HTC Says ‘It’s Apple That Copies Us’ After One A9 Called iPhone Lookalike
HTC has denied claims that its new flagship One A9 smartphone copies the iPhone. At a press briefing in Taiwan, company executive Jack Tong said that “it’s Apple that copies us” in terms of antenna design—the Taiwanese handset maker was first to release a metal unibody smartphone nearly three years ago.
The HTC One A9 compared to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (via The Verge)
The response was reported by Want China Times (via BGR):
“We’re not copying. We made a uni-body metal-clad phone in 2013. It’s Apple that copies us in terms of the antenna design on the back,” Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said at a press briefing at the Taiwan launch of the One A9.
“The A9 is made thinner and more lightweight than our previous metal-clad phones. This is a change and evolution, and we’re not copying,” he said.
The original HTC One M7 launched in March 2013 with an aluminum unibody frame and plastic antenna lines along the top and bottom of the smartphone, both design cues that Apple adopted for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, released 18 months later, and has since carried over to the iPhone 6s lineup.
The original HTC One with an all-metal unibody design launched in March 2013
The One A9 is considered an iPhone lookalike because it has a similar rounded chassis, plastic antenna lines and a protruding rear-facing camera, and because it is available in almost identical colors as the current iPhone lineup. The smartphone also has one speaker located next to the charging port on the bottom.
HTC’s rebuttal comes after The Verge described the One A9 as “the most blatant and highest-profile iPhone ripoff since Samsung’s original Galaxy S,” a bold argument that has been contested by some HTC supporters. The copycat allegations have received significant media coverage this week.
Ultimately, while there is no denying that HTC’s One A9 is an iPhone-driven evolution of the HTC One series, it is clear that both smartphone makers have borrowed similar design qualities from each other over the years. Apple has not commented on the matter, but has taken legal action against Samsung for copying in the past.
The One A9 is HTC’s latest flagship Android smartphone, featuring a 5-inch screen with a curved-edge display, 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, 1.5 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB storage, Quick Charge 2.0 and Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The smartphone is available in a range of colors, including Carbon Gray, Opal Silver, Deep Garnet and Topaz Gold, for $399 unlocked.
Google begins pushing the redesigned Google Play Store
Last week, a former Google designer revealed plans for the next redesign of the Google Play Store. Folks have been wondering when they will be getting their hands on them, and it seems that the wait will be over soon.
According to some users, the roll out has started, and has even reached their devices. It seems that there won’t be a new APK to install, but instead, this updated UI has been built into a recent update, meaning that all Google has to do is flip the switch.
Google’s started flipping the switches, so your device should be seeing the new update sometime this week. The redesigned Play Store puts an emphasis on easier navigation between Apps and Games and Entertainment. Each section will have subsections for specific categories that you’re looking for, such as Movies & TV, Music, Books, etc. under the Entertainment section. The Apps & Games section will have sub-categories for Top Charts, Games, Categories, and more.
We are expecting to see this roll out to our devices this week, but just be patient, and we’ll be sure to update everyone once more information becomes available. In the meantime, drop us a line below if you’ve already received the redesigned Google Play Store.
The post Google begins pushing the redesigned Google Play Store appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Nexus 6P listed as out of stock in the US Google Store
That’s right, folks. The Nexus 6P is sold out on the Google Store. Well, sort of. Both the 64GB and 128GB models are completely out of stock, but if you don’t mind settling for less, Google still seems to have some 32GB variants available.
There’s no telling when the higher storage sizes will become available at this point, but we presume that it shouldn’t be long. However, if you’re not smitten on the Nexus 6P, the Nexus 5X seems to be available in all variants.
Let’s just hope this isn’t the beginning of another Nexus 4 fiasco.
source: Google Store
Come comment on this article: Nexus 6P listed as out of stock in the US Google Store
Xiaomi to eventually sell phones in the United States
There have been numerous rumors about Chinese manufacturer, Xiaomi, possibly entering the United States market. Today, we received more information on this claim.
Bin Lin, president of Xiaomi, recently stated that it’s considering selling handsets such as the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro in U.S. markets. However, the company didn’t mention any time window. The United States could use more competition especially in the mid-range market. With the possible release of these two handsets in U.S. markets, it would expand the company’s influence to the western hemisphere. The company also has similar goals for India.
Xiaomi has been working hard lately and it’s proving to be well worth while. As recently reported, the company may be one of the first Chinese manufacturers to sell over 100 million smartphone units in a single year. We’ll keep you posted.
Source: Re/code
Come comment on this article: Xiaomi to eventually sell phones in the United States
Like to fall asleep with headphones on? The SleepPhones Kickstarter is for you
If you like to listen to music or soothing sounds while you sleep but find that traditional ear buds are irritating or painful to wear in bed, then you should definitely check out this product. AcousticSheep has launched a KickStarter campaign for its SleepPhones Effortless, which is a pair of comfortable wireless headphones that you can wear as you sleep.
The SleepPhones Effortless headphones is Bluetooth wireless enabled and the speakers are tucked away in the side of a soft, stretchable headband, rather than on the end of a cable. Wearers can slip on the headband and not have to put up with the pain of jamming an ear bud in a little too far while they sleep or waking up tangled in cables.
The headband communicates with Bluetooth master devices, such as your Android phone, like any other pair of wireless headphones. It supports a wide range of music apps, including streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, as well as the company’s own music app.
SleepPhone is charged up via a wireless induction charging base, which connects up with a familiar micro USB cable and takes approximately three hours to power up the headphones completely. Once full, the headphones will apparently last for between 10 and 13 hours of playback. SleepPhones also comes with an auto-sleep feature, to turn off the device if your playlist comes to an end. This isn’t the company’s first go at building this product either, they are in the fourth generation.
AcousticSheep has already passed its fund-raising goal of $10,000, but there is still a chance to back the project and grab yourself a SleepPhones Effortless from the first batch, which are expected to begin shipping out in April 2016. The cheapest available package costs $129 for one pair, or you can grab a two pack special for $219.
Like to fall asleep with headphones on? The SleepPhones Kickstarter is for you
If you like to listen to music or soothing sounds while you sleep but find that traditional ear buds are irritating or painful to wear in bed, then you should definitely check out this product. AcousticSheep has launched a KickStarter campaign for its SleepPhones Effortless, which is a pair of comfortable wireless headphones that you can wear as you sleep.
The SleepPhones Effortless headphones is Bluetooth wireless enabled and the speakers are tucked away in the side of a soft, stretchable headband, rather than on the end of a cable. Wearers can slip on the headband and not have to put up with the pain of jamming an ear bud in a little too far while they sleep or waking up tangled in cables.
The headband communicates with Bluetooth master devices, such as your Android phone, like any other pair of wireless headphones. It supports a wide range of music apps, including streaming services like Spotify and Pandora, as well as the company’s own music app.
SleepPhone is charged up via a wireless induction charging base, which connects up with a familiar micro USB cable and takes approximately three hours to power up the headphones completely. Once full, the headphones will apparently last for between 10 and 13 hours of playback. SleepPhones also comes with an auto-sleep feature, to turn off the device if your playlist comes to an end. This isn’t the company’s first go at building this product either, they are in the fourth generation.
AcousticSheep has already passed its fund-raising goal of $10,000, but there is still a chance to back the project and grab yourself a SleepPhones Effortless from the first batch, which are expected to begin shipping out in April 2016. The cheapest available package costs $129 for one pair, or you can grab a two pack special for $219.
Watch how Neon Indian used Kinect for its latest concert
The combination of the electronic band Neon Indian and Microsoft’s Kinect makes so much sense it seems practically inevitable. During Neon Indian’s performance at the CMJ Music Marathon in NYC this month, it used five Kinect sensors to capture the movement of band members, the results of which were projected in a trippy light performance behind them. You can see the Xbox One Kinect sensors set up throughout the stage for its performance of “The Glitzy Hive” from its latest album, VEGA INTL. Night School, in the video below. We’ve seen plenty of other intriguing uses of Kinect for music performances — even the Seattle Symphony has experimented with it — but it’s still interesting to see how different artists approach Microsoft’s motion-sensing camera. Neon Indian will be using the Kinect setup in select locations throughout its upcoming tour, and you can get a better sense of how it works after the break.
Via: Wired
Instagram’s Boomerang app lets you shoot 1-second video loops
Slowly but surely, the Instagram team is building a suite of apps to help you be more creative on its photo and video-sharing platform. Following Hyperlapse and Layout, we’ve now got Boomerang, an app for iOS and Android that lets you shoot one-second videos — made from a burst of five photos — that quickly play forwards and backwards. They’re a little different to Vines and GIFs, given this “boomerang” effect means you’ll see everything periodically in reverse — presumably, it’s this element which Instagram hopes will spark people’s creativity. Like Hyperlapse and Layout, the app doesn’t have a self-contained feed, so the idea is that you’ll want to make these video snippets to share them on Facebook or Instagram. If enough people use it, these clips could diversify Instagram and make its feeds more interesting, pulling users away from rival apps like Snapchat.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/143161189?byline=0&portrait=0
Via: Instagram (Blog)
Source: Boomerang (iOS), (Android)
Harmonix caught posting five-star Rock Band 4 reviews on Amazon
When is it a good idea for employees to post reviews of their own company’s game? Most people would probably say “never,” but that didn’t stop Harmonix employees working on Rock Band 4 from doing it. A suspicious Reddit user found at least seven 5-star reviews by Harmonix employees, including from one user who said she was a “new fan,” but is actually the company’s “legal and music coordinator.” Others including a project manager, consultant and senior designer also gave it top marks. Amazon ratings are crucial for such a family-oriented game, given that the online retailer may be the only place casual buyers will look for them.
Harmonix confirmed to Destructoid that its employees did post the reviews, but said “we believe (they) were sincere and without ill intentions.” It added that “as a studio, we don’t believe these are appropriate actions,” and asked that employees either identify themselves or take down the reviews. One employee said that “I’m confident that if I didn’t (work for Harmonix) I would still give the game five stars.” However, he’s not actually allowed to do that by Amazon’s rules, and as some Redditors pointed out, it’s odd that so many Harmonix employees put them up independently.
The game has actually received decent notices by users and critics. Still, there’s a lot riding on it, especially for Mad Catz, the company that co-publishes the game and makes the guitar and drum controllers. In a recent financial statement, it said that its ability to avoid defaulting on debt “depends on (our) ability to increase net sales and gross profit considerably,” especially “from anticipated sales of products related to… Rock Band 4.”
Via: Destructoid
Source: Reddit
LifeProof Unveils ‘FRĒ Power’ Waterproof Battery Case for iPhone 6s
Popular rugged case manufacturer LifeProof today revealed its newest protective offering for the iPhone 6s, the FRĒ Power, which promises to double the battery life of the smartphone while providing the expected protection the brand’s previous products have afforded. LifeProof says the new case is fully waterproof and will let users take Live Photos and 4K videos “in almost every environment.”
“We challenge our engineers to defy what is expected and they’ve gone well beyond that with our waterproof iPhone 6s battery case,” said LifeProof President and CEO Pete Lindgren. “FR? Power provides protection and power so you can adventure further than ever before. The combination of iPhone 6s Live Photos and 4k video with double the battery life from FRĒ Power lets you capture better content and keep shooting longer than ever before.”
The source of the FRĒ Power comes from a built-in 2,600 mAh lithium ion battery, which LifeProof says provides “2x battery capacity” over the normal life of the iPhone 6s. On the outside, the case will protect from water, drop damage, dirt, and snow, the usual tenants of the LifeProof line. The company also ensures that the case’s built-in scratch protection screen allows uninhibited access to the new features of the iPhone 6s, like 3D Touch and the front-facing retina flash.
Those interested can visit LifeProof’s official website to pre-order the $129.99 FRĒ Power iPhone 6s case, which has an estimated in-stock launch date of Friday, November 6. The color options for the battery case include Blacktop, Base Jump Blue, and Avalanche, although the last two have no estimated release date. The new case is also available for last year’s iPhone 6, but the company hasn’t announced support for the iPhone 6 Plus or iPhone 6s Plus.
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