Samsung announces the Galaxy Note 5 Winter Edition for South Korea: 128GB of storage
With the year quickly coming to a close, discounts and deals become an increasingly major mention around the tech blogosphere. While December mentions of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 might seemingly be primed for promotions, it seems that South Korea will see something else entirely. Today Samsung has announced that a Galaxy Note 5 Winter Edition will hit its country of origin, and with it one specific and startling selling point:
The Galaxy Note 5 Winter Edition comes with 128GB of on-board storage, making it the first and only plus-sized flagship the company released this year with such a high storage configuration. It is available now from SKT and KT, and is sold in both Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium color options with a retail price of 999,900 KRW (about $846).
Curiously Samsung’s official blog claims that these two colors are “continuously popular” in the country yet to this day, the Silver Titanium Galaxy S6 Edge+ has not been released in Korea.
Darling details and sizzling speculation
Despite rumors and inaccurate listing specifying that Samsung would release 128GB configurations of the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+, none where ever produced. This, despite the company’s much debated decision to remove expandable microSD storage from its 2015 offerings.
In addition to the new, increased storage situation, Samsung is also running some proper promotions in South Korea. Customers who purchase the Galaxy Note 5 will receive a free wireless charging pod. Customers who purchase a Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge+ will receive a free Gear VR headset.
With the Galaxy Note 5 is already approach the 6-month mark since its release, it’s likely this will be the last itinerant of the hardware before the company switches gear to selling an S7, and eventually a Note 6.
The potential for this device to release outside Korea is quite low, however it could be added to the pending large scale roll-out in Europe. It’s also worth mentioning that Samsung has recently added a 64GB variant of the Galaxy S6 Active despite said hardware having originally released in June.
While it’s inevitable that some will seek to import this pretty pricey purchase (just wait until eBay sellers get their hands on it), the aftermath of this announcement will inevitably be followed by harsh criticism and complaints at the Korean OEM for failing to release such a product earlier, and to have made it a standard storage configuration.
We are thus ever eager to hear what’s on your mind. Is this the opportune opportunity to purchase the product, or does it have you looking at your own “meager” storage supply with a dead set dose of evil eye? Feel free to take the survey below and then share your thoughts!
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Android 6.0 Marshmallow certified for Sony devices in Japan
Versions of the Xperia Z4 and Xperia Z5 sold in Japan have been spotted in the Wi-Fi certification database, suggesting the update is on track for the rumored release date from January.
In order for a device to be called Wi-Fi compatible, it must be certified by the WiFi Alliance, the body that develops the wireless communication standard. Existing devices running new Android versions must go through the same process, and that can provide a glimpse at OEM’s plans for Android updates.
A Japanese website discovered (via Xperia Blog) that Android 6.0 Marshmallow was certified for Xperia Z5 versions sold by NTT docomo, Softbank, and au. The certification documents also mention the NTT docomo’s Xperia Z5 Premium, and several carrier versions of the Japan-exclusive Xperia Z4.
See also: Sony Xperia Z5 Premium review
It may take many weeks until the update actually arrives to the devices mentioned above, but at least on surface, this report meshes with rumors about the Android 6.0 update hitting Sony flagships as early as next month.
Thanks to the Sony Marshmallow concept beta program, we know that Sony has already made solid progress with Android 6.0. And, as you can see from our hands-on, it looks like Sony users are in for a treat. That is, if they are on Sony’s list of devices that were officially confirmed to get Marshmallow:
- Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact, and Xperia Z5 Premium
- Xperia Z4 Tablet
- Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
- Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet
- Xperia M5, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia C4
For a high-level look of all Android Marshmallow news and rumors, head over to our Android 6.0 updates roundup.
[Deal] Save 98% off the eduCBA Complete Office Productivity Bundle
When it comes to trying to further your career, there are a lot of different options. From learning how to code, to teaching yourself everything there is to know about Microsoft Office, there are a lot of different ways you can further yourself. By teaching yourself these lessons, you are directly affecting your career due to the fact that you never know when this may come up and you’ll be able to take advantage of it.
Today’s deal is just another way for you to further your career by taking some online courses. The eduCBA Tech Training Bundle is a group of different courses totaling over 2100 hours of content for just about every tech field you can imagine. From Coding to becoming an IT Admin, there is literally everything imaginable in this bundle.
- Master over 100 essential software programs w/ 2,115+ hours of content
- Take courses at your own pace & access them 24/7
- Boost your productivity in Microsoft Office w/ 148 courses: Access, Excel, Word, PowerPoint & More
- Take 44 courses on Oracle like: Oracle SQL, PLSQL, MongoDB & more
- Take Microsoft Office courses created specially for Mac users
- Create professional PowerPoint presentations
- Fully utilize Google Analytics
- Edit photos in Photoshop
- Retain customers w/ courses on social media marketing
- Study graphic design w/ Adobe InDesign
Normally priced at almost $2300, you can get all of these courses for only $39. That’s a savings of almost 97%, and when combined with the knowledge that you will gain, you’ll make that money back ten-fold. The other awesome note to make about this bundle, is that this isn’t just a one or two year subscription. If you grab the eduCBA Complete Office Productivity Bundle, you have lifetime access to the library of courses.
So head on over to the AndroidGuys Deals page backed by StackCommerce and grab this great deal for the eduCBA Complete Office Productivity Bundle today. With savings of 98% this is a deal that you really can’t pass up on. Combined with the fact that you’ll gain an infinite amount of knowledge, in a field that you want.
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: eduCBA Complete Office Productivity Bundle
The post [Deal] Save 98% off the eduCBA Complete Office Productivity Bundle appeared first on AndroidGuys.
FCC wants providers to explain their data exemption schemes
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler once called T-Mobile’s Binge On feature “highly innovative and highly competitive,” but it looks like things have changed since then. The agency has summoned not only T-Mobile, but also AT&T and Comcast to answer questions about their data cap exemption offerings, according to Ars Technica. For T-Mo, that service is Binge On, which allows subscribers of qualifying data plans to stream videos from select services such as Netflix, Hulu and HBO for free. AT&T’s Sponsored Data and Data Perks Program allows subscribers to stream content from sponsors without eating up their data allowance. Finally, Comcast has an add-on service for XFINITY internet subscribers called Stream TV, which is exempted from customers’ monthly data usage.
In the letter it sent each company, the FCC briefly explained the reason why they were being summoned for a discussion, though it all boils down to net neutrality. The agency told T-Mobile that some net neutrality advocates have expressed concerns over Binge On’s potential to harm innovation, as it makes “certain video apps more attractive to others.” It has a predetermined list of apps you can use for free, after all, and you can’t choose which ones to include in the service.
In the FCC’s letter to AT&T, it said that it wants to get all the facts from the companies themselves in order to understand “how these services relate to the Commission’s goal of maintaining a free and open internet.” And in the letter for Comcast, it said that Sling’s CEO raised “level playing field concerns,” and that others call Stream TV a new way to get around the FCC’s net neutrality guidelines. Wheeler told Ars, however, that this isn’t an official investigation, and the agency merely wants to stay informed about the companies’ practices. Either way, the three are expected to schedule a meeting with the commission by January 15th, 2016 at the latest.
Source: Ars Technica
Street Fighter V is coming to SteamOS
Capcom’s Street Fighter V is coming to Valve’s SteamOS with full support for the company’s Steam Controller. The franchise’s first new series since 2008 will also be the first to make an appearance on the Linux-based operating system. The decision is quite a coup for Valve. It’s positioning SteamOS and Steam Machines as the friendly face of PC gaming; a legitimate living-room replacement for a console.
The long-awaited brawler is due to hit PlayStation 4 and PC on February 16th. It’s unclear when the SteamOS port will be ready, or if it’ll be able to take advantage of the cross-platform multiplayer features already announced for PC and PlayStation 4. One thing we do know is that Steam Controller support is baked into the Street Fighter V beta, which runs from today through to December 20th.
Via: Gamasutra
Source: Capcom
Plex streaming app now free on Xbox and PlayStation
Plex, the app that helps a large number of folks organize and stream their media collections, is now available for free on Xbox and Playstation consoles. Up until now, it was in the preview stages and required a $5 per month or $40 per year Plex Pass. Users without the pass will now get the basic version of the app on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, Playstation 4 and PS3. With a pass, you’ll get extra features like premium music libraries, mobile sync and preview releases like the aforementioned console apps.
Most users install Plex on their PC or a “NAS” storage server, then stream media from it over other PCs or Macs, smartphones, streaming boxes like Android TV, smart TVs, Chromecast and consoles. It can play music and videos in any of the myriad formats that are out there, and transcode on the fly. You can also stream music whether you’re at home or on an internet or 3G/4G connection. If you’re already hooked up, you can install the app on your console and access your music library tout de suite. The app arrived to Apple TV last month.
Via: Microsoft News
Source: Plex
Sony working on phone batteries that last 40 percent longer
Recent history has taught us we can’t expect our smartphones to last more than a day on a single charge. Bigger batteries are an uninspired solution and fast-charging a minor consolation, so it’s no wonder researchers and companies alike are trying to develop new, more efficient battery tech. As Nikkei reports, Sony’s in the same boat, working on new types of batteries that could carry 40 percent more energy than lithium-ion counterparts (fun fact: Sony developed the first commercial Li-ion battery).
Key to Sony’s next-gen batteries are sulfur-based electrodes. Lithium-sulfur cells are well known to have better capacities, but the sulfur degrades so rapidly in this environment that commercial, rechargeable batteries of this kind have been out of the question. Presumably, Sony’s solved or is close to solving this issue. More interesting, though, is that the company is also developing magnesium-sulfur batteries, removing lithium from the equation altogether. Magnesium is the significantly more abundant element, making for cheaper batteries that also last longer. They should be safer, too, since lithium-based batteries degenerate over time to the point of becoming a fire risk.
All next-gen battery promises seem to come with a long wait attached, and Sony’s are no different. The company is aiming to make its sulfur-based batteries available in 2020, with smartphones being the first to benefit before other types of devices. It’s likely, then, that we’re gonna have to wait until the Xperia Z10 before that 40 percent battery life improvement comes true (if at all).
Source: Nikkei
35+ great Android games are on sale right now
Looks like Santa swung by the Play Store for an early delivery. Whether you were naughty or nice, help yourself with gifts in the form of big discounts on some of the best Android games you can buy.
Action, adventure, RPG, strategy, combat… the Android games sales going on right on the Play Store cover most of the genre spectrum and include a bunch of blockbuster titles. Here’s a non-final list that we’ll update with more game sales as we find them:
- Heroes of Might & Magic III HD
- Prune
- A Day in the Woods
- GA 10: Lords of Nurroth
- Infinite Universe
- Bloodbones
- House of Hell
- Lara Croft GO
- Final Fantasy
- Final Fantasy II
- Final Fantasy III
- Final Fantasy IV
- Final Fantasy V
- Final Fantasy VI
- Final Fantasy Tactics
- Chrono Trigger
- Secret of Mana
- LEGO: Star Wars: TCS
- LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham
- Card Wars – Adventure Time
- The Banner Saga
- XCOM: Enemy Within
- Devil’s Attorney
- WWE 2K
- NHL 2K
- NBA 2K16
- Samurai Showdown II
- Metal Slug
- Metal Slug 2
- Metal Slug 3
- Metal Slug X
- The King of Fighters-A 2012
- The King of Fighter ’97
- Bridge Constructor Playground
- Bridge Constructor Medieval
- Bridge Constructor Stunts
The discounts vary between 25% and 80%, so if you get a few games, you can save a decent amount. Note that the deals may vary depending on your region.
Let us know if you spot any other cool sales!
Roli’s quirky musical keyboard is now an iPhone app
When ROLI introduced the Seaboard — a quirky interpretation of the musical keyboard — it was hard not be curious. But, at $2,000, that’s likely where you remained. Even the smaller, more affordable Seaboard Rise was a little out of reach for many casual musicians wanting to try its tactile trickery (watch this to see what we mean). Today, however, there’s a ROLI for everyone, as the British firm has just announced Noise: a virtual Seaboard in iPhone app form. If you want to know why Apple’s 3D Touch matters, it’s apps like this that will show you — and Noise is much easier on your pocket (in fact, it’s free).
The Seaboard series of instruments look a bit like someone left a regular keyboard out in the sun; the smooth, contiguous keys give them an iconic look. This aesthetic spills over to the app. So does the nifty mechanism for manipulating sound with gestures. Just as you can wiggle a finger on a key to create vibrato on the Seaboard, you can do the same on the Noise app. That’s neat, but nothing new. What’s exciting here is the implementation of 3D Touch.
Apple’s pressure sensitive input might be good for adding in context menus and “peek and pop”-ing messages, but it really comes into its own with music apps, and Noise is a stellar example of that. Press hard and the notes sound louder. Or, keep a finger on the screen and push/release continuously to hear the sound change in organic, expressive ways (like changing the speed of a dubstep “wobble”). We’ve already seen similar tricks in music apps, but ROLI’s Noise is a particularly good fit.
As for Noise itself. You can choose the number of keys on screen (13, 17 or 25), and change the layout to include on screen modulation controls (like the Rise’s touchpad). There’s also support for MIDI over Bluetooth. The app is free, and includes 25 pre-installed sounds. If you want to expand that library, then add on packs can be purchased for a few dollars a pop.
Deal: Asus ZenPad S 32GB selling on Amazon for $159 only, $249 for the 64GB variant
Looking to pick up a quality Android tablet, but faced with limited options due to budget constraints? Then this deal is for you!
The Asus ZenPad S 8.0, released in June this year, is now selling on Amazon for $159 only. The exact model in question is the ZenPad S 8 Z580CA-C1-BK 32GB variant, which features an 8-inch 1536 x 2048 resolution display, a quad-core Intel Atom Z3530 processor clocked at 1.3GHz, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage expandable via microSD slot, and a 15.2 Wh non-removable battery.
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If you fancy a slightly more powerful configuration and have $249 to spare, you could purchase the ZenPad S 64GB variant, which is paired with 4GB of RAM, a quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, and 4GB of RAM. The ZenPad S makes use of a USB Type C port, in case you weren’t aware. Both models have 8MP rear and 5MP front-facing cameras. ZenUI, Asus’ custom trim, runs on top of Android 5.0 Lollipop.
For more details, hit the links below:
- Buy the Asus ZenPad S 8 32GB with 2GB RAM for $159.99 down from $199
- Buy the Asus ZenPad S 8 64GB with 4GB RAM for $249.99 down from $299
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