Google app contest winners show what Project Tango can do
Sure, Google and crew can put together some nice tech demos for Project Tango’s advanced depth sensing and motion tracking, but what happens when everyday developers take a crack at it? You’re about to find out. Google has announced the winners of its Project Tango App Contest, and most of them aren’t what you’d expect given the technology. The overall winner is HeroicArcade’s WeR Cubed Tango, a 3D puzzler that relies more on motion than the usual screen taps.
Source: Google Play (1), (2), (3), (4)
Spotify gets serious about its country music curation
Country music fans are flocking to streaming services and Spotify’s latest hire shows the company is taking that segment of its audience seriously. The streaming service nabbed SiriusXM’s John Marks to head its curated playlists for the genre. If you’ll recall, Spotify, and other services, have made a big push with playlists built by both the artists themselves as well as notable personalities in the biz. While you may not recognize the name, Marks has a knack for discovering new talent and budding acts before they make it big time. For example, he was spinning tunes from artists like Florida Georgia Line, Brandy Clark, Chase Rice and others before they became popular. Spotify already has deals in place for exclusive country releases and to promote emerging acts, as it’s already posted content from artists like Hunter Hayes that can’t be streamed on-demand anywhere else. If you look to curated playlists to find new music, just know that Spotify’s country collections are now in capable hands.
[Image credit: ABC via Getty Images]
Source: The Tennesseean
AT&T will be the first US carrier to offer Blackberry’s Priv
AT&T will begin carrying the Blackberry Priv on November 6th, the company announced on Monday. The phone, which runs Android’s Lollipop OS and features a slide-out physical keyboard, will be available that Friday in both AT&T retail outlets and the company’s website. Specs for the Priv leaked late last month, though the price listed there has since been corrected to an even $700 if you buy it unlocked.
Source: AT&T
Sprint signs first direct roaming agreement with Cuba
Not so fast Verizon, Sprint announced Monday that it is the first US carrier to ink a direct roaming agreement with Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA). This agreement, along with a similar deal for direct long-distance interconnection, means that Sprint customers will be able to use their phones on the island just as they do in the US. According to the announcement, nearly 3 million Americans will visit Cuba this year and that number is expected to balloon to more than 5 million within the decade.
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
Source: Sprint
Jawbone hits back against Fitbit in ongoing patent lawsuits
Jawbone and Fitbit clearly do not like each other and the acrimony has erupted into a series of lawsuits between the two activity tracker manufacturers. The latest action is a counterclaim leveled by Jawbone against Fitbit alleging Fitbit’s patent lawsuit is frivolous. According to Jawbone’s filing, “Fitbit is knowingly and willfully misusing its patents as part of its efforts to protect its market power…The infringement allegations in both lawsuits are plainly meritless, and Fitbit had no reasonable basis for bringing either case.”
Jawbone’s response is part of one of four separate legal actions currently underway between the two companies. Jawbone has filed three actions, with two of those naming Fitbit directly and another indirectly pulling Fitbit in. Jawbone initially started their legal pursuits with a claim that former employees had taken confidential information constituting trade secrets. Although Fitbit is not directly named in that action, the employees who committed the alleged theft of intellectual property were hired by Fitbit.
Jawbone also has a lawsuit alleging patent infringement against Fitbit using patents they acquired from a company called BodyMedia. Finally, Jawbone has complained to the International Trade Commission seeking an injunction of Fitbit products based on patent infringements.
Meanwhile, Fitbit has filed their own patent infringement lawsuit against Jawbone concerning five of Jawbone’s devices and their software and user interfaces.
Those watching the case have noted that Jawbone seems to have a propensity for filing actions close in time to when Fitbit is preparing to release financial information. For example, the stolen trade secrets action was initiated as Fitbit was preparing to launch their IPO. This latest counterclaim comes as Fitbit is preparing to release financial results for the last quarter. Although both companies are relatively small, Fitbit with a market cap of $8.4 billion appears to be in a better position than Jawbone which continues to rely on private investors. The two companies are in a race to try to secure a solid foothold in the market before bigger players like Apple, Microsoft and Samsung move in.
source: TechCrunch
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Amazon launches Black Friday Deals Store to offer specials until Christmas
Halloween 2015 has come and gone and that can only mean one thing – time for retailers to start up with their Christmas season sales events. Mega retailer Amazon has apparently decided that offering Black Friday deals on just one day is not enough, so they have launched a special Black Friday Deals Store site that spreads the deals out from now until December 22nd. To entice consumers to sign up for a Prime membership, Amazon says Prime members will get a 30 minute jump on all the Lightning Deals – 30,000 planned – before all customers can access them.
Steve Shure, vice president for Amazon Consumer Marketing says,
“Shoppers come to Amazon to discover the best deals on the best gifts and this year, we’re pulling out all of the stops. We’re giving Prime members early access to more than 30,000 Lightning Deals and for all customers, tens of thousands of great deals in the Black Friday Deals store. With incredible deals, fast delivery options, curated lists like our Electronics Holiday Gift Guide, gift recommendations, customer reviews and more, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to save time and money on their holiday shopping.”
If you do not want to wait for Black Friday to roll around or want to start adding sale items to your wish list, you can head over to the special Countdown to Black Friday Deals site at http://www.amazon.com/blackfriday. Amazon’s full press release is below.
The Countdown is On: Amazon.com Greets the Season with Launch of Black Friday Deals Store and Electronics Holiday Gift Guide
New this year, Prime members receive early access to more than 30,000 Lightning Deals
With over 600 top electronics and a Gift Finder tool, the Electronics Holiday Gift Guide takes the guesswork out of gifting
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 2, 2015– (NASDAQ:AMZN) – Amazon.com today officially kicked off the countdown to Black Friday with the launch of the Black Friday Deals store and Electronics Holiday Gift Guide. This year, Prime members can access more than 30,000 Lightning Deals 30 minutes early and all customers will find tens of thousands of deals on more of the items they want. In addition, the curated Electronics Holiday Gift Guide and Gift Finder tool take the guesswork out of shopping and make it easy to discover all of the right gifts.
“Shoppers come to Amazon to discover the best deals on the best gifts and this year, we’re pulling out all of the stops,” said Steve Shure, Vice President, Amazon Consumer Marketing. “We’re giving Prime members early access to more than 30,000 Lightning Deals and for all customers, tens of thousands of great deals in the Black Friday Deals store. With incredible deals, fast delivery options, curated lists like our Electronics Holiday Gift Guide, gift recommendations, customer reviews and more, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to save time and money on their holiday shopping.”
Black Friday Deals: The Black Friday Deals store is the leading deals destination for customers this holiday season with tens of thousands of deals on top items including electronics, toys, clothing, jewelry, kitchen, and more, now through December 22. Prime members will get the first crack at more than 30,000 deals through Prime Early Access and all customers can find great deals throughout the season at http://www.amazon.com/blackfriday, including:
- 30% off Sony XBR55X900C 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD TV with a Blu-ray Player
- $170 off the Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens
- 47% off Jaybird X Sport Bluetooth Headphones
- Optima HD37 Full 3D 1080p 2600 Lumens DLP Home Cinema Projector for less than $800
- 40% off select Frye shoes, handbags, accessories and luggage/travel for men and women
- 40% off select toys from top construction brands including K’NEX, Tegu, and Magformer
- Up to 50% off select Home Automation products
- 20% or more off select Wilton and Pyrex bakeware products
- Deals from top Kitchen brands including Rubbermaid, KitchenAid, Paderno, and Instant Pot
- $10 off select $50 Black & Decker product purchases
- Up to 50% off hundreds of PetSafe items
Electronics Holiday Gift Guide: With more than 600 of this year’s hottest items, organized by category and gift recipient, the Electronics Holiday Gift Guide and Gift Finder tool help customers discover the right gift for everyone on their list – from the Photographer who wants the latest gear from GoPro and Canon, to the Gadget Guru who is eyeing the latest innovations from the Amazon Launchpad programlike the Electric Objects Digital Art Display and Bluesmart Smart Carry-On Luggage. Customers can explore exciting new features like never-before-seen 3D imagery of hot gifts, editor’s picks, exclusive product reviews, unboxing videos, and gift recommendations, with new content uploaded regularly from trusted sources including Gawker, Tom’s Guide, and The Wirecutter.
Tech Gifts and Shopping Trends to Watch
- High-Tech, Low Budget: Tech gear is always at the top of shopping lists during the holidays, and now customers can find tech gifts to give and receive without paying a premium. The Electronics Holiday Gift Guide features affordable gifts including the all-new Fire tablet – the #1 best-selling product on Amazon.com since launch – portable speakers from JAM, and headphones fromPanasonic and Audio-Technica, all under $100!
- Wanted Wearables and the Smart Home: Wearables and Home Automation items are wished-for year-round and customers will find the latest gear to make home life more efficient with products like the Belkin WeMo Netcam, Crock-Pot Smart Wi-Fi-Enabled Slow Cooker, and iRobot Roomba Vacuum. Customers will also find stylish wearables in new and exclusive colors from Jawbone,Fitbit, and Garmin to track fitness and monitor health.
- Shop via Voice: More and more, devices are making our lives hands-free. Now, creating a holiday shopping list with Amazon Echo and Alexa is as easy as asking, and placing an order using voice control with the Amazon app on your mobile device is as simple as saying the word. This year, customers can shop in more ways without leaving their home or even touching a keyboard.
Customers will find even more fast delivery options with Amazon Prime, making last-minute shopping a thing of the past. A growing list of Prime services is making it easy for customers to shop and save this holiday season including unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items, unlimited Free Same-Day Delivery on more than a million items in 16 metro areas, and early access to Lightning Deals all year long. In addition, Prime members in 20 metro areas receive one and two hour delivery on tens of thousands of everyday essentials with the dedicated Prime Now mobile app.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visitwww.amazon.com/about.
Come comment on this article: Amazon launches Black Friday Deals Store to offer specials until Christmas
Xiaomi to launch smartphone sales in African countries
Xiaomi has said in the past that they have plans to expand globally, but they would do so in a strategic fashion. The next step in their transition is going to take place on the African continent as Xiaomi prepares to start selling smartphones in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. In addition to the new continent, Xiaomi is also breaking with their business practice of selling direct to consumers by partnering with Mobile in Africa Group, MIA Group, to handle all sales, marketing and customer support in these new markets.
Xiaomi will only be selling two models initially, the Redmi 2 and the Mi 4. Sales are slated to commence in mid-November, perhaps as soon as November 11th – Singles Day, which is a huge sales day in that market akin to Black Friday.
Raymond Tian, global strategy director for Xiaomi says, “We see Africa as the next frontier for smartphone growth, and we are excited to be partnering with MIA Group to offer consumers in these three countries our high-quality smartphones at amazing prices.” Xiaomi had sales of almost 35 million units during the first half of 2015 when they managed to overtake Apple as the top manufacturer in the Chinese market. Since then, they have been eclipsed by Huawei. Xiaomi set a goal of selling 100 million smartphones during 2015, so they need some big numbers during the holiday season. Opening up to new markets should help them hit the target.
source: The Wall Street Journal
Come comment on this article: Xiaomi to launch smartphone sales in African countries
[TA Deals] Get the Titan M Cable Bundle for 33% off for a limited time
Charging cables are notorious for only lasting a three to six month period, if that even. This largely happens because of bending the cable instead of putting it in a location where it won’t get tangled or bent. Unfortunately, if you have other people in your home or office, it’s nigh impossible to ensure the safety of said cable. That’s where Titan’s tangle-free charging cables come in.
We’re offering a great deal for our readers this week. The Titan M Cable and Titan M Loop Micro-USB Cable Bundle will be the end to all of your charging cable problems. The Titan M micro-USB cable is wrapped twice in industrial-grade flexible steel and has permanently-sealed USB and micro-USB connectors that won’t be failing you anytime soon. You can say goodbye to cables that stop working from being bent or tangled!
Also in the bundle is the Titan M Loop micro-USB charging cable. It’s made out of the same materials as the Titan M Cable, but is unique in that it’s smaller and folds in half so that it can easily attach to your keychain or belt loop for convenience.
Here’s what you’re getting in this bundle:
- Wrapped in two layers of flexible, high-strength steel
- Includes sealed one-piece housing fused directly over the cable to keep the connectors in place
- Made to last for life
- Backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty
This bundle normally retails for $45, but for a limited time, we’re giving our readers a 33% off discount, bringing the final retail price down to $29.95. Of course, if you’d rather purchase either cable individually, you can get the Titan M Loop for $15.95 (20% off) or the Titan M Cable for $19.95 (20% off).
If you’d like both cables, at $29.95, the bundle is your best option here. Anyone plan on picking one up?
Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Get the Titan M Cable Bundle for 33% off for a limited time
HTC’s One A9 is now available from AT&T
The newest HTC flagship, the One A9, separates itself from any of the company’s previous handsets by having a somewhat low off-contract price with respectable specifications. Consumers interested in the One A9 can buy it directly through HTC for the limited time price of $399 that will soon increase. But HTC hasn’t forgot about working with carriers to enable subsidizes and maximize exposure. Customers with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon will all have the chance to purchase the One A9. Today, AT&T becomes the first carrier to make the One A9 available.
Here is how AT&T is pricing the One A9:
- Next 24: $17.34 per month for thirty months
- Next 18: $21.67 per month for twenty-four months
- Next 12: $26 per month for twenty months
- Two-year contract: $99
AT&T stores nationwide will start offering the One A9 on Friday, November 6. The carrier is only selling the handset online at this time. Even AT&T customers, though, should be looking at HTC’s current price of $399 because its off-contract and doesn’t require any carrier commitment. There is really no valid reason to choose buying the One A9 from a carrier unless you’re strapped for cash and need to pay for the handset monthly.
Source: AT&T
Come comment on this article: HTC’s One A9 is now available from AT&T
T-Mobile debuts 4G LTE CellSpot for enhanced in-home coverage
T-Mobile on Monday unveiled its latest hardware device, the 4G LTE CellSpot. In short, this is a mini cell tower that works in your house and draws coverage from your internet connection.
Designed specifically for indoor use, this is essentially a 4G tower that provides coverage up to 3,000 square feet. The CellSpot works on 3G/4G connections and works with voice over LTE (VoLTE) as well. It will also work with up to 16 devices at once, including those that are equipped for Wi-Fi calling as well as those which are not.
What does this mean to you? As a current or potential T-Mobile subscriber, this will lead to much better coverage in your home or office.
Slated to arrive on November 4th, this one is free to customers on a Simple Choice plan. Customers are required to put a $25 deposit down first.
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