Deal: Get a free Galaxy S6 with any other Galaxy flagship purchase at AT&T
Dayum, this is a pretty sweet deal. AT&T is offering a free 32 GB Galaxy S6 to anyone that purchases a Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, S6 Active or Note 5 on an AT&T Next instalment plan. Both devices will need to be on a Next plan, but considering one of them is for free, it’s a pretty awesome offer.
If you’re not particularly keen on the Galaxy S6, AT&T is also offering the S6 Active as the free device, or up to $595 in monthly bill credits so you can choose any other eligible Galaxy device you like. The free S6 will need to be a new activation and you’ll have to pay the taxes on both devices upfront.
The offer isn’t available in Connecticut, Rhode Island or Miami-Dade and you need to keep both devices “in good standing” (that means pay your bill) for the first month before the monthly bill credits kick in after three bill cycles. The offer is available until March 31 (at least in Puerto Rico) and both handsets must be on Next plans of at least $70 per month. With the Galaxy S7 being unveiled in less than two weeks at MWC 2016, you know more deals like this are coming soon.
Samsung to launch Public Safety LTE in Korea
Samsung’s plans of using its strong LTE technology for emergency services are taking shape. The Korean company has revealed that it’s providing the infrastructure and devices for the country’s Public Safety LTE network. People will be able to use the connection during emergency situations, and first responders can connect to it to download videos and high-resolution images of the location they’re going to. They could, for instance, tap into the network to check if flooded areas can still be reached by land. Samsung claims that when it launches, it’ll be the “first live PS-LTE network in the world using the 3GPP telecommunications standard.”
As we mentioned in the past, 3GPP is an international group of telecommunications bodies that hash out network standards (GPRS, 3G and LTE). Samsung’s PS-LTE will initially be accessible in Seoul, since that’s where the main control center is. It will then expand in stages, starting with the Gangwon province after its initial rollout this year, until it becomes a nationwide presence in 2017.
Source: Samsung
LG pulls an LG, launches G5 smart cover ahead of the G5
![_LG Quick Cover Case 3[2]](https://i0.wp.com/cdn01.androidauthority.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/LG-Quick-Cover-Case-32-840x630.jpg?resize=640%2C480)
In an industry where secrecy is the norm, LG is something of a contrarian. The Korean company likes to trickle out details of its upcoming flagships days, sometimes even weeks, in advance, and the LG G5 is no exception.
The latest tidbit that LG is revealing about the G5 is a smart cover that’s “answering the age old question – what came first, the smartphone or the cover?”
Metaphor abuse aside, LG’s Quick Cover is “designed specifically” for the upcoming G5 and comes with features like touch functionality that allows the user to take calls or silence alarms without opening the cover.
![_LG Quick Cover Case 4[2]](https://i1.wp.com/cdn01.androidauthority.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/LG-Quick-Cover-Case-42-840x630.jpg?resize=640%2C480)
The LG G5 Quick Cover features a semitransparent mesh cover, resembling the concept of HTC’s Dot View cover for the M series. The cover “incorporates a unique film with a glossy metallic finish to enhance the smooth and luxurious look and feel of the cover.” This finish is said to match the design of the phone, a silent confirmation of the rumors putting a metallic unibody on the G5.
We are positive that LG will let go of more details about the G5 over the next days, but there are some aspects that will remained unconfirmed until the February 21 launch date. Worry not, your curiosity can be satiated in our comprehensive LG G5 rumor roundup.
‘Top Gear’ gets its cast as Clarkson begins filming for Amazon
At last, we know who will be standing alongside Chris Evans for the highly anticipated Top Gear reboot. Former Friends star Matt LeBlanc had already been confirmed, but now we’ve got another four faces to divulge. Motorsport pundit Eddie Jordan joins from the BBC’s Formula 1 team, while Rory Reid comes across from Recombu Cars — his career highlights include this impressive rap review for the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II. Joining them are German racing driver Sabine Schmitz, best known for her white-knuckle lap of the Nurburgring in a van, and Chris Harris, a successful motoring journalist that now runs his own YouTube channel.
With six presenters, it’s safe to assume the Top Gear format will be changing a little bit. When Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond ran the show, they would often appear individually in pre-recorded segments before coming back together for the studio bits and larger “challenge” documentaries. A larger crop of faces should give the show better variety, and spread the risk associated with each new presenter. However, it’ll also mean giving them all less screen time.
Coincidentally, Jeremy Clarkson tweeted yesterday that his new motoring show for Amazon Prime begins filming today. The new-look Top Gear is already in production, so there’s a good chance both programmes will run at roughly the same time. If that happens, it should be an intriguing head-to-head — for many Top Gear fans, Clarkson and company were the core of the show, and that’s reason alone to check out their new series. The BBC has a bigger reach than Amazon Prime though, especially in the UK, and the Top Gear brand is sure to pull in some curious viewers this May.
Source: BBC (Press Release)
Chrome on Android communicates with smart devices around you
Folks running Chrome on iOS have had a chance to tap into the Physical Web devices around them since last July, but Google’s finally opened that functionality up to its own ecosystem. To that end, Chrome 49 on Android will support the objects (like parking meters, for instance). The first time you encounter one there will be a push notification alerting you one is nearby, and future run-ins will populate a list of the gadgets nearby. It’s starting in the beta channel, a post on the Chromium Blog notes, with wider support rolling out soon. In case you’re curious of how it all looks in action, the GIF below should give you a good idea.
Mountain View says that some 1,500 of these beacons were in place during CES this year as well, helping folks around the various exhibits on the floor. Fingers crossed that next year they’ll identify the closest hand sanitizer station too.
Source: Chromium Blog
Puxers – The fun brain game [Review]
Overview
At risk of sounding utterly cliche, Puxers is a game that’s easy to pick up, but hard to master. You flick numbered pucks around an arena, colliding like-numbered pucks with one another. When these pucks collide, they transform into the sum of those numbers. You may have no more than 12 pucks on the board at a time – any more, and you lose.
Developer: Rokitt Dynamix TM
Price: Free (Ad-Supported; Individual Undos: $0.99)
Highlights:
- Collide like-numbered pucks to increase your score.
- No more than 12 pucks on board at a time.
- Use multipliers to win big!
Main Menu.
Setup
Beyond the standard Google Play login, there’s not much to do as far as setup for this app goes. I’d highly recommend viewing the tutorial slides, which you access by tapping on the stylized ‘?’ on the right side of the screen.
Features
Puxers is relatively simple, but at the same time challenging and strategic. I fell in love with it very quickly. The graphics are cute and arcadey, with sounds to match, and the game itself runs very smoothly. Pucks range in scale by powers of 2, from 2 to 8192. By colliding like numbers, you create a numbered puck that equals the sum of the two you collided. For example, colliding two 8-pucks results in a 16-puck, two 16-pucks yields a 32-puck, etc. At some point – I believe it is when the number reaches 8192, the puck simply turns into a star and leaves the field. As you accumulate numbers, your score goes up.
Basic Gameplay.
The kicker, however, is that if you accumulate twelve pucks on the board and fail to clear one, you lose. Game over. This is where the game’s only in-app-purchase comes into play; if you lose, you are able to Undo your last move by paying $0.99. In between games you’ll often encounter long, video-based ads that can be skipped in a few seconds, which will then direct you to a Play Store download link. A small inconvenience, but inconvenient nonetheless.
Microtransactions!
What I like
- Simple, fun gameplay mechanics.
- Hard to master; strategy legitimately matters.
What I don’t
- Micro-transaction price is a little steep.
- Multipliers seem to appear at random.
Conclusion
If you like simple, challenging puzzlers, this game is for you. Great quality of product, a simple game mechanic, and a real sense of accomplishment when you beat your score should make this game a hit if it gains traction.
Google Play Store – Puxers – The fun brain game
The post Puxers – The fun brain game [Review] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
WhatsApp update brings flurry of new emojis
With over a billion monthly active users on board, it is no surprise WhatsApp is getting funner. But this is not only due to its rich user base, the app itself keeps getting improvements. Not to mention the fact that it is now completely free.
What’s next? Well, we know video calls may be in the works, but today the Facebook-owned application is also getting a new set of emojis for your entertainment.
See also: 10 best texting apps for Android
There’s plenty of new additions; my favorite is definitely the middle finger one (yes, there is one). You can also use an upside-down face, a popcorn box, an urn, religious icons and much, much more. Emojis are kind of important for communication, aren’t they? It’s definitely nice to see more options around.
Of course, the only feasible way to explore these new emojis is to get the update (version 2.12.441) and check them out yourself. The only problem is some of you may not have the update available yet. These tend to roll out in phases, but you can always check out the Google Play Store to see if your device is ready for some emoji goodness. If not, it should come in a few days… or so. Or you can download the APK from the link below!
But tell us – which is your favorite new emoji? Is it the “bird”, too?
Facebook makes it harder to ignore video ads
As often as Facebook likes to push video ads, they’ve been relatively easy to ignore. The sound is usually off until you click, so you can scroll by to whatever you really meant to look at. However, it might be tough to completely gloss over them in the near future — Facebook is rolling out a tool that automatically captions video ads. Whether or not they appear is up to the advertiser, but the hope is that you’ll stop (if ever so briefly) to read what a promo is saying instead of skipping to the next post.
If you’re cringing at the thought, you can at least take consolation in knowing that these captions won’t arrive in earnest for a while. The tool is reaching marketers over the course of the weeks ahead, and only in US English for now. You’ll be safe for a while, folks. As it stands, captions might have an upside (other than allowing the hearing impaired to access what’s going on, if they choose): they could reduce the temptation for advertisers to use more distracting custom text in a desperate bid to catch your eye.
Source: Facebook for Business
Elon Musk: You can reserve a Model 3 starting March 31st
Even though Elon Musk said earlier today that he’s not sure how much of Tesla’s Model 3 will be unveiled next month, you’ll still be able to get in line right away. Musk (shown above posing in front of a Model S during its 2009 debut event) just tweeted that Model 3 reservations will be accepted at Tesla stores on March 31st, and online starting April 1st. You’ll need to put $1,000 down towards the car’s price, which will start at $35,000 before any incentives are applied.
No signature series for Model 3. Same reservation amount for all.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 11, 2016
We should note that while Musk says there will no Signature Series this time around (like the high-price limited models that launched Tesla’s Model X), while talking to investors he said the first models will come with many options installed, so the price could be a bit higher for early buyers. Whatever we see at the launch event next month, the Model 3 is supposed to go on sale in late 2017 so you’ll have to let Tesla hold that down payment for a little while and hope there’s no Bolt envy in the meantime. The online reservations will be taken globally, and Musk promises more details “in the coming weeks” — stay tuned.
Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)
Serato’s DJ tech is ready to mix playlists on your iPhone
Creating a great playlist is tough. It’s more than just throwing a bunch of songs together and hoping for the best. You have to make sure the music melds together smoothly, with no jarring transitions. It’s time-consuming, and if you don’t add enough songs, well, it’s just embarrassing when the music ends in the middle of a party. Serato’s new Pyro app for iOS solves many of those problems by keeping the jams going long after you’ve given up trying to mix Kanye with Beyonce.
Serato, best known for its DJ software, is entering the consumer market by taking the technology that’s been helping mixmasters beat-match and cramming it into one dead-simple UI. While the playlists resemble the Clear app’s lists, the underlying transition tech is what really shines here. As CEO A.J. Bertenshaw told Engadget, “What we’ve learned about DJing and audio manipulation is put behind the scenes.”
Upon launch, Pyro asks you to “build a fire.” From there you can add songs, artists and playlists from both your Spotify and your locally stored music — the app allows mixing of music from both sources. You then add as many (or as few) songs as you like. Off the bat, the app’s algorithm offers up suggestions for additional tracks that match the playlist. Just tap on one of those recommendations to add it to the lineup.
If you walk away or get tired of adding new music, the app will automatically cue up new songs to your playlist so that the tunes never stop. The transitions are essentially seamless, because the app speeds up or slows down the tempo of the next track. It then slowly corrects the tempo so the song sounds as it should. Basically, it does what a DJ would do in a club but without the turntables, mixers and glow sticks.
In my own tests, if I got tired of a song, skipping to another immediately activated the beat-matching feature. There were no odd moments of silence; one track would just blend into the next. And the tempo tech is great, too: a fun little feature where if you skip around in a song, it keeps the beat. Both of these little touches remind you of Serato’s strong DJ pedigree.
Bertenshaw says the app isn’t aimed at DJs. Still, I suspect that more than a few clubs will use Pyro to keep the dance floor going.
The free app is currently available for iOS only, with the Apple Watch supported as well. Fortunately, an Android version is on the way, with OS X and Windows versions coming out sometime after that. According to the CEO, the company is also looking at Apple TV. Then you’ll be able to make a playlist from nearly anywhere.
So if you’re the type of person who wants to live their life like they’re in the club or you just want to make sure your next dinner party has enough music to last through the dessert course, Pyro is for you. It’s an easy-to-use music player that does one thing and does it very well.
Source: Serato
AIVAnet 