The LG Optimus Zone 3 is coming to Verizon pre-paid
Based on a recent Twitter post, LG will launch the successor to the Optimus Zone 2 as a Verizon exclusive very shortly.
The LG Optimus Zone 3 is an upcoming handset that’s headed to Verizon pre-paid. The Zone 3 will be a low-end handset aimed at first time smartphone users or someone interested in something simple that won’t break the bank. No specifications were leaked, but one could expect them to be mighty similar to its predecessor.
The leaked render shows off a very familiar design with the Verizon branding on the rear side and LG written at the bottom of the display. The handset looks to be made of plastic, thereby keeping the price down low. If you’re looking for a budget friendly Android smartphone on the country’s largest carrier, you may want to consider the LG Optimus Zone 3, which is due out in the next few weeks. We’ll keep you posted on when it does.
Source: Evan Blass (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: The LG Optimus Zone 3 is coming to Verizon pre-paid
Unknown Samsung tablet receives Wi-Fi and Bluetooth certification
Another day another Samsung device it so seems. Earlier today we received word that an unknown Samsung tablet received Wi-Fi and Bluetooth certification.
The unknown Samsung device registered with model number SM-375S. Judging from the leaked listing, it has an 8-inch display and shipped out of country for testing purposes. It then notes that all devices are set to be destroyed following the conclusion of their evaluation. Each handset is marked with a $103 value indicating it’s a budget tablet, most likely a new member to Samsung’s low-end Galaxy Tab series.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth certification(s) are among the first tests to take place in a device’s attempt to hit the market. That means there’s still plenty of room for leaks to go around before any official unveiling or launch. Perhaps we’ll find out more at CES 2016. For all the details on the test results, check out the gallery down below.
Via: GadgetzArena
Come comment on this article: Unknown Samsung tablet receives Wi-Fi and Bluetooth certification
Samsung execs said to blame struggles on lack of software expertise
It would be unfair to say that Samsung alone is struggling in mobile: There’s evidence that the smartphone industry in general is suffering a slowdown. That said, despite being a huge name in tech, the Korean giant has certainly seen its share of challenges, like being forced to cut prices to compete with various Chinese upstarts. If a new report from Reuters is to be believed, though, some former and even current company executives are privately chalking up the company’s mobile woes to more than just stiff competition.
Speaking anonymously to the news agency, these sources point to Samsung’s relative lack of experience in software development, especially after years of selling “boxes,” according to one exec. “There’s a lot of distrust of top executives who can actually implement stuff that is more of a software and services offering,” one source told Reuters. In particular, sources apparently point to Samsung’s rapid launch — and closure — of both its Milk streaming service and ChatOn messaging app. Indeed, too, our own reporting has revealed that Samsung hired a well-regarded UX firm to help design its user interfaces — an odd move, when it has the manpower to theoretically design its Android skins in-house.
With that being said, it’s worth noting that Google and Microsoft, which do have roots in software, are also quick to shutter unpopular apps. And while it’s worth asking if certain services such as Milk or ChatOn were innovative or strong enough products to begin with, it’s hard to fault Samsung’s decision to continue pumping money into them if they weren’t proving popular with users. Lastly, as Reuters notes, despite a tough market Samsung remains the world’s top smartphone maker, so perhaps its decline has been exaggerated in the first place.
Source: Reuters
[Deal] Save over 20% on the Phonejoy GamePad 2 Bluetooth Controller
Gaming on mobile devices has become increasingly more popular over the last couple of years. Obviously there’s a large gap between mobile gaming, and desktop or console gaming, however people are wanting better games on their mobile devices. Developers have noticed the trend and have started releasing full-fledged games that aren’t designed for 5 minutes at a time.
While playing these games, it can be difficult to get used to all the controls in order to play the game correctly. That’s where Bluetooth controllers come into play. Today’s deal is for one of the Bluetooth controllers that have taken the market by storm and started off through a KickStarter campaign.
The PhoneJoy GamePad 2 is one of the various Bluetooth controller models available for your mobile devices today. With a compact, portable mode, the GamePad 2 easily nestles away when you’re on the go and not playing on your devices. However, the GamePad 2 is also extremely convenient to take out of your computer bag when you’re in a position to start playing some real games.
- Expands to three times its original size
- Fits most any smartphone or tablet (iPhones & Androids)
- Includes 12 powerful stainless steel springs
- Packs three different navigation & play modes
- Delivers up to 14 hours of play time on one charge
- Charges quickly via USB cord
- Supports the ability to connect your smartphone or tablet to your TV via MHL to play on the big screen
Normally priced at almost $80, you can head over to the AndroidGuys Deals page and pick up the PhoneJoy GamePad 2 for only $59.99. While the GamePad 2 isn’t the cheapest Bluetooth controller on the market, try to remember and think about what you’re getting with this portable device.
You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals page. Backed by Stack Commerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
AndroidGuys Deals Page: PhoneJoy GamePad 2 Bluetooth Controller
The post [Deal] Save over 20% on the Phonejoy GamePad 2 Bluetooth Controller appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Watch LeBron James’ training on your Gear VR
Did you get a shiny Gear VR headset as a gift? If so, you already have something new to try with it. Oculus, Samsung and Uninterrupted are launching Striving for Greatness, a 12-minute Gear VR “experience” that shows what training is like for basketball superstar LeBron James. As with the Patriots’ football practice, this probably isn’t going to go too deep — the teasers hint at a look-at-how-good-my-life-is vibe. All the same, it’s worth a peek (in the Oculus Store or Milk VR store) if you’re a hoops fan eager for some more immersion. Slideshow-350669
Valve’s gaming platform is experiencing a Christmas disaster
Valve’s Steam platform is giving players access to people’s private accounts. As per reports, when players log into their accounts for details, they’re able to access someone else’s information including email addresses, credit card details and previous purchases. What makes this security lapse more critical for the gaming platform today is that the site was in the middle of its winter sale with a large number of people buying online.
While the problem hasn’t surfaced for all users on the website, many have reported being able to access random accounts this afternoon. The reason for the security blunder isn’t clear yet. But as per the most recent update on Reddit, the company is “working on it.”
Source: Kotaku
Neato’s new vacuum is cheaper than Roomba, but more trouble
In the robot vacuum wars, Neato has made a name for itself by developing cheaper, laser-guided devices that are just as effective as iRobot’s Roombas. In fact, while Roombas have been bouncing around walls for years with no real intelligence (something that’s finally changed with the camera-equipped Roomba 980), Neato’s lasers have helped its devices wisely navigate your floors since they debuted in 2010. Now with the BotVac Connected ($700), Neato also has a robot vacuum that’s controlled by a mobile app. But while it does a decent job of cleaning floors, I found it to be much more trouble than Roomba’s latest entry. Slideshow-350683
It’s not hard to identify a Neato vacuum from afar. They all have a “D” shaped design, with a flat edge that makes them better suited at cleaning walls and corners. It’s a big difference from Roomba’s iconic circular design, which plenty of other competitors have mimicked. All Neato vacuums also sport a large circular bulge up top, which houses their navigational lasers. The BotVac Connected doesn’t look significantly different from Neato’s other entries: It’s made entirely of plastic, with prominent house clean and spot clean buttons. On the top right, there’s a small color display, controlled by capacitive touch buttons.
Rather than stick the dust bin on the bottom, which can get a bit cumbersome, Neato’s vacuums house them front and center on top. Emptying it simply involves pulling up on the top notch and removing the air filter. While it’s conceptually a much better method than dealing with Roomba’s bottom-facing dust bins, I sometimes found it tough to orient the air filter properly when trying to reattach the bin.
On the bottom, there’s space for Neato’s extra-wide brushes, two rugged looking side wheels, and two smaller front wheels. You can also get at the lithium-ion battery by removing two screws. Neato includes two sets of brushes in the box: one made up entirely of plastic spiral blades, and the “combo” brush with a mixture of plastic and traditional brushes. The latter is better suited for pets and homes with multiple types of flooring. Given that I have two cats, as well as mix of hardwood and carpeted floors, I opted to test the Botvac with the combo brush.
True to its name, the BotVac Connected’s real claim to fame is its Wi-Fi support and companion app, a first for the company’s devices. The app lets you turn the vacuum on and off remotely, schedule cleanings, and it also displays notifications from the vacuum. Much like Roomba’s 980, which was announced around the same time, the app is Neato’s entry into to “Internet of things.”
So how well does it actually clean? Based on several weeks of testing, the BotVac Connected did a solid job of grabbing all the cat hair off of my carpets, as well as sweeping up debris from my bare floors. It seemed about on-par with the Roomba 980 — performing even better when it comes to certain types of dirt — even though that device costs $200 more. Unfortunately though, the BotVac was also far more prone to getting stuck in furniture and sucking up wires it shouldn’t have. Basically, it requires a lot of babysitting; not exactly what you’d want from a pricey vacuum that’s supposed to make cleaning more convenient.
I’ve been using a Roomba for more than a decade now, so I’m used to picking up potential obstacles and hiding wires before I set a robot vacuum to work. But for some reason (probably because of its odd shape), the Botvac Connected wedged itself into all sorts of places (or maybe it just has something against IKEA furniture). It also sucked up speaker wires I secured on the floor multiple times, which never gave my Roombas any trouble.
I can’t confirm the Botvac Connected will have the same issues in every home, but in mine, at least, it ended up being a headache. It typically took around 90 minutes for it to make a sweep of my two-bedroom apartment, and that usually involves me stepping in to save it five or six times. In contrast, the Roomba 980 can do a full cleaning without me stepping in at all. As far as battery life goes, I managed to get the Botvac Connected running for up to two hours before it petered out.
Despite those instances where it got stuck and jammed, the BotVac Connected did an otherwise decent job maneuvering around my house. Thanks to its laser mapping system, it can usually see larger obstacles. And that also allows it to clean in straight lines, instead of bouncing around seemingly at random like older Roombas. The app also performed well, even though it took a few tries to successfully connect the vacuum to my router. It was particularly useful being able to track a cleaning job when I was at home, but when the vacuum was out of sight. I couldn’t rely much on scheduling the BotVac Connected though, since it would inevitably get stuck before getting too far in my house.
At $700, the Botvac Connected comes in $200 cheaper than the high-end Roomba 980, but it’s still a pretty high price to pay when alternatives sell for around $400. At this point, the significant premium for getting a robot vacuum with Wi-Fi and app support just doesn’t seem worth it. If you’re diving into this market for the first time, consider Neato’s Botvac 85 ($500) and Botvac 70e ($400), or iRobot’s Roomba 770 ($480) and Roomba 880 ($600 – $700). The later has the same brushless design as at the Roomba 980, but no mapping technology. I haven’t seen Dyson’s new robot vacuum in action yet, but given its high $1,200 price (not to mention the fact that it’s only available in Japan), it’s probably out of most customers’ reach.
Every home is different, which makes it all the tougher to compare robot vacuums to each other. In my apartment, the Botvac Connected did a decent job cleaning, but it needed far more help than the Roomba 980 I’ve been testing. When you’re throwing down big bucks, you don’t just want squeaky clean floors — you’re also paying for convenience.
Holiday greetings and bad drivers | Podcast 046
For this holiday week, Jonathan Feist, Andrew Grush and Joe Hindy got together to talk about their plans and the weather. Our boss and a few of our YouTube personalities, including Josh, sent a greeting message for you, and we managed to talk about Google’s self driving car initiative for no more than a few seconds before going off track, literally and figuratively. I suppose we should conclude that at least two thirds of our panel would benefit from this expected partnership with Ford.
With just one more show before the end of the year, we want to thank you again, it is your continued support that makes this all possible. We enjoy sharing a laugh with you each week. We hope that you and yours have a wonderful holiday season.
The Android Authority Podcast – discussing topics in Android every single week.
Links to Podcast
RSS Feed
iTunes
Stitcher
SoundCloud
Direct Download
Relevant Links
Best apps of 2015
Best games of 2015
Google and Ford rumored to team on self driving cars
Follow our Hosts
Joshua Vergara
Twitter | Google+
Joseph Hindy
Twitter | Google+
Andrew Grush
Twitter | Google+
Jonathan Feist
Twitter | Google+
Nirave Gondhia
Twitter | Google+
Recorded on December 22th, 2015 – Hosted and Produced by Jonathan Feist, on behalf of Joshua Vergara.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays from your friends at Android Authority!
Today many of us give thanks as we celebrate this Christmas with our friends and family. While not everyone has the same traditions – whether it’s Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, or any of other myriad holidays that people of all cultures, countries and beliefs practice – we want to wish you a very happy holiday!
Android Authority started with very humble roots but over the years we’ve branched out and reached new heights. Our staff has grown, our coverage has expanded, and we continue to set ever higher ambitions for the years to come. As some of you already know, this has included the creation of sites that go beyond the scope of Android, including TabTimes and SoundGuys. One thing that hasn’t changed however, is our appreciation of our fans.
We know we aren’t perfect (who is?) and there’s things we could improve on, but we are sincerely grateful for your continued dedication. Without fans like you, Android Authority wouldn’t be where it is today. Have a wonderful holiday, and here’s to many more years of providing our readers with “all things Android”, and beyond.
Your friends at Android Authority
Ben Heck’s Holiday Present Protection System
Scales pack a punch for detecting holiday present thieves when Ben, Felix and Karen hack apart a set of weighing scales with a PIC microcontroller and key lock to use as an alarm system, preventing cheeky people and pets from sneaking an early peak at their gifts. Help Ben solve problems on the element14 community where you can find exclusive content, build files and talk with the team.
AIVAnet 