Unlocked HTC One A9: software upgrades within 15 days of every Nexus update
Today HTC took the wraps off its new hero device, the HTC One A9. While the phone isn’t exactly a “flagship” by the traditional sense, it does offer some compelling features including a high-end metallic design, Marshmallow out of the box, a fingerprint scanner, and more. One other big change? The unlocked version of the One A9 will not only have a unlocked bootloader that won’t void the warranty, it’ll also get almost Nexus-fast updates.
In an official Tweet, HTC revealed that the unlocked A9 will get “every software update within 15 days of Google’s first push to Nexus.” That’s a pretty bold claim, especially since HTC fell behind on its 90 days promise back in the days of Lollipop.
.@JasonMacHTC: The One A9 unlocked edition will provide every software update within 15 days of Google’s first push to Nexus. #BeBrilliant
— HTC (@htc) October 20, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
For what it is worth, we’ve seen HTC push more and more of its apps to the Play Store, decoupling them from Sense. With the promise of 15 day updates, perhaps HTC has found a way to push away even more of the HTC Sense experience from base Android? After all, it’s generally the “customized parts” of the UI that slows OEMs down when it comes to launching new updates.
See also: Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup – October 15, 2015
What if HTC can hold true to the promise? The HTC One A9 will be one of the most modder-friendly devices on the market, offering fast updates and an easily unlockable bootloader. Of course, it’s specs aren’t exactly the kind power users dream of, though there’s more to a good phone than the specs. For more casual consumers used to iPhone’s update policies and for those that fear the dreaded (and exaggerated) “fragmentation issue” of Android, the addition of fast and frequent Android updates will also likely be welcomed.
See also: HTC One A9 first impressions: trying some new things
What do you think of the HTC One A9, and its near-Nexus update promise? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
ARM’s latest graphics core will speed up your smartwatch
Let’s be blunt: the graphics in most smartwatches suck. They’re frequently limited to basic effects, and you’ll sometimes see the kind of stuttering that has long-since disappeared on your smartphone. ARM aims to fix that, however. It’s launching the Mali-470, a mobile graphics core that’s virtually tailor-made for smartwatches, the internet of things and anything else where battery life is the top priority. The GPU supports the flashy per-pixel visual effects you see on modern phones (OpenGL ES 2.0, to be exact), but it uses half as much power as the long-serving Mali-400 even as it runs faster– you could see lively 3D animations that don’t kill your watch within a few hours.
ARM hasn’t named customers for the Mali-470, so it’s not yet clear just who’s using it in their processors. You’ll have to wait a while to use it, at any rate — ARM doesn’t expect the core to reach real, shipping products until late 2016. When it does, though, it could help usher in a new generation of wearables and smart appliances whose graphics don’t feel like throwbacks.
Source: ARM
DROID Turbo 2 teased ahead of official announcement, courtesy of Verizon
The Motorola-made DROID Turbo 2 has been constantly leaking for months now, and so far we think we have a pretty good idea as to what we can expect from the new smartphone when it becomes official. As we near the device’s October 27th unveiling, Verizon and Motorola have released a new teaser showing off the unannounced DROID handset. The video, attached in the tweet below, shows the device falling screen first towards the ground, with the text “The new DROID is dropping soon.”
Introducing the perfect phone for imperfect people. pic.twitter.com/OzeiE2znP3
— Verizon (@verizon) October 20, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
See also: Motorola Moto X Play review
The Verizon-exclusive DROID Turbo 2 is expected to feature “the world’s first shatterproof display” and support for Moto Maker. It’s also rumored to come with a Snapdragon 810, a 5.4-inch Quad HD display, 3GB of RAM, 32/64GB of on-board storage and a big 3760mAh battery.
We’ll of course be at the DROID event on the 27th to bring you a first-hand look at the device, where Motorola is expected to also announce the DROID Maxx 2. Based on the leaked specifications and features, are you interested in either the DROID Turbo 2 or DROID Maxx 2? Be sure to let us know what you think in the comment section below.
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Ubisoft’s new reward program aims to mend UPlay’s image
Ubisoft’s UPlay gaming service has something of an image problem, to put it mildly. It’s supposed to handle everything from copy protection to multiplayer matching, but it’s frequently known for being flaky, insecure and an overall hassle. The game developer is doing something about that, thankfully: it just launched Ubisoft Club, its long-in-testing rewards program. In spirit, it sounds a bit like the defunct Club Nintendo. The more you play, the more Units (Ubisoft’s virtual currency) you earn — get enough and you’ll unlock downloadable content, beta tests and other goodies.
This doesn’t appear to be a straight-up replacement for UPlay, since you’re still encouraged to sign up for the existing service and link accounts. With that said, there’s little doubt that Ubisoft Club exists in part to improve the company’s reputation with online services. It theoretically gives you more reasons to see what UPlay has to offer, rather than do the bare minimum you need to start playing.
Source: Ubisoft Club
Konami says Hideo Kojima hasn’t left, he’s just on vacation
Please stop toying with our emotions like this, Konami. Yesterday, The New Yorker reported that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima officially parted ways with Konami on October 9th, following a farewell party at his in-house studio, Kojima Productions. Today, Konami denied Kojima’s departure to Japanese site Tokyo Sports, as translated by Kotaku. “Currently, Kojima is listed as a company employee,” a Konami spokesperson said, according to the translation. Apparently, the spokesperson said that Kojima and the team that developed Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain are all taking a long vacation. And that reported farewell party? “We’re not sure what kind of thing this was,” Konami’s spokesperson said.
In response to Konami’s claims, New Yorker contributor Simon Parkin (author of the original “Kojima has left the building” story) shared a photo of the purported goodbye celebration at Kojima Productions.
Here is a photograph of Kojima’s farewell party on October 9th at Konami, which Konami claims no knowledge of: pic.twitter.com/xgRUoYs5qt
— Simon Parkin (@SimonParkin) October 20, 2015
Konami didn’t mention how long the Phantom Pain team’s time off will be, though Parkin reports that Kojima is contracted until December. Perhaps that’s also when his reported vacation will end. Farewell party, vacation or otherwise, Kojima’s time with Konami is coming to an end — after nearly three decades with the studio, this year Konami removed Kojima’s name from the Phantom Pain box art and canceled Silent Hills, a highly anticipated horror game from Kojima and horror director Guillermo del Toro, among other odd moves.
Konami has yet to respond to our requests for comment, but we will update this story if we hear anything.
Source: Kotaku
HTC One A9 now available for pre-order for just $399.99
HTC has just taken the wraps off its new One A9 handset, and we were lucky enough to go hands-on with it. If you’ve already decided that the One A9 is right for you, you can now pre-order the device from HTC.com for just $399.99.
The unlocked version of the device is available for $399.99 in Opal Silver and Carbon Grey color options with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board storage, with the Deep Garnet color variant arriving in the United States “in the coming weeks.” Right now there are two different versions of the unlocked One A9 to choose from – one that works with Sprint, and another SKU that works with T-Mobile and AT&T. The SKU that works with T-Mobile and AT&T will get a software update that will allow use of the phone on Verizon’s network using LTE only with a previously activated SIM, giving support for full voice, data, SMS, and MMS.
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See also: HTC One A9 officially announced: everything you need to know
During the One A9’s announcement, the company revealed that the unlocked version would get “every software update within 15 days of Google’s first push to Nexus,” which is certainly a bold claim. Timely software updates are something HTC has pretty much always struggled with, so this is certainly good news for HTC fans. The One A9 also comes with HTC’s Uh-Oh protection plan, as well as 6 months of free Google Play Music All Access if you choose to buy through HTC.com.
HTC Unveils the One A9, an iPhone Lookalike That Runs the Latest Version of Android
HTC today announced its latest flagship Android smartphone, the HTC One A9. Priced at just $399, the One A9 looks remarkably like an iPhone 6/6s, taking many design cues from Apple’s most recent devices.
The A9 has a 5-inch screen with a curved-edge display, so it fits right in between the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus, and it includes the same antenna bands and a protruding rear camera, both design choices that haven’t exactly been universally popular on the iPhone. The aluminum body comes in colors that are similar to the iPhone color lineup, available in Opal Silver and Carbon Gray.
A Topaz Gold shade is available internationally, and a Deep Garnet color will be available later in the year. When it comes to thickness, the A9 One measures in at 7.26mm, putting it on par with the 7.1mm iPhone 6s and 7.3mm iPhone 6s Plus.
The design similarities between the iPhone 6 and the HTC A9 are only external. The A9 runs the latest version of Android, Marshmallow, and it’s equipped with a four-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon 617 processor, up to 3GB RAM, and a 13-megapixel rear camera. There’s also a 4-pixel front-facing camera and it ships with up to 32GB of storage that can be expanded to 2TB with a microSD card.
The HTC One A9 compared to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, via The Verge
Like many smartphones available these days, the One A9 has a fingerprint scanner to unlock the phone without a passcode, and it has built-in DAC to convert 16-bit audio to 24-bit high-resolution audio.
HTC is accepting pre-orders for the One A9 on its website. The phone is priced at $399 and is available unlocked.
Apple TV Gains CBS All Access, NBC, and Made to Measure Channels
Just a week ahead of the launch of the fourth-generation Apple TV, Apple has added several new channels to the existing set-top box. As of today, NBC, CBS All Access, and Made to Measure (M2M) are available on the Apple TV.
The new NBC channel is the first time the network has had a channel available on the Apple TV, aside from the dedicated NBC Sports channel. With the NBC channel, customers can watch full episodes of NBC shows on the Apple TV. Cable authentication is required for some features, but all users can watch some NBC content on the channel without needing a subscription.
Announced last night, M2M is an Apple TV exclusive channel that focuses on fashion, run by talent agency conglomerate WME/IMG. The channel features short videos, interviews, and mini-documentaries from the fashion world.
The new CBS channel, CBS All Access, is designed to provide access to the CBS All Access streaming service. CBS All Access includes more than 7,500 episodes of CBS shows on demand, and it offers new episodes of all CBS shows the day after they air. Some customers whose local CBS affiliates support All Access will also be able to watch CBS shows live on the channel.
All three of the new channels are available immediately on the existing Apple TV, and will also be available on the new set-top box that’s launching on Monday.
Facebook’s Instant Articles Feature Now Rolling Out to All iOS Users
Several months ago, Facebook announced “Instant Articles,” a new platform for publishers that aimed to speed up the loading times of articles when browsing on the Facebook iOS app, but it was limited to a small number of iPhone users. As of today, Facebook’s Instant Articles are rolling out to all iOS users and should be showing up in Facebook timelines starting now.
With Instant Articles, publishers are able to host their posts and stories on the Facebook servers, which are able to load linked articles up to 10 times faster than a separate web app. The platform also includes several interactive tools like photo zooming, maps, auto play videos, audio captions, comments, and more, plus it lets publishers access analytics tools to measure article traffic.
According to Facebook, its users are more likely to read and share content that loads instantly, and content that gets a lot of shares is beneficial to publishers as it ranks higher in the Facebook News Feed.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/142956439?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0
Several major publications have signed up to use Facebook’s Instant Article platform, including The New York Times, National Geographic, BuzzFeed, NBC, The Atlantic, The Guardian, BBC News, Spiegel, Bild, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The Atlantic, Business Insider, Fox Sports, MLB, Hollywood Reporter, The Onion, The Verge, TIME, and more.
Instant Articles are highlighted in the iOS Facebook feed with a lightning bolt icon, letting users know which content has the special formatting.
Jabra Eclipse is the latest light weight Bluetooth audio device headed to T-Mobile and Best Buy
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Jabra is a brand name that is well-known and loved by many. Their Bluetooth headsets tend to be the best in the business in fit, battery life, functionality and sound. Today Jabra has announced a new device for those who need a Bluetooth experience on the go without breaking the bank to make it happen with the Jabra Eclipse.
The Eclipse brings all that is Jabra to a device that is small and compact weighing just 5.5 grams and carrying a battery that will last you 10 hours of talk time and standby of 3 days. It uses Bluetooth 4.1 with a range of 30 meters, 98 feet. The Eclipse also features NFC pairing to make connecting it to your device as easily as possible.
The headset features a buttonless touch control to answer and disconnect from calls with a simple touch near your ear. The speech is handled by Jabras 2 Omnidirectional microphones which have always seemed to provide exceptional voice clarity in the past.
What interests me the most is how Jabra handles charging on a lot of their Bluetooth headsets. The Eclipse comes with a travel carrying case that also charges the headset. It connects via magnets and will give you roughly 7 hours of recharge to the Eclipse.
The new Jabra Eclipse headsets are available in black or white and can be picked up at Best Buy, T-Mobile or through Jabra directly for $129.99.
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