HTC One M10 shows up in leaked photo, minus the HTC branding bar
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
The start of the calendar year is always an exciting time as most Android manufacturers gear up to announce their 2016 flagship smartphones. One of the most anticipated is HTC‘s flagship, and although the Taiwanese manufacturer has fallen on hard times, it’s always interesting to see what they come up with. Thanks to leaker @evleaks, we now have what is likely out first look at the front of that device, expected to be called the HTC One M10, and most astute mobile fans will notice one glaring omission.
The lack of a HTC branding bar.
HTC flagships of old all had a black branding bar at the bottom of the device, much to the chagrin of HTC’s loyal fans as the black bar appeared to be a waste of space. Fast forward to this year, the One M10 has disposed of this black bar as well as its iconic BoomSound dual speakers. In fact, at a glance, you’d be hard pressed to identify anything as characteristic of HTC, but perhaps that’s what they were going for. We’ll have to see what device actually turns up when HTC does announce it though doesn’t seem like they’ll be doing so at MWC 2016.
And to think I wasn’t going to get through this whole article without mentioning how much it looks like an iPhone. Wait, dammit.
Source: @evleaks via Android Police
The post HTC One M10 shows up in leaked photo, minus the HTC branding bar appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Layoffs at BlackBerry affect 200 workers, including BBM co-founder
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
BlackBerry is a company in transition as it looks for ways to remain relevant in the highly competitive smartphone marketplace. While it’s latest smartphone, the BlackBerry Priv, has demonstrated BlackBerry’s desire to explore the Android ecosystem, it’s remained resolute that it isn’t going to move away from its homegrown BlackBerry 10 platform. Actions speak louder than words, however, as a number of layoffs at BlackBerry have apparently hit its headquarters in Waterloo, Canada and office in Florida. Here’s the statement given by BlackBerry regarding the layoffs:
As BlackBerry continues to execute its turnaround plan, we remain focused on driving efficiencies across our global workforce. This means finding new ways to enable us to capitalize on growth opportunities, while driving toward sustainable profitability across all parts of our business. As a result, a small number of employees have been impacted in Waterloo and Sunrise, FL. It also means that BlackBerry is actively recruiting in those areas of our business that will drive growth. For those employees that have recently left the company, we know that they have worked hard on behalf of our company and we are grateful for their commitment and contributions.
The number of layoffs was originally thought to be as many as 1000 people, but the number is apparently close to 200, with layoffs allegedly affecting the BlackBerry 10 device teams. One notable layoff was BBM founder Gary Klassen – it’s not entirely clear what this move signals for BlackBerry, but it’s not likely to be the last personnel shuffle we see in the coming months.
What do you think about the layoffs at BlackBerry? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: MobileSyrup via engadget
The post Layoffs at BlackBerry affect 200 workers, including BBM co-founder appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Tinder bans users for sending pro-Bernie Sanders messages
Campaigning for Bernie Sanders, and presumably any other politician, can get you banned from Tinder. According to a report from Reuters, two users of the dating app learned that the hard way recently, after their accounts were locked for sending private messages about the 2016 presidential candidate. One woman, for example, told the publication she sent 60 messages per day to other people on Tinder, as she hoped to convince them to support Senator Sanders.
Those read as “Do you feel the Bern?” and “Please text WORK to 82623 for me. Thanks,” which would then prompt the recipients to get updates from the Sanders campaign. It also sent a link with a sign-up page for volunteering. Tinder has yet to issue an official statement, but we reached out to the service and will update the story if we hear back.
It’s worth noting that Tinder’s Terms of Use are pretty clear. The document’s Section 9, which you can read in full here, states users “may not post, upload, display or otherwise make available Content that … involves the transmission of ‘junk mail,’ ‘chain letters,’ or unsolicited mass mailing or ‘spamming’ (or ‘spimming,’ ‘phishing,’ ‘trolling’ or similar activities).” If a user doesn’t follow the rules, Tinder says it has the right to “investigate, suspend and/or terminate” an account.
Via: The Hill
Source: Reuters
Reason to buy Android: update bricks some iPhones that were repaired without authorization
Apple users are now receiving a pretty strong incentive to swap to Android. An emerging iPhone ‘feature’ is discovered to brick devices that were repaired by non-Apple entities. When a user upgrades to the latest version of iOS 9, some are reporting an “error 53” that renders the device unusable. Although the phone may have been functioning perfectly for weeks or months after a repair job, this error will effectively render the handset inoperable, and the Guardian is reporting that any data lost on the phone this way is unrecoverable.
“The problem occurs if the repairer changes the home button or the cable,” said California tech expert Kyle Wiens, owner of the iFixit website. “Following the software upgrade the phone in effect checks to make sure it is still using the original components, and if it isn’t, it simply locks out the phone. There is no warning, and there’s no way that I know of to bring it back to life.”
See also: Why I switched to the iPhone…. (and back again)
Some suspect that this is a move by apple engineered to undercut independent repairers. Repairing the home button through Apple will run upwards of $200, but smaller repair shops can perform the fix much cheaper. There are concerns that this might go against competition rules. The Guardian points out that car manufacturers are not legally able to insist that automobile owners get serviced exclusively through their shops.
The worst thing about “error 53” is that there is no warning and no fix. The only solution is to get a new phone. Antonio Olmos, a freelance photographer, fell victim to this issue after he had his phone repaired in a shop in Macedonia in September. Months later, when prompted to upgrade his software, Olmos accepted the update and his phone was immediately bricked. The self-proclaimed Apple addict was incensed when he learned that he had to pay £270 for a replacement.
“The whole thing is extraordinary,” said Olmos. “How can a company deliberately make their own products useless with an upgrade and not warn their own customers about it? Outside of the big industrialised nations, Apple stores are few and far between, and damaged phones can only be brought back to life by small third-party repairers. I am not even sure these third-party outfits even know this is a potential problem.”
Apple has been pretty cagey about the whole issue. The closest we’ve gotten to an explanation is a jargon-stuffed statement from a spokesperson:
We protect fingerprint data using a secure enclave, which is uniquely paired to the touch ID sensor. When iPhone is serviced by an authorised Apple service provider or Apple retail store for changes that affect the touch ID sensor, the pairing is re-validated. This check ensures the device and the iOS features related to touch ID remain secure. Without this unique pairing, a malicious touch ID sensor could be substituted, thereby gaining access to the secure enclave. When iOS detects that the pairing fails, touch ID, including Apple Pay, is disabled so the device remains secure… When an iPhone is serviced by an unauthorised repair provider, faulty screens or other invalid components that affect the touch ID sensor could cause the check to fail if the pairing cannot be validated. With a subsequent update or restore, additional security checks result in an ‘error 53’ being displayed … If a customer encounters an unrecoverable error 53, we recommend contacting Apple support.
Apple support, by all accounts, will then tell you that you need to buy a new device from them. If you’re an iPhone user and you’ve had your device repaired by a non-Apple entity, it might be a good idea to hold off on any upgrades for the foreseeable future.
Leaked image of the HTC One M10 looks a lot like the One A9
Although the rumor mill has been churning about HTC’s 2016 flagship, we haven’t had much firm information on the One M10. That is, until today. A leaked photograph purported to be the front of the One M10 has surfaced, and it looks quite a bit like the One A9.
The One A9 caught some flak from design hounds back when it was released, with many complaining that it riffed so hard off Apple that it practically looked like an iPhone clone. If the image we’re looking at is indeed the One M10, then those same voices are going to be grousing again.
There’s no HTC logo on the front of this device, and it looks like the company has ditched the black bar that has haunted the One M series. An elongated, oval shaped home button rests on the bottom of the device, and there’s speculation that it’s also a fingerprint scanner. The volume and power buttons are housed on the right side of the phone, and the power button looks pleasantly ridged like the edge of a coin, which should make it immediately identifiable with a brush of the fingertip.
What we’re not seeing is the second front-facing speaker below the display, so that might mean that BoomSound speakers aren’t going to be making the cut on this model. All in all, this looks fairly in line with what we were expecting from the One M10. Solid metal construction and what looks like a 5.1-inch QHD AMOLED display. Under the hood, the device is rumored to run the Snapdragon 820 chipset, 32 GB of storage, and 4 gigs of RAM. We’re still expecting a microSD card slot for additional memory, and a 12 MP UltraPixel rear camera.
What are your thoughts regarding the these new shots of the M10? Everything you have been hoping for, or something of a let-down? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Next: Reports: HTC One M9 successor could launch at standalone event in March
AIVAnet 