Self-balancing skateboards are illegal in New York, too
If you ride a self-balancing skateboard in New York, you won’t have just the seething hatred of those around you to deal with. A tweet from NYPD’s 26th precinct, since deleted, pointed out that using the tech is illegal, and both IGN and Gothamist followed up with the relevant parts of state law. Apparently, Title 19, Chapter 1, Subchapter 3, Section 19-176.2 of New York’s code actively prohibits such devices from being used in the streets. The legislation says that any “motorized scooter” that propels people with power, but can’t be registered with the DMV, can’t be taken out and about. If an official spots you, then you could face a fine of up to $500, although we’d politely suggest that they’ve got bigger fish to fry than an obnoxious Vine kid playing with their birthday present.
[Image Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images]
[Deal] Take the perfect picture with the 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set for less than $20
Although the cameras that are in our pockets have become absolutely amazing over the last few years, there are still some times where you feel that a picture is just sub-par. Maybe it’s the lighting, maybe it’s due to the focal-point of your picture, but regardless, this can be a source of frustration. Today’s deal aims to help alleviate some of that frustration for those who use their devices as their point and shoot cameras.
The 3-in-1 Smartphone Photography Lens Set is a great way to capture some amazing shots with your most portable camera, your phone. There are three different lenses; wide-angle, macro, and fisheye. Each lens offers a different aspect to your shot, and will improve just about any picture you’re trying to take.
- Capture images clearly from close-up or far away
- Take classic 180-degree “fisheye” shots
- Snap-on & snap-off the lenses for quick application
- Quickly learn to use the lenses
- Easily store the kit away w/ its simple design
You may be thinking that there’s some clunky case that these attach to, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Each lens simply snaps on and snaps off, AND works with both iOS devices and your Android devices. So if you want to “borrow” someone else’s iPhone, you’ll be able to use your preferred lens regardless of the device.
Normally priced at $69, you’ll get all three of these lenses for only $19.99, a savings of 71%. There are a variety of different smartphone lens attachments available on the market today, but this is by far one of the cheapest options out there. And since the Holidays are right around the corner, this would be the perfect pickup for that photographer in your family, or maybe just as a present to yourself. For the money that you’re saving with this deal, you could grab a couple sets and have at least one gift taken care of for your friends or family.
If you like this deal, and want to see more of these, let us know in the comments below. 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 Deals: 3-in-1 Smartphone Photography Lens Set
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Apple Seeking New Supplier to Help Manufacture Apple Watch 2
Apple is currently searching for an additional supplier of next year’s rumored Apple Watch 2, according to a new report from supply chain sources (via DigiTimes). The company is speaking with Inventec, Wistron and Foxconn Electronics to join Quanta Computer in the manufacturing of the next generation of the Apple Watch. The report cites a “weaker than expected” profit return for Quanta in regards to the first generation Apple Watch, which is causing a few of the targeted manufacturers to voice concern about supporting the long-term investment in the future device.
Quanta has invested heavily in equipment for Apple Watch’s manufacturing, but its profit return from the device has been weaker than expected. This is a concern for the ODMs that have been approached as a secondary supply partner, the paper added.
Also mentioned in the report is Apple’s ordering of 4 million Apple Watch units for the fourth quarter of 2015, slightly down from the original 6 million planned in preparation for the holiday season since demand is “not as strong as expected.” Still, the company expects sales for the wearable device to surpass 10 million units by the end of the year, before leading into the rumored launch period of the Apple Watch 2 sometime in the second quarter of 2016.
Today’s news comes after Quanta Computer’s chairman Barry Lam was reported to have commented on the impending manufacturing process of the Apple Watch 2, giving the device a launch window sometime late in Q2 2016 and higher volume shipments beginning in Q3. Little is known about the second generation Apple Watch, besides a few rumors that pointed to the possibility of a thinner device, integrated FaceTime camera, and a growing independence from the iPhone.
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Amazon Echo gets trigger phrases with IFTTT
If you use Amazon Echo with IFTTT, an automation app that can create conditional statements for web-based services, you might be excited to hear that Amazon Echo’s IFTTT capabilities are expanding. With IFTTT, you can now setup trigger phrases for Amazon Echo, which when activated, will do a specific action whether that be setting a reminder, altering the color of your smart bulbs, and so on.
It’s fairly simple: you create the trigger phrase in IFTTT, and then when you ask Amazon Echo’s virtual assistant Echo to trigger a certain action, IFTTT will do all of the automation required in the background. For example, as IFTTT demonstrates in its Google+ post, you can setup trigger phrases like “Alexa, trigger party time” or “Alexa, trigger find my phone.”
The only caveat is that saying the phrase “trigger” feels silly. Many have complained about this already, but there’s really no other way around it. Overall, it’s a handy feature and will make Alexa a bit smarter when asking Amazon Echo to do something.
Has anyone tried this new feature out yet?
source: IFTTT (Google+)
Come comment on this article: Amazon Echo gets trigger phrases with IFTTT
Skype gets a bunch of new features in version 6.11
Skype 6.11 for Android is finally here, bringing a lot of little handy features to the communications app. Not only are users now able to manage conversations better, but they can also save video messages, search for content better, and share photos easier.
Managing conversations has gotten a lot simpler. All users need to do is long-press a contact or chat session in the Recents tab, which will bring up a toolbar giving users access to a variety of actions, such as delete, mark as read, or mute notifications. Video messages have also gotten a minor, but handy feature: users need just tap on a video to save it to their gallery.
Search also got some improvements, allowing users to better search for content in conversations, find contacts, and even group names. Finally, users will also find it easier to share content, as photos from a gallery can be uploaded directly into Skype conversations. Not only that, but users in group chats can even tap on an image and forward it to another contact or group.
Overall, Skype received some minor, but really nifty features. If you haven’t received the update yet, be sure to hit the download link below.
source: Skype
Come comment on this article: Skype gets a bunch of new features in version 6.11
Sony makes experimental AOSP camera app available to developers
Sony has just released an experimental AOSP camera app for use with devices in Sony’s Open Device program. The camera app is aimed purely at developers, with Sony hoping that the app will allow them to create custom ROM’s with basic camera functions.
The experimental camera app is based on Qualcomm’s framework, but has not been calibrated, lacks Sony’s tweaks and enhancements, and is prone to lagging and crashes. Despite not being intended for daily use, Sony hopes the app will allow developers to dig into the app’s innards, inspiring innovation along the way. The following Xperia devices are compatible with the camera app:
- Xperia Z1, Z1 Compact
- Xperia Z Ultra (MSM8974)
- Xperia Z2 and Z2 Tablet (MSM8974AB)
- Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact, Z3 Compact Tablet (MSM8974AC), and Xperia Z3+
- Xperia Z4 Tablet (MSM8994)
The Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact, and Z5 Premium (MSM8994), Xperia M2, Xperia E3, and Xperia T3 will be added to the list at a later date. If you’d like to get your hands dirty, just click the source link below to get started with the experimental camera app.
Source: Sony
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Expansys is selling a bunch of 32GB Nexus 5’s for just $199
Expansys, as part of its early Black Friday deals promo, has begun selling a bunch of 32GB Nexus 5’s for just $199. The devices are available in white, black, and red. There’s even an audio pack that’ll get you a decent pair of headphones and a Nexus 5 for just $219.99.
Keep in mind that these are brand new smartphones, none of these are refurbished units. While the smartphone is a couple of years old, the hardware it’s sporting still isn’t bad by any means, and this device has been know for being buttery smooth, especially after its recent Android 6.0 update.
If anyone’s interested, you’ll need to act fast, as Expansys has limited stock. Anyone picking one up?
source: Expansys
Come comment on this article: Expansys is selling a bunch of 32GB Nexus 5’s for just $199
Samsung Galaxy A7 featuring Exynos 7580 SoC surfaces on AnTuTu
We have been hearing rumors about the Galaxy A7 successor for sometime now, but recently a variant of the upcoming device featuring Samsung’s Exynos 7580 processor has surfaced on the AnTuTu benchmark. And the results are quite impressive.
Earlier, it had emerged in a series of leaks that the new Galaxy A7 will feature a 5.5-inch FHD AMOLED display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615 SoC, 3GB of RAM and a duo of 13MP primary and 5MP front-facing cameras. It is noteworthy that the original Galaxy A7 was either powered by Snapdragon 615 or Samsung’s Exynos 5 Octa 5430 chipsets.
However, AnTuTu results posted on Weibo revealed that the Exynos 7580 featuring device is built using Samsung’s 28nm architecture. The processor comprising a 1.6GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 processor and a Mali-T720MP2 GPU has previously been seen in Samsung Galaxy J7 or the Galaxy S5 Neo. Unsurprisingly, it obtained a respectable score of 37,563 points against the Snapdragon 615-powered Galaxy A7 that managed to get 32,000 points on the benchmark.
In addition to an upgraded processor, the new Galaxy A7 may have a completely revamped design – or, at least that’s what the the leaked reports would want us to believe. The metal frame of the original Galaxy A7 was its USP, but it came with a plastic back – something that Samsung had faced criticism for years. Things, however, began to change with launch of the Galaxy S6, which had a metal and glass body. If new leaks are to be believed, the new Galaxy A7 will have a similar build and design, which indeed is a great news for those who are looking to buy a quality mid-range phone.
Source: AnTuTu (Weibo)
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy A7 featuring Exynos 7580 SoC surfaces on AnTuTu
Tinder CEO’s ‘sodomy’ interview puts Match.com in hot water
Tinder CEO Sean Rad set the internet ablaze yesterday with a number of controversial comments made to the Evening Standard. He said he investigated a Vanity Fair reporter because he didn’t like her article, claimed to have turned down a supermodel who was “begging” for sex and drastically misunderstood the word “sodomy.” However, his biggest error may have been talking about user statistics, because Tinder’s parent company Match.com is about to file an IPO, and it’s against SEC rules for executives to make business statements in the weeks prior to a filing.
Via: Techcrunch
Source: SEC
Lenovo committed to manufacturing phones in India, Moto X Force on the way
The race to come out ahead in the Indian smartphone market is still hotly contested and the consumer appeal of manufacturing devices locally has become a major differentiating factor, with the Make-in-India campaign gaining some major momentum. Lenovo seems very aware of this trend and has announced that it is committed to making long term investments into manufacturing and R&D in the country as well.
The announcement came while Lenovo was busy unveiling its logo and new tag-line in the country: “Innovation never stands still”. As well as new hardware research, Lenovo also stated that is sees software development heading to the country in the future as well. Upcoming products were also announced at the event. The Moto X Force and Yoga Tab 3 are scheduled to arrive “soon”, although we don’t have an exact date or prices for either device just yet.
“In three years, we have reached a revenue of $2.5 billion (roughly Rs. 16,540 crores) in India compared to a target of $800 million (roughly Rs. 5,292 crores) when we came to this country which is fast evolving in the area of technology,” – Lenovo Chief Executive, Yang Yuanqing
Lenovo currently sits in third position in the Indian smartphone market, partly due to its range of very cost effective, super-midrange smartphones. However, the company has had a tougher year in the global market, where is slowing share and shipments, coupled with some very large expenses, has seen the company recently post its first quarterly loss in six years.
See also: Lenovo posts first loss in six years, looks to bounce back after Motorola purchase
Lenovo is looking to become one of the fifty largest companies in India, and a strong position in the country’s booming smartphone market is certainly a good place to start.
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