The Wilson X Connected Basketball is the smart way to play ball, Android support in November
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Given how much manufacturers have invested into the wearable industry lately, it’s interesting that there isn’t more smart training equipment specific to certain sports. Basketball, however, is getting its breakthrough thanks to the Wilson X Connected Basketball, which tracks your shooting and can differentiate between makes and misses, collating all that data on a smartphone app for you to take a look at after your training session. At the moment, the Wilson X Connected Basketball is only compatible with iOS, but the Wilson website says Android support is coming in November.
To help you train, the Wilson X Connected Basketball offers four different training modes, including a Buzzer Beater mode that aims to make you feel the pressure as the clock approaches zero. It has its limitations though – the Wilson X Connected Basketball is definitely more of a shooter’s arena as the ball isn’t as good at tracking shots made from within seven feet of the hoop. As for charging the Ball, Wilson says that the ball will stay charged for 100,000 shots. If that sounds like a ball you want in your court, either a standard 29.5-inch or 28.5-inch ball is available for $199 USD.
What do you think about the Wilson X Connected Basketball? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post The Wilson X Connected Basketball is the smart way to play ball, Android support in November appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Xiaomi Mi 4c announced in China, features Snapdragon 808 and USB Type-C
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Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone brand, has announced a new smartphone in its home market today. Dubbed Mi 4c, the mid-range Android smartphone, is an upgraded version of the Xiaomi Mi 4i that was released in India earlier this year. The Mi 4c is priced at just $204 and $235 in China for the 16GB and 32GB variants respectively. It will be available in five colour options; blue, cool white, grey, pink, and yellow
The Mi 4c features a 5-inch 1080p IPS LCD display, a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, 2G or 3GB, 16/32GB internal storage space, dual-SIM card slot with 4G LTE connectivity, IR port, and a 3,00 mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging support. It is also equipped with a 13-megapixel primary camera with phase-detection autofocus, dual-tone LED flash, 1080p video recording, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.
On the software front, the devices runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop-based MIUI 6, and the company has promised that it will roll out MIUI 7 very soon. Xiaomi has included the Edge Tap feature that lets users tap on the side of the device to access shortcuts. For instance, double tap on the side of the Mi 4c can be set to go to the previous screen and the single tap can be set to capture an image while using the camera app.
An interesting feature about this smartphone is that it is equipped with USB Type-C port, similar to that of the OnePlus 2. The inclusion of USB Type-C is controversial since there are not many accessories that come with this new standard, so even the recently released high-end smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ and the Sony Xperia Z5 do not feature it. To tackle this problem, the company is even selling a microUSB to USB Type-C adapter for just 5 Yuan (~$0.78).
The post Xiaomi Mi 4c announced in China, features Snapdragon 808 and USB Type-C appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
More details emerge on HTC’s September 29 event
HTC is gearing up for its event scheduled on September 29, the same day Google will introduce Android 6.0 and the new Nexus devices. According to a recent twitter post, HTC will announce a minimum of two new devices at the upcoming conference.
Next week HTC will likely announce the Butterfly 3, in addition to an updated HTC One M9+. The Butterfly 3 is expected to be exclusive to the Chinese market. As for the HTC One M9+, it’s currently unknown whether the company will follow the same route as the Butterfly 3 or launch it globally. No details regarding the upcoming device’s specifications have been mentioned. One could expect each to be a slightly improved version over its predecessor. Additional rumors have led us to believe HTC will announce a new mid-range HTC One A9 smartphone alongside what could be the company’s first ever Android Wear smartwatch. We’ll see what HTC brings.
Source: LlabTooFeR (Twitter)
Via: Ubergizmo
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