Republic Wireless to launch the Moto G (2015) later this month
Republic Wireless, the carrier that prides itself on switching between cellular and WiFi networks, is ready to offer another Motorola device to customers at the end of October. The carrier will begin selling the Moto G (2015) on October 27 in two color options and storage sizes. This is in addition to Republic Wireless already offering the Moto E (2015) and Moto X (2014).
The carrier announced today that the Moto G will be priced at $199 for 8GB and $229 for 16GB of internal storage, a small increase over buying the handset from Motorola directly. Both storage sizes come in either black or white; therefore, it’s clear that Motorola is forgoing Moto Maker access for Republic Wireless customers this time around.
Combined with Republic Wireless’ affordable plans, the Moto G is an insane value. The carrier has plans for as low as $5 per month if all you need is calling and texting over WiFi alone. People that need much more from a carrier can spend $40 per month to get 2GB of data and unlimited calling and texting. Just keep in mind that Republic Wireless operates on Sprint’s network.
Source: Republic Wireless
Come comment on this article: Republic Wireless to launch the Moto G (2015) later this month
Sony releases Android Marshmallow, adds Xperia Z5 to Open Device program
Sony has been one of the more open companies when it comes to providing resources for ROM developers who want to build for Sony devices and that trend is continuing with the release of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Sony announced they have added device configuration, software binaries and build guides to their Open Device program for AOSP Marshmallow.
According to Sony, the files and resources now available can be used to build Marshmallow based releases for all Qualcomm based Sony Xperia devices from 2014 and forward. That includes the Xperia Z5 which is being added to the program with this latest release. Developers can use these materials not only for custom ROMs, but to learn, build and test new features in Android. Sony encourages developers to contribute back to the community by submitting their work back upstream via their GitHub.
source: Sony
Come comment on this article: Sony releases Android Marshmallow, adds Xperia Z5 to Open Device program
Sprint expands its Direct 2 You coverage to seven new locations in the United States
Earlier today, Sprint announced that it has now expanded its Direct 2 You coverage to an additional seven markets in the United States, which are as follows: Charlotte, N.C., Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City.
For those of you out there who’ve never heard of Direct 2 You, it’s a free service offered by Sprint, which gives customers the opportunity to order a new smartphone and have a qualified technician drive it to their home for configuration. In addition to setting up the device, the expert will also transfer all content from the old handset.
Sprint also stated it will expand Direct 2 You to more US cities in 2016.
Source: Sprint
Come comment on this article: Sprint expands its Direct 2 You coverage to seven new locations in the United States
Andrew Bell’s Warty Witch figurine is coming next week
Andrew Bell of Dead Zebra has another Android figurine for fanatics to get their hands on. Next Monday, the design studio will make its Halloween-themed Warty Witch available to those interested. The Warty Witch, as with anything from Dead Zebra, is extremely detailed. She has a broomstick, potions, stockings, a hat, wrinkles, and… warts. Basically, she looks just how any person would imagine a witch would look in the world of Android.
The Warty Witch will be live on Dead Zebra’s site at 11:00AM ET on October 19. This figurine will pair very well with last year’s Lucky Lucy cat that Andrew Bell & Co. designed.
Source: Andrew Bell (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Andrew Bell’s Warty Witch figurine is coming next week
Google drones appear in FAA database
Two new drones have been added to the FAA database and the listed manufacturer name is none other than Google. The listings appear to be consistent with previous work by Google to develop drones for use with a delivery project originating from the Google X labs. The latest devices may be the successors to the Project Wing concept that Google was testing in Australia. The new drones are codenamed the M2 and the B3 and were submitted to the FAA on October 2nd and October 7th respectively.
Earlier this year Google X labs head Astro Teller indicated the testing of a UAV in Australia had not panned out as intended, so Google was going back to the drawing board with some new designs. Although details are scant, the new devices are both listed as being fixed-wing craft with two electric motors and weighing less than 55 pounds.
For the FAA, Google supplied the address of their Boulder, Colorado location rather than their headquarters in Mountain View. Since the aircraft have two different model numbers, sources think Google may be testing two distinct designs. The move to list the UAVs with the FAA also appears to be step taken by Google to keep the project out of hot water, like allegations from earlier this year that they may have been sidestepping FAA rules by testing drones under the auspices of their work with NASA.
You can check out a video below for some of the work Google did on Project Wing.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Google drones appear in FAA database
Sprint will roll out its LTE service to 279 more subway stations in New York City by 2017
Today, Sprint used its official blog to announce that it will launch its ultra-fast 4G LTE service in 279 additional subway stations in New York City. According to operator, the rollout is set to be completed by the end of 2017 at the very latest, but some users should have an active connection by the end of this year.
Scott Santi, Vice President of Sprint, took immense pleasure in revealing that the network currently lights up 83 NYC subway stations, which is “significantly” more than AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are currently supporting.
Source: Sprint
Come comment on this article: Sprint will roll out its LTE service to 279 more subway stations in New York City by 2017
Samsung highlights “timeless partners” for the Gear S2
Samsung wants owners of the new Gear S2 to get the most out of their smartwatch by exploring the services and apps from different partners. It also makes sense to showcase what the Gear S2 can do because any hardware is only as good as its ecosystem. So this week Samsung highlighted eight of what it calls “timeless partners” for the Gear S2 that support the smartwatch in an interesting way. Among them are ways to monitor your workouts, find a place to eat, and control appliances and other items in your home.
Nike+ Running
With Nike + Running, you can keep track of your jogging regime, including how far you went, the pace and for how long you were running. Nike + Running can help organize and motivate you to make your fitness goals and live healthier.Twitter Trends
Twitter comes to your wearable, bringing all the trending topics, fun tweets and conversations, and hottest news from around the world.Line
The popular and free messaging app Line is also available for the Gear S2. In addition to being fast and easy-to-use, Line comes with an array of cute cartoon characters you can use as the face for your Gear S2.Yelp for Gear
As a wearable device, the Gear S2 is designed for people on the go. And one of the most popular apps for people on the go is Yelp, the review site that rates just about everything in the world around you, like restaurants, flights, coffee shops, and stores.Volkswagen
Whether it’s called Car-Net (in the United States) or e-Remote (in Europe), the Volkswagen app gives you access to your car, no matter how close or far you may be. You can check to see if the doors are locked, start the air-conditioning before you get to your car or stop it from charging (if it’s an electric car).SmartThings
SmartThings turns your home into an IoT Smart Home, and the SmartThings app lets you check on your home from wherever you are. Are your doors closed? Are the lights on? Do you want your home to get ready for your arrival, based on any preset routine you like? The SmartThings app can do all that and more.Kevo by UniKey
Kevo is the smartlock security system that puts the safety of your home right onto your mobile devices. No more fumbling with keys, now your Gear S2 can lock and unlock your doors. Kevo can send eKeys to anyone else, family or guests, so your family is safe, and you have maximum control over your own home.Voxer
A messaging platform for sending voice messages, texts, photos, and videos. But what makes Voxer different is that you can also send audio live, like a walkie talkie, to instantly communicate with your friends and contacts.
Samsung reminds us that these are only a few of the great apps that Gear S2 owners can use and more are on the way. For example, in Korea, an app is being worked on that allows Gear S2 owners to utilize the smartwatch at subway and bus station gates.
Source: Samsung
Come comment on this article: Samsung highlights “timeless partners” for the Gear S2
Kwikset Debuts ‘Kevo Plus’ Feature to Add Remote Access to Kevo Bluetooth Lock
First introduced at CES, the Kevo Plus is a new product that accompanies the Kevo, a popular Bluetooth-enabled smart lock. The Kevo Plus adds online connectivity to the Kevo, allowing for remote access for the first time.
With the new Kevo Plus, it’s now possible for Kevo users to lock and unlock their doors from anywhere in the world, in addition to unlocking them when close by with Bluetooth. Kevo Plus connectivity is enabled through a Bluetooth-enabled gateway that plugs into the router with an Ethernet connection to form a secure interaction between the Kevo and the Kevo Plus Gateway.
The Kevo Plus Gateway
To get remote access, existing Kevo users will need to upgrade their accounts to Kevo Plus, paying a one time upgrade fee of $69.99 on the Kevo website. After paying the fee, they’ll receive the Kevo Plus gateway, which will be able to receive remote commands when a user is away from home and communicate those to the Kevo via Bluetooth. A single Kevo Plus Gateway is able to connect with and interact with multiple Kevo locks.
To support the new remote access functionality, the accompanying Kevo app will be updated today. In addition to support for the Kevo Plus gateway, the update adds InHome Locking and Unlocking, letting users lock and unlock the Kevo with an iPhone if they’re within Bluetooth range. This new feature does not require Kevo Plus.
The Kevo Smart Lock is available from several retailers such as Amazon.com and Apple.com for $190 to $220. The Kevo Plus add-on can be purchased from the Kevo website for $70. The Kevo app is available from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
New iMac and Magic Accessories Tidbits: ‘Then and Now’, Automatic Pairing, Fast Charging and More
Apple has updated its website with a wealth of new information following its announcement of new 4K and 5K iMacs and a new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2. Here are some of the more interesting tidbits that have been overshadowed by the larger announcements.
New iMacs
Then and Now — Apple has published a new “Then and Now” page that compares the 1998 iMac G3 with the 2015 iMac, showing the progress that has been made over the past 17 years. The new iMac has 14 million more pixels, 62,000 times faster graphics, 366 times more processing power, 1,000 times more RAM and 750 times more storage.
5,400 RPM 1TB Hard Drive on 4K iMac — The new 21.5-inch 4K iMac’s standard configuration for $1,499 includes a 5,400 RPM 1TB Serial ATA hard drive, which is considered long obsolete for a 2015 desktop computer. Upgrades to a 1TB or 2TB Fusion Drive are available for $100 and $300 respectively.
Fusion Drive Changes — To allow for lower prices, Apple’s 1TB Fusion Drive is now a 1TB hard drive paired with a 24GB SSD. Previously, a 1TB Fusion Drive was a 1TB hard drive with a 128GB SSD. Mac users looking for 128GB of flash storage will need to upgrade to a 2TB or larger Fusion Drive. 256GB and 512GB all-flash storage options can also be ordered.
Magic Accessories
Automatic Pairing — The new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 have a new automatic pairing process with Mac using a Lightning to USB cable. Each accessory is also charged via Lightning to USB.
2-Minute Fast Charging — The new Magic accessories each take about 2 hours to reach a full one-month charge via Lightning to USB, but early reviews found the Magic Mouse 2 can fast charge for nine hours of battery life in just two minutes.
Magic Mouse 2’s fast charging is useful, since its bottom-facing Lightning port renders it unusable while charging. Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad 2 both have Lightning ports on the rear, meaning both accessories can still be used while charging.
Magic Trackpad 2 Requires Bluetooth 4.0 — Magic accessories connect wirelessly with a Mac via Bluetooth for a secure connection up to 30 feet away. For the Magic Trackpad 2, Apple requires a Bluetooth 4.0-enabled Mac. Magic accessories are also only compatible with Macs running OS X 10.11 or later.
iMovie for Macs goes 4K, lets you continue edits from iOS
Just in time for new 4K and 5K iMacs, Apple released a major update of iMovie for OS X that adds 4K video editing, along with a slew of other changes. The iOS version of iMovie got 4K support last month to coincide with the debut of the iPhone 6s. Now that both versions of the movie editing suite support higher res video, you’ll also be able to continue edits on your Mac that you’ve started with your iPhone or iPad. The updates won’t bring professionals to iMovie anytime soon, but it could encourage regular consumers to explore the wonders of editing (so your family isn’t stuck viewing your 30-minute home movie clips). Additionally, the new iMovie also supports 1080p at 60 frames per second for smoother footage, which is ideal for shooting sports and other action-heavy clips.
Via: 9to5Mac
AIVAnet 