Apple Seeds First iOS 9.2 Beta to Developers
Apple today seeded the first beta of iOS 9.2 to developers for testing purposes, just under a week after the public release of iOS 9.1. iOS 9.1 brought new emoji and several under-the-hood fixes for issues that have plagued users since the launch of iOS 9.
The iOS 9.2 beta is available for download immediately from the Apple Developer Center, and it’s likely a public beta will be available in the near future.
It is not yet known what changes iOS 9.2 will bring to Apple’s newest operating system, iOS 9, but as a major .1 update, iOS 9.2 is likely to introduce new features, performance improvements, and bug fixes. We’ll update this post with any changes that are discovered in the beta.
What’s new in iOS 9.2
According to the release notes the Safari view window that pops up in some apps will now support third-party Action Extensions. Any Action Extension that works in Safari will also work in SFSafariViewController, allowing it to behave more like the traditional Safari app.
Long tapping on the Reload button in the Safari View Controller will also offer options to reload content without content blockers and request desktop site, as in Safari.
[TA Deals] Get the Essential JavaScript Coding Bundle for $29 (97% off!)
Now you’re interested in learning JavaScript? You’ve come to the right place. Because Talk Android Deals currently has a bundle with fifteen courses for a steeply discounted price. It will take you from building basic apps from popular frameworks to exploring the JavaScript ecosystem before moving on to data visualization and functional programming.
Here’s what the Essential JavaScript Coding Bundle offers:
- Learn how to build impressive applications w/ Angular
- Combine the Bootstrap framework w/ Angular to create elegant websites
- Enhance Angular applications w/ Angular directives by adding functionality to your HTML
- Explore unique JavaScript libraries such as D3.js to generate incredible visualizations
- Improve the performance & efficiency of JavaScript code
- Create reusable, agile workflows w/ Grunt
- Develop mobile apps w/ Angular & Ionic which look and feel like native apps
The value of this bundle is $1,080 and that’s a price we’d never want you to pay. So I’m very happy to tell you that we’ve been able to knock the price of the Essential JavaScript Coding Bundle to 29, a savings of 97%. All you’ll need once you purchase the bundle is a web connection to stream the courses, but you can also download them for offline access. Just be sure to redeem your code within thirty days of purchasing the bundle or else it’s gone!
Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Get the Essential JavaScript Coding Bundle for $29 (97% off!)
Motorola DROID Maxx 2 launches on Verizon
Earlier today Verizon and Motorola held a launch event for new DROID devices. Representatives spoke almost exclusively about the new DROID Turbo 2 that will be available later this week. However, that is not the only new member of the Verizon DROID family. The DROID Maxx 2 is also being launched this week and gives buyers an option if they want a DROID device, but do not want to spring for the the top of the line DROID Turbo 2.
The DROID Maxx 2 does get super long battery life thanks to a 3,630 mAh battery and quick charging options like its higher end sibling along with a 21MP camera. The DROID Maxx 2 gets an ever so slightly larger 5.5-inch screen, but it only runs at 1080 HD resolution. The mid-range device also lacks the Moto ShatterShield technology, getting Gorilla Glass 3 instead. Inside, buyers will find a Snapdragon 615 processor and 2GB of RAM. For storage, the DROID Maxx 2 has 16GB onboard which can be expanded with an additional 128GB via microSD card.
Unlike some other recent Motorola devices, buyers will not be able to customize the DROID Maxx 2 through the Moto Maker site. However, optional, interchangeable backs in different colors and textures will be available. A”Flip Shell” cover will be offered as well in three colors including Deep Sea Blue, Turquoise and Raspberry.
The DROID Maxx 2 will be going on sale later this week with Verizon offering it on a payment plan of $16 per month for 24 months. Like the DROID Turbo 2, this device will come out of the box with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop for an operating system. The upgrade to Android Marshmallow will be offered at some point in the future.
Come comment on this article: Motorola DROID Maxx 2 launches on Verizon
Motorola Droid Turbo 2 Gallery
The post Motorola Droid Turbo 2 Gallery appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google’s second OnHub router is built by ASUS, goes on sale this week
Google introduced its OnHub router this summer, promising that it would be just the first in a series of routers designed to be easier to set up and use. Now, the company has taken the wraps off the newest OnHub, the $219.99 ASUS OnHub. Much like the original, the ASUS OnHub is a tall cylindrical device meant to be placed out in the open; its base is much wider than the original and it tapers off as it gets taller, with the now-signature OnHub LED ring at the bottom instead of the top.
Source: Google
We’re live from Sony’s PlayStation event!
Sony skipped its traditional August Gamescom conference this year, preferring the golden fall leaves of Paris to the sweltering summer heat of Germany. Today it’s holding an event just outside of Paris to reveal what’s next for PlayStation. Expect a big focus on PlayStation VR, some new games, and an update on upcoming titles like Uncharted 4, No Man’s Sky, Dreams and WiLD. We’re on the ground at La Grande Arche de la Défense, watching the sun set over Paris’ financial district. After we pry ourselves away from this idyllic scene, you can join us at 6PM CET (1PM ET, 10AM PT) to follow Sony’s big show from the comfort of our liveblog.
Raspberry Pi offers custom-made, mass-produced boards
It’s one thing to buy a Raspberry Pi for your own tinkering, but it’s another when you need to buy a lot of them for your company — you aren’t going to tweak thousands of boards by hand. Thankfully, you don’t have to. Raspberry Pi is teaming up with Element14 on a customization service that lets organizations order 3,000 or more specially-made boards at once. You can use the service to add or remove connections, rejigger the layout and otherwise get the exact mini computer you want. This is helpful if you’re going to sell a Raspberry Pi-powered device (particularly important for appliances and other connected gadgets), but it should also be handy for education and other fields where an off-the-shelf board might not cut the mustard. It’ll take up to three weeks before Element14 starts designing your custom board, let alone shipping it, but that could be a small price to pay if you’re determined to get the right mix of circuitry.
Via: Rory Cellan-Jones (Twitter)
Source: Element14 (1), (2)
Droid Turbo 2 officially announced: what you need to know
It wasn’t long ago that Motorola brought us its latest flagship, the Moto X Style (Pure Edition), alongside the mid-range Moto X Play. Both handsets offered solid specs and pricing, but neither were necessarily bleeding edge when it came to hardware. With today’s announcement of the Droid Turbo 2, the company now has a new Motorola handset that offers the very best specs you’ll find on the market.
As you’d expect from a Droid, this new handset is a Verizon exclusive, though it’s possible the phone could eventually make it to other markets under a different name, as we’ve seen with some of the past Droids. So what’s all new with the Droid Turbo 2, and how does the phone set itself apart from Motorola’s existing line up? Let’s jump right in and take a look.
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Droid Turbo 2 design
In the past, Verizon and Motorola have made numerous tweaks to the styling of the Droid family in order to help them stand apart from their Moto X brethren. This still remains mostly true with the Droid Turbo 2, though less so than in past years.
The Turbo 2 offers the same backplate with the Motorola dimple and camera package, and even offers Moto Maker customization, just like the Moto X Style (Pure Edition) and Play. The Turbo 2 does have the exclusive choice of ballistic nylon, returning from the original Turbo, but there’s also plastic and leather options this time around. It’s not just the back either, as there will also be accent color choices and all the other extras you’d expect from a standard Moto device.
One way that the Moto Maker will stand out for Turbo 2 owners is that during their 2 year contracts (or payment plans), customers will be able to refresh the design once for free. That means if you don’t like the way your phone was designed the first time, you can exchange it for a new one. That’s a pretty nice perk.
Droid Turbo 2 specs and features
| Display | 5.4-inch display Quad HD resolution, 540ppi / Shatter Shield tech |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor / Adreno 430 GPU |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage | 32/64 GB expandable via microSD up to 2TB |
| Camera | 21 MP rear camera with dual LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera with wide angle lens and front-facing flash |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac Universal LTE bands Bluetooth 4.1 NFC GPS+GLONASS |
| Network | 4G LTE (Cat 4) CDMA / EVDO Rev A UMTS / HSPA+ Bands: CDMA (850, 1900MHz) GSM / GPRS / EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) UMTS / HSPA+ (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) 4G LTE (B2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 13) GSM / EDGE |
| Battery | 3,760 mAh Battery with Turbo & Fast Wireless Charging / Supports PMA and Qi wireless charging (wireless charger sold separately |
| Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop |
| Colors | Moto Maker support included |
| Weight and size | 149.8 mm x 78 mm x 7.6 mm – 9.2 mm, Weight 169g |
The Droid Turbo 2 is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB RAM, and offers a 5.4-inch QHD display that is Motorola touts as being “shatterproof”. The display offers a special tech called Moto Shatter Sheild technology, which Motorola was so confident that it drop-tested the phone on stage — and yes it survived. Motorola’s new Shatter Shield technology consists of five layers:
- Rigid aluminum core
- Amoled flexible display (can absorb shock and bend rather than break)
- Dual Touch layer (so if one breaks, it will still work)
- Interior lens
- Exterior lens
Other specs include 32 and 64GB storage options, microSD, a 21MP camera and a 5MP front cam. If those camera specs seem familiar, that’s because they are. You can expect the same camera experience that was provided by the Moto X Style (Pure Edition). Judging by our review of that device, the phone will boast a high-quality camera experience, even if it isn’t quite as exceptional as what you might find with the Note 5 and some of the other high-end camera phones on the market today.
What about battery life? Motorola has a strong history of crafting devices with great battery life, particularly when it comes to the Droid line, and the Turbo 2 is no different. The phone will offer a non-removable 3760 mAh battery that supports both Turbo and wireless charging technologies. Until we have time to review the handset in-depth for ourselves, we can’t say how good the battery here will be, but Verizon promises 48 hours of battery life. Big Red also says you should be able to get about 13 hours of charge in just about 15 minutes when using the Turbo charger.
Finally, let’s talk briefly about the software. Droid devices typically keep the extras pretty thin, though there is a number of Verizon apps pre-installed, alongside a few Moto-specific apps as well. Beyond that, you’re looking at a pretty stock-like build of Android 5.1 Lollipop. While it would have been awesome to see Android 6.0 Marshmallow right out of the box, we imagine an update shouldn’t be too far off.
Droid Turbo 2 price and availability
The Droid Turbo 2 will go on sale this Thursday, October 29th, through its website, in-stores, and even through Verizon’s select retail partners. We imagine that Verizon will offer some “default looks” for those that don’t want to wait around for Moto Maker customized phones to arrive, though that’s just a guess.
As for pricing? The Turbo 2 will be available for $26 or $30 per month, depending on if you get the 32 or 64GB storage option. That’s of course with a 24-month payment plan, with outright pricing set at $624 and $720, respectively.
There will also be a limited time trade-in offer where Verizon will accept phones and give up to $300 off on the Turbo 2. This offer even applies to phones with a cracked display, though remember the offer is for “up to $300” — so don’t be surprised if an older phone, or a broken one, yeilds a much smaller discount.
ARM announces its next-gen CoreLink system for Heterogeneous Computing
Today, ARM has announced its new CoreLink system IP, promising performance improvements for the next generation of mobile devices. The newly announced CoreLink CCI-550 interconnect enables ARM big.LITTLE processing with a fully coherent GPU, while the new DMC-500 memory controller provides higher bandwidth and improved latency response for processors and displays.
In terms of performance, ARM’s new CCI-550 boasts a 60 percent peak bandwidth increase and a 20 percent reduction in latency. ARM also states that this interconnect can save 100’s of mW in power due to its integrated snoop filter. The CCI-550 can scale between 1 and 6 ACE and memory interfaces to save on area, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, from mobile to networking.
This announcement is also a notable step forward for heterogeneous compute implementations, as communication between various processing components can be limited by a lack of bandwidth. Faster connected system will enable processors to work on the same data without unnecessary cache maintenance or memory copying. For mobile, applications could range from deep learning to augmented reality.
“To provide advanced features such as 4K video recording/playback, 120fps cameras, and quad-HD displays, they must integrate heterogeneous CPUs, GPUs, and accelerators into a cache-coherent system while keeping within tight power budgets.” – Mike Demler, senior analyst, The Linley Group
The new DMC-500 dynamic memory controller brings a 27 percent increase in memory bandwidth utilization, a 25 percent reduction in average CPU latency, and support for up to LPDDR4-4267 RAM. Increased memory bandwidth is particularly important as consumers demand higher resolution content on their mobile devices.
There’s also a little mention of the next generation of ARM Mali GPU technology, which will be called Mimir. One slide states that Mimir will be a fully coherent GPU with 1 to 4 ACE and Shared Virtual Memory, but we don’t have any additional details about this architecture just yet.
Production silicon sporting these latest ARM technologies is expected by late 2016, so it might not appear in consumer products until early or mid-2017.
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