Apple’s New iMacs Up to 20% Faster Than Previous Models in Geekbench Testing
Apple’s new 21.5-inch 4K and 27-inch 5K iMacs released yesterday have been subjected to early Geekbench 3 benchmarking, and the results show the late 2015 models are expectedly faster, with improved single-core and multi-core scores compared to previous-generation models.
The new iMacs are between roughly 7% and 20% faster than previous models in Geekbench testing, but it should be noted the results are based on single data points that will need to be averaged out against other benchmarking results for a more accurate comparison.
Japanese blog Mac Otakara benchmarked the new 21.5-inch 4K iMac, equipped with a 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, and the desktop computer received 64-bit single-core and multi-core scores of 3,787 and 12,803 respectively. The comparable late 2013 model 2.9GHz iMac had single-core and multi-core scores of 3,543 and 10,685 respectively.
The late 2015 high-end non-Retina 21.5-inch iMac, equipped with a 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, had a single-core score of 3,532 and multi-core score of 11,865. The comparable late 2013 model iMac, with a 2.7GHz Intel Core i5 processor, had single-core and multi-core scores of 3,175 and 10,199 respectively.
The lineup of new 27-inch 5K iMacs were also benchmarked, with the lower-end model equipped with a 3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor receiving single-core and multi-core scores of 3,931 and 12,079 respectively. The higher-end 3.3GHz model earned a single-core score of 4,214 and multi-core score of 13,081.
The comparable late 2014 lower-end 5K iMac had an average single-core score of 3,329 and multi-core score of 10,632. The comparable mid 2015 high-end 5K iMac, configured with a 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, had single-core and multi-core scores of 3,844 and 12,192 respectively.
T-Mobile’s 4 lines with 10GB each for $120 promo is back
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The holidays are fast approaching and that usually means we will start to see some wildly great promotions from all the carriers. Some will start early, others will wait until Black Friday. While I can’t say T-Mobiles revival of the 10Gigs4all promotions has anything to do with the holidays, it is still a very worthy promotion to alert you all too.
The offer plays out like this, get 2 lines for $50 each. Both lines get 10GB of their own data. Toss on a 3rd line for $20 and they also get their own 10GB of data. Add a 4th line for free. That puts you at 4 lines of service, each with 10GB of data for $120 per month. Like all other Simple Choice plans, you get roll over data for 12 months, Wi-Fi calling, unlimited music streaming from a plethora of music providers that won’t touch your 10GBs of data and unlimited in-flight texting through GoGo. Don’t forget calls to and from Mexico and Canada and the ability to use the same data with no charges. You might also notice that you can double any of the lines data for $10 more per month per line. Even if you did that on all fours line, that would still only be $160 a month and everyone would get 20GB of data each.
When you compare the offer to the other guys out there, you can see a huge reduction in monthly costs with the T-Mobile 4 line plan.
As with all other carrier plans, this $120 price tag doesn’t include taxes or device costs, but the base is considerably lower than AT&T and Verizon and offers more goodies than Sprint.
Source: T-Mobile
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Alphabet’s Schmidt talks about new companies to join the conglomerate
During a recent closed-door conference, Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt spent some time talking about the future of the conglomerate and the companies it may eventually cover with its umbrella. Although most of the organization of the former Google entities is still largely unchanged with the transition to Alphabet, Schmidt suggested that there are many more subsidiary companies that will be coming on board.
At one point during the discussion, Schmidt noted that “after 26, we’re going to probably transcendental numbers like pi.” He also indicated that he has not only been meeting with the CEO’s of existing Alphabet companies, but with “proposed ones” as well, so that is a good indication we should be seeing some announcements coming up. However, Schmidt did not provide any hints about which companies those may be. Many people have their eyes on Google’s self-driving car project as emerging from underneath Google X. There is also the possibility of companies being added to the fold from outside, like Uber, a company that Schmidt appears to be high on.
In addition to discussing the future of Alphabet companies, Schmidt spent some time talking about other policy topics like encryption, bandwidth, and the sharing economy. He also spent considerable time talking about developments in Europe and the threat that he sees coming from rulings there like the “right to be forgotten” and a new safe harbor ruling regarding data privacy. Schmidt went so far as to say the path that Europe appears to be on is one that could cause the loss of “one of the greatest achievements of humanity.”
source: Re/code
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Device Art Generator updated with latest Nexus phones
The Android Asset Studio online tool includes a Device Art Generator used for generating framed screenshots. That feature has been updated to provide frames for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P devices. The frames are designed to help developers quickly generate images showing how a screen will look on a device and can be used for marketing purposes.
Along with the new Nexus smartphones, developers have access to older devices as well, although it has been noted that the 2013 Nexus 7 tablet has been dropped from the lineup. Google still tells users of the Device Art Generator to not use the generated images in the Play Store.
If you want to give the tool a try, hit the source link. All you have to do is drag a png-formatted screenshot onto the frame you want to see and the framed image is generated on the fly and ready for download.
source: Device Art Generator
via: Android Police
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The ZTE 3C is an entry-level smartphone for just $78
The ZTE 3C is an interesting handset. It’s most certainly not a powerhouse, but it’s aimed at getting your most basic tasks done on the cheap.
Specifications are obviously not that impressive. It has a 5-inch FWVGA 854 x 480p display, a Snapdragon 210 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, and its running ZTE’s Nubia UI atop of Android 5.1.
All in all, it’s not a bad device for just $75. It’s perfect for the person that just needs to be able to do basic tasks, such as calls, texting, taking notes, and so on. Obviously you aren’t going to be playing many games on here. It really is just a basic device.
But it’s all about brand recognition. Sure, you might not be able to afford a flagship handset right now, but with the ZTE 3C in your hand, what’s the next step after? Probably the impressive ZTE Axon, no doubt.
source: MyDrivers
via: GizChina
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OnePlus will help you get rid of that old, crusty Samsung with new trade-in offer
You have only had your new Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ or Galaxy Note 5 for a few months at most now, but it probably feels like you are lugging around some out-of-date bag phone, right? OnePlus wants to help you out with the envy you must be feeling in being saddled with an older device as you look upon something shiny and new like the OnePlus 2 smartphone.
OnePlus has launched their new #TakeTheEdgeOff promotion for smartphone buyers who may regret pursuing The Next Big Thing these past few months and invested in a new device from Samsung. If you own one of Samsung’s flagships that launched in 2015, OnePlus will let you trade it in for a new OnePlus 2 and they will handle recycling your old Samsung device via a donation to the Hope Phones program.
Don’t think that just anyone can take advantage of this offer though. OnePlus probably anticipated smartphone users may be knocking their doors down to trade-in their latest Samsung devices to get a new OnePlus 2, so they are limiting this to a maximum of 50 winners who go through the process of signing up before the deadline on October 18th. Since those applying have to use the #TakeTheEdgeOff hashtag on social media, you can expect your timelines and feeds to explode with posts tagged in this manner.
If you really do want to try to trade-in your Samsung flagship smartphone for a OnePlus 2 64GB model in Sandstone Black, hit the source link for all the details and to submit the entry form.
source: OnePlus
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[TA Deals] Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Giveaway
The Galaxy S6 Edge is one of the hottest devices this year, and Talk Android Deals is giving one away. There’s only a few days left to enter, so you’ll need to act fast!
As a quick refresher, the device has a 5.1-inch Quad HD 2560 x 1440 display, an Exynos 7420 CPU, 3GB oF RAM, 32/64/128GB storage options, a 16-megapixel rear camera, a 2,600mAh battery, and it’s running Android 5.1.1.
Here’s how to enter:
- Submit your email address and click ENTER NOW (Make sure it’s valid as this is where we’ll contact the winner)
- After entering your email address above, share on Twitter for additional entries. The more your friends and followers enter, the more entries you receive. Good luck!
- Be sure to register with a valid email address so we can contact you if you win
- Limit one registration per person – registering more than one email address will result in disqualification from this giveaway
This particular model you’re entering to win is of the 32GB variant, and you can choose gold or black.
Good luck to all who enter!
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3Coins is a simple, challenging and addictive game (App review)
One of the joys of mobile gaming is the ability to open it right up in the palm of your hand and get started. 3Coins is one of those games you can jump right into in and start playing in under five seconds from the time you launch it. The strategy of it is what caught my interest right away.
Overview
3Coins is a game that uses your phone’s full screen as an open white field containing three circles; two red and one blue. The objective is to shoot the blue circle in between the two red ones, which are connected by a line. To shoot, the player must pull back on the blue circle like a slingshot and release. The player will get a point for every time the blue circle passes through the connected line of the red circles, either on the same try or the next shot. The circle will also get bigger for every time it passes through the line on the same shot. The player can lose the game and have to restart if they don’t pass through the line at all on a shot.
Typically, I was getting 1-2 points per shot and losing around 6 points in. This was because the red circles would either become too close together or aligned in a way that was near impossible to make the shot. This is where the real strategy comes in.
The red circles do not randomly change position every time you make a shot. Where the blue circle ended up after you shot last is where it turns into a red circle, and forming a new line. So if you get good at this game, you’ll want to strategically place your shots that won’t screw you over the next round, like the picture on the right.
Features
Google Play Games is integrated into the game, allowing the player to save their high scores to the cloud and view online leaderboards. With a high score of 18 for me, I was no where near the top. A total of seven achievements are included with the game too, which are fairly hard to get, as I only “achieved” one of them. While there are some games out there that I truly care about saving my progress and scores across devices, this is not one of them. It doesn’t need to be either. 3Coins is a simple game on purpose, and not one I currently care to brag to my friends about.
Conclusion
3Coins provides a fast-paced experience that can either be played for fun to pass the time, or used to implement strategy and gain the highest amount of points possible. It is by no means a slow game, as you are being timed per shot. Keep shooting before the time runs out.
What we liked
- The quick launch of the game gets you right into playing.
- The simplicity of it can be quite addicting.
- Yet there is a strong hint of strategy that suggests the player needs to be careful where to place the circle.
What could be better
- The option of raising or lower the difficulty could attract more audience.
- Needs more game modes. I started to lose interest.
3Coins can be downloaded for free on the Google Play Store
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T-Mobile revives 10GB shared promo plan, limited-time only
T-Mobile just brought back one of its best promotions to date, the family plan for families who don’t like to share data. The promotion is listed as a “Limited-time offer” but T-Mobile has not listed when the promotion will end. I’m not sure why they would do this, maybe to create a sense of urgency in potential customers, but I find it a little annoying for a company to keep information back, especially when they tout themselves as being up-front.
Anyways, for a family of four, the first two lines get 10GB of data each for $50 per line. The third phone will cost $20 per month which opens up a fourth phone for free. The total cost of $120 averages out to $30 per line for a family of four. In addition to 10GB per line, each user gets the standard unlimited talk and text with unlimited music streaming and Data Stash. If you are currently under a contract now under a different carrier or under a phone payment program, T-Mobile will pay up to $650 dollars in fees once you show proof of payment.
If you’re interested in learning more, head on over to a T-Mobile store, or call telesales at (1-844-222-1941).
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Cassini will soar close to Saturn moon Enceladus for the last time
NASA is considering a mission that will look into the habitability of Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus, thanks to data gathered by the Cassini probe. Now, the spacecraft will get up close and personal with the natural satellite by doing three flybys, possibly for the last time, as it has only has two years left. According to NASA, the probe will soar close to the moon’s north pole, which was too dark to photograph during earlier flights. The agency hopes to find out whether it has fractures similar to the ones found at the moon’s south pole and whether it was geologically active in the past. Cassini is flying at an altitude of 1,142 miles above Enceladus’ surface today, October 14th, with a second flyby scheduled for late October and a third for mid-December.
The probe first spotted geysers spewing out water and gas on the moon’s surface back in 2005. More recently, the samples and data it collected led to two studies suggesting that those geysers are caused by hydrothermal vents or fissures heating up the water. The spacecraft is also responsible for scientists discovering that Enceladus is a bit wobbly, proving that its ocean encompasses the whole moon. By the way, if you’re looking forward to seeing some close up images, the photos captured today will be released in the next few days — we’ll keep an eye out for you, as always.
Source: NASA
AIVAnet 