Apple invests in more clean power for Chinese manufacturing
It’s no secret that Apple takes its energy responsibilities seriously. It already powers a large percentage of its buildings via renewable sources, but ensuring that its manufacturing facilities run on clean energy isn’t as easy, especially when it has partners located in various different regions. China is now Apple’s fastest growing market, but it’s also where the majority of its products are assembled, so it’s embarking on two new programs to improve its environmental impact in the country.
First is a big commitment to solar energy, which will see it build new solar grids in northern, eastern and southern China capable of generating over 200 megawatts of power. They’ll add to the 40 megawatts of solar energy it already produces in the Sichuan Province. Apple says it will provide energy for more than 265,000 homes each year and will also help it offset the energy used by its supply partners.
The second is a new program designed to make those suppliers more efficient. Apple will partner with Chinese manufacturers to generate more than 2 gigawatts of solar, wind and hydropower for manufacturing processes over the next five years. Foxconn is on board and will generate 400 megawatts of solar by 2018, completely offsetting the energy it takes to manufacture the iPhone at its Zhengzhou factory.
Leaving the world better than we found it: 2 gigawatts of renewable energy for manufacturing in China by 2020. https://t.co/LYuRiejUtV
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 22, 2015
In May, Apple committed to responsibly sourcing paper, wood and other fibers as part of a multi-year project with the World Wildlife Fund to achieve a “net-zero impact on the world’s supply of sustainable virgin fiber.” It’s a start, but China has a long way to go before it can shed its title of being the world’s most polluting country.
Source: Apple, Tim Cook (Twitter)
BlackBerry Priv briefly goes up for pre-order: $749 unlocked, shipping November 16
It’s happening! Well, sort of. BlackBerry’s much-hyped Priv will launch officially very soon. But the price tag might curb your enthusiasm.
BlackBerry listed the Android-powered Priv in its official store a few hours ago, though apparently the listing was a mistake, as it was removed soon after.
The listing included the full spec sheet of the slider, which, after the several hands-on Priv impressions that leaked so far, reveals no major surprises. (Via Droid-life.)
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop |
| Size | 147 (184 opened) x 77.2 x 9.4mm |
| Weight | 192g |
| Model Number | STV100-1 |
| Processor | Qualcomm 8992 (Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core, 64 bit) Adreno 418, 600MHz GPU |
| Memory | 3GB Low Power RAM 32GB Flash Hot-swappable MicroSD slot (up to 2TB) |
| Display | Curved 5.43” 2560 x 1440 resolution 540 DPI WQHD Plastic AMOLED High Brightness Mode for Outdoor Readability 24-bit color depth 16:9 aspect ratio Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Rear Camera | 18MP Auto-Focus Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) Phase Detect Auto Focus (PDAF), Fast focus lock HDR 6-element f2.2 lens Back Side Illumination (BSI2) Stacked Sensor Dual Colour, Dual 2 mm2 LED Flash – Enhanced photo color balance 4k Video Recording: 30 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 60 fps, 6DOF video stabilization combined with OIS for incredibly smooth video 4x digital zoom Continuous & touch to focus, face detection, image stabilization Panorama, Burst, Live Filters Multi-Frame Low Light Enhancement |
| Front Camera | 2MP Fixed-Focus, f2.8 Large 1.75um pixel size Image & video stabilization 720p HD video recording 2x digital zoom Wide Selfie Mode (also known as Selfie Panorama) Multi-Frame Low Light Enhancement |
| Notification | Tone, vibrate, on-screen or LED indicator; notification options are user configurable |
| Buttons | Volume Up/Down, Mute, Lock(Power On/Off) |
| Keyboard | Physical Sliding Keyboard Contextual auto-correction Contextual next word prediction Personalized learning engine |
| Headset | 3.5 mm stereo |
| Ports/Connectivity | USB 2.0 Connector with SlimPort enabled NFC |
| Charging | +5V DC / 1.3A AC power adapter, OMTP Compliant QC2.0 Enabled – Compatible with QC2 Chargers Dual mode Wireless Charging capable for Powermat (PMA) and Qi |
| Battery | 3410 (typ) 3360 (min) mAh 4.4V 680 Wh/L integrated non-removable battery Fast charge enabled Mixed Usage: Up to 22.5 hours |
| Networks | FD-LTE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 17, 20, 29,30 HSPA+ 1, 2, 4, 5/6, 8 Quad band GSM/GPRS/EDGE |
| WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n for 2.4GHz 802.11 a/n for 5GHz 802.11 ac for 5GHz 4G Mobile Hotspot Wi-Fi Direct 2×2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy (LE) |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyroscope, Time of Flight (ToF) Proximity, Ambient Light, Altimeter, Activity Monitor |
| SIM | Nano SIM card (4FF) Supports 1.8V and 3.0V cards |
BlackBerry pulled out all the stops for its first (and potentially last) Android device. Fast processing package, curved Quad HD display, promising camera and, a beefy battery – the Priv checks a lot of the right marks. On top of that, you get that iconic sliding physical keyboard, which is guaranteed to boost your typing experience, and a range of security features built by BlackBerry on top of Android.
See also: Blackberry Venice shown off in quick look video
All this goodness comes at a price. The BlackBerry Priv is listed at $749 unlocked, with US support including only AT&T and T-Mobile. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Priv won’t make it to Verizon or Sprint, but if you wanted it unlocked, you will need to pay up. BlackBerry clearly targets the affluent segment of business-folk, but we’re sure that quite a few Android enthusiasts were looking forward to a more approachable price.
According to the pulled listing, the BlackBerry Priv will begin shipping in the US from November 16. As for the pre-order start, it may be as soon as tomorrow, if you believe the ads that MobileSyrup spotted in Canada.
What say you? Does the high price of the BlackBerry Priv put you off?
Microsoft Garage releases Parchi, a simple and light notes app that uses hashtags
Unlike Apple, Microsoft has put enough effort and time into making Android apps that are actually helpful. Their expansion into Android has proven to be quite affluent. They have released very interesting apps in the Google Play Store, including the Microsoft Dialer, Send and Arrow Launcher. Now it’s time to take note of their newest endeavor!
Microsoft Garage has just released ‘Parchi – Quick notes & lists’. Let’s just call it Parchi, shall we? In fact, that very name is a big representation of what the application is about. The Garage team mentions Parchi is a Hindi word that refers to small pieces of paper used for taking notes (so pretty much like Post-Its).
And the app does resemble that kind of style. It is clean and super simple, as well as quick and light-weight. Notes are nice and short, but that doesn’t mean they are as disorganized as those Post-It notes you have all over the wall. Microsoft has come up with a very unique way to keep things organized.
Of course, you can add reminders, change colors and favorite important notes, but what really has me wanting to use this app is the ability to use hashtags to more easily find your notes. Some possible hashtags could be #work, #groceries, #parties, #ideas and an infinite list that you can come up with.
What also makes this application very unique is that it allows for taking notes straight from the lock screen; there’s not even a need to jump into the app! It also does the usual stuff you can expect from a note app, though. You can use text, lists and pictures. It’s super easy to share and back up notes, as well.
The sad news? It seems the app is not yet available in many markets. The Google Play Store states the app is incompatible with all my devices… and boy do I have a lot of devices. This means it must be a regional limitation. We also don’t know which markets have it available. Maybe India, since Parchi is a Hindi word? We are not sure, but hit the comments and let us know if you have any success downloading the app!
The guys at Android Police came across the APK file, which you can also download and try to install.
Telltale’s ‘Game of Thrones’ first season ends next month
Beware, for the night is dark and full of terrors folks: Telltale Games is wrapping the first season of its Game of Thrones series, Iron from Ice soon. When the season finale, dubbed “The Ice Dragon,” releases next month on the 17th, Telltale says it’ll be the first time that an episode hits each platform simultaneously (Android, iOS, Mac, PC, Playstation and Xbox). What’s more, the story-focused developer says that the finale will provide “a uniquely harrowing conclusion” for every player based on the decisions you’ve made thus far. If I know anything about Telltale and Game of Thrones that means a number of characters are going to die. Probably viciously. Need a place to start? Telltale’s using a classic pusher move and is offering the first episode for free. Try not getting attached to anyone.
Source: Telltale Games
Nextbit’s ‘cloud first’ smartphone is up for pre-order
Want your next smartphone to stand out from the crowd? Nextbit’s Robin will do just that. The boxy, mint-colored handset (it also comes in a blackish “midnight”) was originally funded on Kickstarter, and now it’s available for regular pre-orders via BackerKit. The device certainly looks different, but what makes it truly special is its approach to software. Nextbit is doubling down on the cloud — the Robin has 32GB of internal storage, but that’s coupled with an extra 100GB online. If you’re starting to near capacity, the phone will automatically shift little-used apps and data into the cloud, ensuring you’re never left furiously deleting old photos. That’s the theory, anyway — we’re curious to see how it holds up in practice. Kickstarter backers were able to get the phone for as little as $299, but now you’re looking at $399 for a regular pre-order. That’s not extortionate for an Android flagship, but this is a new startup launching their first phone — you’ve got to be brave to buy one, especially when there are similarly priced alternatives like the Nexus 5X.
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Via: Nextbit (Twitter)
Source: BakerKit
Sony is building a new smartphone factory in Thailand
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It’s no secret that Sony‘s smartphone business is facing some trying times. The Japanese manufacturer has publicly floated the idea of leaving the mobile industry if its fortunes don’t make a turn for the better in 2016 – which makes it all the more interesting to report that Sony is building a new smartphone factory in Thailand, its first dedicated mobile manufacturing plant in 20 years. The factory is expected to be ready to start churning out several million smartphones a year by the start of the 2016 financial year – and the bill footed for the factory is expected to reach several billion yen.
The fact that Sony is building a new mobile factory and appears to only do so rarely suggests that they are planning to be in the mobile game for quite a bit longer, which does send a bit of a mixed message based on CEO Kazuo Hirai’s comments earlier this month. Still, perhaps a failure to each profitability in 2016 might just mean a direction change for Sony’s mobile business rather than an outright exit – only time will tell.
What do you think about Sony building a new mobile factory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Nikkei via XperiaBlog
The post Sony is building a new smartphone factory in Thailand appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 said to be 50% stronger than the Samsung Exynos 7420
We know it’s unfair to compare the Samsung Exynos 7420 to a next generation high-end processor, but in this case Sammy’s chipset is serving as a benchmark that will help us get an idea of just how good the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC will be. That is, assuming the latest report is to be believed.
Analyst Pan Jiutang has published insider knowledge coming from an “upstream friend” who claims the Snapdragon 820 is going to be a massive upgrade compared to current generation flagship processors. The source claims there are insane differences between the Snapdragon 820 and the Exynos 7420, which is the CPU you will find in most Samsung high-end smartphones right now, including the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 5.
It turns out the Snapdragon 820 will be 50% more powerful than the Exynos 7420, a chip that is already known for its ample processing power (#1 in our Best Android phones post has this CPU). Furthermore, it is said even single-threading tests produce the same outcome.
Given, these are processors from different generations, but a 50% increase doesn’t fail to impress, especially considering most upgrades tend to be gradual. It also leaves us wondering why the already powerful Snapdragon 810 would need such a huge upgrade. Especially considering people were left worried about possible overheating issues. Will that much more power warrant an equal amount of added heat? Let’s hope not!
We must also keep in mind that recent rumors say the Samsung Galaxy S7 is to feature a Snapdragon 820 processor in the USA and China. The reason is still unknown, but such happening would suggest Samsung has a basis for opting for the Snapdragon 820, as opposed to its own chips.
So far we know the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 will feature the new Adreno 530 GPU, a Hexagon 680 DSP, an improved Kryo CPU and improved LTE/WiFi connectivity. More details will probably come as we near a release, but the real competition wills start once we start hearing more about Samsung’s upcoming processors. Until then, all we can do is look at our newest Galaxy handsets and wonder what it would be like to have 50% more power added to them.
Do you even need that much performance?
Also read:
- Why the quad-core Snapdragon 820 won’t bring an end to the core wars
- Galaxy S7 will feature Snapdragon 820 in US and China, Exynos elsewhere: Korean report
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 to feature fast LTE, powerful WiFi and smarter connectivity
- Qualcomm introducing Kryo CPU with the Snapdragon 820
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Hexagon 680 DSP
- Snapdragon 820 is official, comes with new Adreno 530 GPU
Vudu starts streaming 4K movies to the Roku 4
Vudu’s 1080p HDX streams were once considered high quality for streaming movies over the internet, (now they’re even watchable on phones) but in the last year Amazon and Netflix surpassed them with 4K resolution and even HDR. Now Vudu is stepping up its game with some 4K flicks, currently available only through the new Roku 4. For the moment it has 12 movies viewable in 4K (check the list after the break), with prices of $10 for a rental and $25 – $30 to purchase. According to Vudu, you’ll need an 11Mbps connection to stream the high-res versions that it’s marked Vudu UHD. The option will be coming to other platforms including Vizio’s 4K TVs soon, and for the ones that can handle it, there’s support for HDR and Atmos surround sound too.
1. San Andreas
2. Man of Steel
3. Edge of Tomorrow
4. The Lego Movie
5. Magic Mike XX
6. Jupiter Ascending
7. Sherlock Holmes
8. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
9. The Great Gatsby
10. Into the Storm
11. Focus
12. Run All Night
Nextbit Robin cloud-first smartphone now available for pre-order
How many Kickstarter campaigns manage to reach over a million dollars in funding? Not many, but Nextbit managed to surpass that number with the Robin smartphone. Did you miss the funding campaign? Don’t worry, you can put your name to a Nextbit Robin today!
Pre-orders have just opened at $399. It’s a hell of a deal considering it is unlocked, off-contract and can be used with any carrier. Not to mention the specs, which compare to those in high-end smartphones. The Nextbit Robin features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 CPU, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage, a 13 MP rear-facing camera, a 5 MP front shooter and a 2670 mAh battery.
Where is the Robin making sacrifices to reach this price point? The 5.2-inch screen only has a 1920x1080p resolution, which is below the 2015 QHD standards. There’s not much to complain about, though. The phone even comes with a fingerprint reader, front-facing speakers, NFC and Quick Charge support.
Read more:
- Nextbit Robin will play nicely with all 4 major US carriers
- Nextbit Robin Kickstarter campaign surpasses $1,000,000 in funding
- Nextbit Robin quick look: a fresh take on smartphone design and cloud integration
- Nextbit is Kickstarting its Robin “cloud-first” smartphone
What does make the Nextbit Robin unique is its cloud features. And we are not talking only about using cloud storage; this smartphone takes cloud-based software to a whole new level. For example, the device can automatically store apps to the cloud when they haven’t been used in a long time. Of course, you also do get 100 GB of online storage included, and the phone will automatically back up images and videos.
We got to test it at CTIA 2015 and got pretty personal with it, so check out our quick hands-on coverage with it. If you are convinced about it being your next tech acquisition, you can go ahead and pre-order it by clicking on the button below. As already mentioned, the price is set at $399.99 and you can pick between 2 versions: the GSM iteration works with AT&T and T-Mobile, while the CDMA option is made for Verizon.
You must also pay shipping, which is not exactly cheap. Delivery fees range between $14 and $117, depending on your location. By the way, shipments are said to start rolling out come February 2016, so you won’t be seeing this phone under the Christmas tree. Who’s buying?
Jabra Eclipse bluetooth headset now available at Best Buy or T-Mobile for $129.99
Jabra has a new bluetooth headset called the Eclipse. Unlike some of the cheaper bluetooth headsets, this one features dual-microphone noise cancellation and in-pocket charging.
It comes in black or white and also features bluetooth 4.1, has a 33′ maximum wireless range, NFC pairing, dual-microphone noise cancellation, very light at only 1.43 ounces, and has button-free interaction. Just tap the device on it’s side to initiate a command.
However, the outstanding part about this headset is the portable battery charger it comes with. When you are not using it, just put the device into the case, and it will start charging. It can add up to 7hrs of additional talk time giving it a total of 10hrs of talk time.
The headset is now available at Best Buy or T-Mobile for $129.99. Also, just a sidenote, if you want to laugh, check out T-Mobile’s listing. The have a “compatible devices” section that list basically every single phone or tablet ever made, it’s hilarious.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Jabra Eclipse bluetooth headset now available at Best Buy or T-Mobile for $129.99
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