Reuters: Walmart’s new app will reduce wait times for store pick-ups
Walmart’s delivery drones unfortunately won’t be ready to drop off packages these holidays. According to Reuters, though, the retailer will at least release a new app that can make picking up online purchases in store a lot faster. The company made the announcement during a media briefing to detail its strategy for November and December, though other outlets such as CBS News are reporting that the company’s merely beefing up its current app. Either way, the new app (or feature, if it’s just an update to the current one) will introduce a mobile check-in system. Reuters says you can use it to notify the store when you’re arriving, so the staff can start preparing your purchase before you get there. Smart move if it’s true, considering you’re probably more likely to click its website’s buy button this crazy holiday/shopping season if you know the wait time’s bearable.
Source: Reuters
[Deal] Keep your devices charged with the ZeroLemon SolarJuice for only $30
With plenty of different portable charging solutions, finding the right one can be tough to come by. Usually, you’ll see a review, and check one out, or maybe you’ll see a flash sale and grab one then. Regardless, a portable charger is one of the most quintessential items to carry with you throughout your travels.
Today we have a great deal from an extremely reliable company. Chances are, if you’ve been following AndroidGuys for some time, you’ve probably heard of ZeroLemon. They are well known for their ridiculous sized battery backs for various devices, but also make portable chargers to keep your devices at 100%. This deal is one for everyone, and has an extra twist with it.
The ZeroLemon SolarJuice 10,000mAh battery, is just what its title suggests. A huge battery that can be charged with built-in solar panels. There aren’t many options that have solar panels, but we have reviewed a one or two of those few portable chargers out there. The SolarJuice not only has a huge battery capacity, but can also charge two devices at once, and will withstand the elements if you take it on a camping trip.
- Simultaneously charges 2 devices at once
- Rain-resistant, shockproof & environmentally friendly
- Anti-explosion, lightweight, compact & reliable
- Includes a top grade-A cell, built-in 10000mAh lithium polymer battery
- Comprised of 2 total outputs: 2A fast-charging for mobile devices + 1A charging for smartphones
- Allows casual solar charging via a powerful 1.2W monocrystalline solar panel
- Boasts an ultra-long battery life; recharge the SolarJuice 1000+ times
- Use in the dark w/ built-in LED flashlight
Normally, the ZeroLemon SolarJuice would run you about $50, however with this great deal, you can save 40%, and get the SolarJuice for only $29.99. Saving 40% for a portable charger of this size, is an amazing value, and should be on everyone’s radar.
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!
AndroidGuys Deal: ZeroLemon SolarJuice 10,000mAh Battery
The post [Deal] Keep your devices charged with the ZeroLemon SolarJuice for only $30 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
HTC is losing confidence, ditches forecasts as losses mount
LG, Samsung and Sony have all recently opened up their books for Q3 2015, revealing that the big names in the Android mobile market are all struggling to shift high-end smartphones this year. HTC’s latest financial statement is perhaps the worst of the lot, as the company has posted yet another notable quarterly loss.
HTC has again seen a large decline in its revenue, falling from NT$33 billion (£1 billion) in Q2 to NT$21.4 billion ($660 million) in Q3. Q3 revenue in 2015 is roughly half the amount that HTC managed to generate at the same point last year. As a result, the company’s operating margin has fallen from -15.6 percent to -23.1 percent over the past quarter.
The company’s operating loss has remained more consistent from the previous quarter, improving ever so slightly from NT$5.1 billion ($157 million) to NT$4.9 billion ($151 million). However, HTC was just about breaking even at this point last year. The graphs below sum up the bleak looking situation rather handily.
If the figures aren’t damning enough, HTC has also stopped publishing guidance on its future performance. In other words, HTC is no longer offering insight into how much profit or loss the company expects to make in the next quarter.
HTC clearly has some idea about how much money it expects to make or lose, so we can only assume that such figures wouldn’t make for pretty reading. HTC is likely to have abandoned publishing these figures out of fear for missing them, which is typically met with a swift blow to stock prices as investors sell up. Company valuation issues have hurt HTC a few times in the past, having seen the company dropped from the TWSE 50 Index and even leaving the brand worthless at one point.
HTC phones this year:
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The company still has plenty of cash reserved to keep it in business, but successive quarterly losses are clearly showing their strain. HTC appears to have adjusted its mobile strategy lately, as shown by its growing selection of spin-off devices and the launch of the more unique HTC One A9. The next quarter’s financial results will give us some insight into how much impact this device will have had on HTC going into 2016, which could be a decisive year.
Xperia Z5 / Z5 Compact update rolling out with stagefright fix
Sony has begun rolling out a new update for the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact, bringing with it a full fix for the Stagefright exploit.
Xperia Z5 in video:
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As reported by XperiaBlog, the new update – which has build number 32.0.A.6.152 – is rolling out to the Xperia Z5 (model numbers E6602, E6653), Xperia Z5 Dual (E6633, E6683) and Xperia Z5 Compact (E5803, E5823) and weighs in at 281MB for an OTA update.
Alongside a full fix for the Stagefright exploit, the update also reportedly brings an improved camera, better heat management and more reliable fingerprint sensor. The update has begun rolling out to all variants of the handsets listed above but is dependent on region; on my UK-variant of the Xperia Z5, the update isn’t showing but others have reported the update is available. The update is also available via Sony’s PC Companion software and if it isn’t showing up on your handset, we’d check via the desktop application.
Have you got the update on your Xperia Z5 handset? If so, what do you think? Let us know your views in the comments below guys and don’t forget to include your country as well as which model number you’re using.
Android boss says Google is still “very committed” to Chrome OS
Chrome OS may be absorbed into Android at some point, but Google is not ready to talk about its demise just yet.
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Google will “fold” Chrome OS into Android by 2017. That’s due to the prevalence of Android over the capable, but largely unpopular cloud-centric model of Chrome OS, according to the people familiar with the matter. The dual approach of Android on phones and Chrome OS on PCs is “no longer relevant to Google,” the story goes.
In the hours after the WSJ story was published, The Verge and Recode both independently confirmed the information. We will reportedly get our first look at the Android-Chrome OS hybrid at Google I/O next year.
According to Recode, Chrome OS and Chromebooks won’t be going away, at least not right away. Google’s partners will still get to use Chrome OS for their laptops, which have proven a hit in schools and enterprise. But laptops makers will also be able to choose Android for their products.
Hiroshi Lockheimer, the newly anointed head of Android and Chrome, took to Twitter to reassure Chrome OS fans that the operating system will live on, in one form or another.
There’s a ton of momentum for Chromebooks and we are very committed to Chrome OS. I just bought two for my kids for schoolwork!
— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) October 30, 2015
We can’t expect Lockheimer to fess up on Google’s long-term plans. And, small as the Chrome OS ecosystem may be, Google still needs to reassure users, developers, and partners that they are not investing in a dead platform.
Lockheimer’s tweet, however, can be taken as a sign that Chrome OS will live on in some form, even if it’s just functionality integrated into Android.
It will definitely be a very interesting 12-24 months in the world of Android. After tackling wearables, TVs, and autos, Google seems ready to make Android a real computer operating system. It definitely won’t be easy, and Android will need a massive revamp in order to make it truly PC-friendly. But the horizon opened by this expansion is wide open.
UK police force trials virtual crime visits over Skype
In an effort to cut costs and make its officers more efficient, police in Peterborough, England are asking citizens to report their crimes over Skype. So, whereas before a local “bobby” would come round to their house, notepad in hand, to ask questions and take down what happened, the entire process will now be conducted over webcam. Alternatively, victims can do the follow-up on the phone or at the station — handy if Skype is being its usual, unreliable self. The system is being trialled for crimes reported via 101, the police’s non-emergency contact number. The force says it’ll give people more flexibility with appointment times, and also ensure officers spend more hours each day on patrol. We suspect it also has something to do with the major budget cuts facing forces up and down the country.
Source: Cambridgeshire Police
Sky wants to ‘set your TV free’ on November 18th
Out of the blue, Sky has started teasing a big TV-related event for November 18th. There’s little to discern from the company’s mysterious teaser site and video, which simply comes with the strap-line “it’s time to set your TV free.” An upgraded Sky Go experience? A new, mobile-only service and pricing model? A wildlife reserve for TVs? Who knows, but luckily there’s just under three weeks until the company spills the beans. You can be sure that we’ll be there on the day, breaking out all of the tasty news nuggets as they happen.
Source: Sky
World’s largest offshore wind farm to be built in the UK
When the UK government began pulling subsidies for onshore wind farms, it meant that private companies dedicated to harvesting renewable energy would no longer receive financial kickbacks when they sold their electricity to energy suppliers. The decision could have affected the UK’s total wind-collecting footprint, but offshore wind farms have remained exempt, allowing companies like Dong — Denmark’s largest energy company — to commit to new, massive installations in British waters. The company announced it is to build the world’s biggest offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea, around 19 kilometres off the coast of Cumbria.
Via: Bloomberg
Source: Dong
Download every ‘Tribes’ game for free
Fancy yourself a fan of playing awesome PC shooters online? Boy howdy, do I have a story for you: Developer Hi-rez Studios has released every game in its Tribes series for free on its website as part of the franchise’s 21st birthday celebration. That means everything from Starseige: Tribes to the free-to-play Tribes: Ascend is available right now, gratis. And you don’t even have to buy it a drink — the party’s on Hi-rez’s dime! As if you had any big plans for this weekend anyway.
Via: Dave Oshry (Twitter)
Source: Tribes Universe
EE’s wallet-busting ‘Complete’ tariffs come with a 50GB data allowance
EE split its pay-monthly plans into two tiers a couple of years ago, offering “double-speed” data and the highest allowances to anyone willing to shell out for its pricey “Extra” tariffs. Naturally, 4G contracts have become increasingly more affordable since, leaving Brewsters everywhere with pockets ablaze. Not to worry, as EE has quietly introduced new “Complete” tariffs crafted for high rollers that get through data as quickly as they get through cash. Like EE’s Extra plans, opting for a Complete package affords you unlimited calls and texts, as well as “double-speed” data. But only on a Complete tariff will you find a 50GB monthly data allowance, inclusive international and 084/087 calling minutes, picture messages and the option to upgrade your handset early, one year into the 24-month contract. As you’ve probably gathered, these plans are just a little on the expensive side.
Via: Coolsmartphone
Source: EE
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