Nissan’s self-parking chairs keep lazy offices tidy
While motorized human transporters have yet to truly take off, the folks over at Nissan have come up with something more practical for the time being: self-parking office chairs. With a single clap, these futuristic furniture will automagically tuck themselves back into their rightful positions, thus keeping your office or meeting room neat and tidy. And of course, it’s also fun to watch, as you can see in the video after the break. Nissan says these modified Okamura chairs are actually tracked by four motion cameras on the walls, and then they are simultaneously controlled via Wi-Fi.
As simple as it sounds, don’t expect these chairs to be hitting the market any time soon. What you see here is merely a stunt to promote the Japanese automaker’s intelligent parking assist technology, so you’ll probably still be pushing office chairs around for the many years to come.
Source: Nissan
Samsung gives you more options with its Edge displays
When Samsung introduced the Galaxy Note Edge, we weren’t sure if its sloping display was a gimmick or a glimpse at the company’s future. Turns out it was the latter, what with the various Galaxy S6 models and the images we’ve seen of the Galaxy S7. With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see Samsung refining the feature through updated software. The arrival of Android 6.0 allows users to more than double the pixels dedicated to the narrow panel. So when you swipe in from the right, the column can now be set to 550 pixels wide, rather than the usual 260.
The company has introduced some extra customisation options too. Before, the “Apps edge” would show your five most recently used applications. That’s now been upped to 10, with the option to add favourite folders for faster discovery and launching. There’s also a new Tasks edge, which offers shortcuts to specific app functions like creating new contacts and calendar appointments. One of more intriguing additions, however, is the Quick tools panel, which puts a full utility on the right-hand side of your screen. These include flashlight controls and a compass (not that I ever need a compass, outside of Firewatch.)
Finally, there’s the option to customise the “handle” that sticks out from the edge of your home screen. When the curved display was first debuted, this on-screen tab was important to get people using and thinking about the new, hidden software features. For longtime Galaxy fans though, accessing this area probably feels like second nature. As such, it’s now possible to change the position, size and transparency of the tab, making it vanish entirely if that’s your preference. It’s a small but useful change, if only to keep your highly curated home screen looking pixel perfect.
Source: Samsung Newsroom
LG Pay won’t now be unveiled at MWC 2016
Along with its new G5 flagship and mid-range smartphones, LG has been gearing up to launch its LG Pay service at this year’s Mobile World Congress. However, LG has now pushed the launch date back into the second quarter of the year to ensure maximum exposure for its upcoming G5 smartphone.
LG has been preparing to launch its mobile payment service since late last year and has been partnering up with a number of card companies. However, the electronics giant looks to be prioritising the launch of its G5 smartphone ahead of its mobile payment system.
“LG Electronics has delayed the official launch of LG Pay to the second quarter of this year to help the new LG flagship smartphone ― G5 ― receive more media attention,” – LG official
In addition, one of LG’s technology affiliates suggests that the company is concerned about flagship smartphone sales, after facing tougher market conditions and a lack of traction with its last generation flagships. The G5 is looking to be a key handset to lift LG’s mobile business, which posted another, albeit smaller, loss in the most recent quarter.
LG’s mobile payment system would be going up against the Apple and Samsung Pay platforms, which have already staked out strong claims in the market. However, rather than relying solely on mobile devices, LG Pay would make use of a general purpose “White Card” that can be tied to existing bank accounts and cards. The card appears to make use of a small display and navigational buttons to allow consumers to pick between associated cards.
See also: LG G5 rumor roundup: release date, specs, and features
LG has apparently already signed up a number of Korean card companies, but rumors suggest that LG may be behind on signing up card companies in other target markets, such as the US. Although an LG official denied that this has anything to do with the launch delay.
Report: Batman V Superman Galaxy S7 Edge Edition possibly in the works
Over the years, a number of actors have taken on the cowl and cape to portray Batman, with the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice role offering a more controversial approach. The movie, which is set to release on March 25th, may ultimately end up turning heads for yet another reason entirely though: According to a new report out of Korea, Samsung may be planning to release a special Batman v Superman Edition of its soon-to-be-announced Galaxy S7 Edge handset.
While exact details are unknown, the phone will be one of three limited variants the Korean conglomerate is allegedly planning to launch this year, with a second paying homage to the 2016 Winter Olympics and a third related to a Korean music act.
The Batman v Superman Edition is allegedly not going to be released until either March or April, thus it may not, in fact, coincide with the actual release date of the movie itself. It is also unlikely that the phone will be announced on Sunday, February 21st along side the phone proper.
See also: New Samsung Galaxy S7 leaks show a collection of colors
Pondering the possibilities
Fans of superhero movies and phones with curved sides may recall last year’s Galaxy S6 Edge Iron Man Edition, a special limited edition variant that was released in Korea and China in very small supply and which promptly went for banging big bucks on venues like eBay. One “double lucky” numbered model sold for $91,000. In addition to the special Iron Man “Red” colored phone itself, the set also came with a similarly themed Iron Man wireless charging pod and a Red colored protective case as well.
While Samsung did eventually release Avengers-themed cases for the smartphone series at large, only the Iron Man Edition was given the special color treatment and proper priority. It would logically follow that the Batman V Superman Edition would make use of a similar color theme and/or design etched onto the rear glass plate, along with the pre-requsite set of pre-installed wallpapers and other customization.
A price that would make Tony Stark proud.
The second coming of Iron Man?
The most obvious approach to this possible pending product would be a follow-up to the aforementioned Iron Man Edition Galaxy S6 Edge. A phone that once again had a special color and design and potentially came with some accessories that also fit with the motif. It could be serially numbered, once again, and released in extremely limited quantities to ensure it is heavily sought after by die-hard collectors while serving to expand the appeal and awareness of the product itself as it ties-in with the movie.
A more subdued approach?
On the other hand, Samsung could just as well produce a variant of the standard Black phone which simply has a pre-installed Batman V Superman theme setting, not unlike what Motorola did with its Star Wars Episode VII variants of the Droid Turbo 2: Said products were pre-selected with Moto Maker color and material customization to make them “represent” specific characters and then pre-installed with wallpapers which could also be downloaded directly from the Google Play Store.
The Droid Turbo 2 Star Wars variants weren’t actually “special” so much as they were pre-configured.
Samsung itself has even recently, released “special editions” of its phones that were arguably more marketing push than anything else. Just a few weeks ago a Galaxy Note 5 Winter Edition was released in South Korea, for example. The only real difference here was the fact that the devices were sold in 128GB storage configurations; the colors and designs were just the same Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium options that the product had been offered in for some time.
Or something different all together?
The final consideration is that the potential product could be a mash-up of both these potential ideas. Rather than a single smartphone, the Korean conglomerate could just as well make two different devices. Considering that Batman in particular is known as The Dark Knight – something Christopher Nolan knows quite well – the existing Black variant of the phone is seemingly sufficient as is. Samsung could just stamp a Batman logo onto the back and call it quits.
Now THIS would be a great concept to realize for Batman V Superman.
Regarding Superman, the colors Blue and Red seem to be readily associated with The Man of Steel and thus it could mean a Red color edition, like Iron Man, or perhaps just a return of the Black Sapphire color which apparently won’t be making the cut this year.
For a long shot, Samsung could actually put out something not unlike the concept image that surfaced last year from a talented Korean graphic designer (see above). If the phones came with color-coordinated front and back plates and a different colored metal frame, that would definitely make the products stand out way beyond the more “subdued” standards.
See also: Samsung Galaxy S7 rumor roundup: release date, price, specs, features
Wrap Up
Whatever the case may be, it is almost safe to assume that fans of either Batman, Superman, or Samsung will be quite interested to see what plays out with this product. Stay tuned to Android Authority for all the latest coverage of Samsung, including its upcoming Unpacked event scheduled for this coming Sunday, February 21st ahead of the formal start of Mobile World Congress on Monday, February 22nd.
Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments below! We want to know what you think about the possibility of a DC Comics edition Galaxy S7 Edge: good idea? Bad idea? Perhaps more importantly: how much would you be willing to spend on it, and how much do you think eBay sellers will be trying to ask for it?
Deal: Get a 128GB PNY microSD card for just $29.99 on Amazon US!
Phone makers charge a premium for extra storage, but if your phone comes with a microSD slot, there’s no need to pay $50 or more for a paltry 32GB of storage. Just get a 128GB card on one of Amazon’s frequent memory deals, and you’re set.
Today’s Amazon deal sees PNY’s microSD memory products going at steep discounts. The 128GB model can be had today for $29.99, the lowest price we’ve seen for cards of this capacity. This PNY card is even cheaper than the relatively no-name Silicon Power card deal from January, which went for $33.
If you want a lower capacity, you can get a 64GB version for just $18.98 and a 32GB one for $9.99. A selection of PNY SD cards and USB flash sticks are also discounted today.
Check out the full deals list:
- Get a PNY 128GB High Speed MicroSDXC Memory Card for $29.99
- Get a PNY U3 Turbo Performance 64GB High Speed MicroSDHC for $18.99
- Get a PNY U3 Turbo Performance 32GB High Speed MicroSDHC for $9.99
- Get a PNY Elite Performance 32 GB High Speed SDHC Class 10 UHS-I for $10.39
- Get a PNY Elite Performance 64 GB High Speed SDXC Class 10 UHS-I for $18.39
- Get a PNY Elite Performance 128 GB High Speed SDXC Class 10 UHS-I for $35.99
- Get a PNY Elite Performance 256 GB High Speed SDXC Class 10 UHS-I for $64.99
- Get a PNY U3 PRO Elite SD Card 32GB for $15.99
- Get a PNY U3 PRO Elite SD Card 64GB for $24.99
Happy shopping!
Microsoft retreats back to the low-end with the Lumia 650
Since Microsoft took control of Nokia’s Lumia smartphone brand, it hasn’t exactly been cranking out the most compelling of hardware. The recent(ish) Lumia 950 and 950 XL are the closest it’s come to new flagships, but today the company’s retreated back into its comfort zone with the low-end Lumia 650. The new device’s boxy frame is wrapped in an anodized aluminum border and measures only 6.9mm (0.27 inch) thick, but there’s little to get excited about under the hood.
Up front you’ll find a 5-inch, 720p OLED display with Gorilla Glass protection, and beating away inside the 4G-ready handset is a quad-core 1.3GHz Snapdragon 212 processor. Other key specs include 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 200GB with the right microSD card), NFC support, a 2,000mAh battery, an 8-megapixel main camera and 5MP front-facer with wide-angle lens.
The device runs Windows 10 Mobile out of the box — though it’s not powerful enough to support the Continuum portable desktop feature — and comes in single- and dual-SIM variants with your choice of black or white get-up. The Lumia 650 is launching in select European countries this week (February 18th) with a recommended price of $199/circa £150, and an omission of any plans for other regions doesn’t bode well for wider availability, at least in the near future.
It’s no great secret that Lumia sales have been falling off a cliff for over a year now, and Microsoft hasn’t managed to drum up a great deal of interest in the latest iteration of its mobile OS. Rumor has it the Lumia 650 will be Microsoft’s last handset bearing the Lumia brand name, and that the company will be looking at lessons learned from its Surface devices to turn around its mobile slump.
Source: Microsoft
Lenovo launching new metal smartphone at MWC 2016
Lenovo India has teased a new metal smartphone to be launched at MWC 2016 next week, promising a “gorgeous new device” “engineered from scratch”. The teaser says to “brace yourselves” for the “knockout punch”. The top of the pictured device looks an awful lot like the Lenovo Lemon 3 which was launched in China last month, leading to speculation it will now see a release in India.
If so, the knockout punch will be the price. The Lenovo Lemon 3 retails for about $100 in China, meaning it would carry a price tag somewhere around 7,500 INR in India, or less than half the price of the OnePlus X. The Lemon 3 is a clear competitor for the Xiaomi Redmi 3, which retails for around the same price in China.
A gorgeous new device has been engineered from scratch to deliver the #Knockout punch. Brace yourselves. pic.twitter.com/PKwuxkaJEg
— Lenovo India (@Lenovo_in) February 12, 2016
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Lenovo Lemon 3 specs include a 5-inch Full HD IPS LCD display, octa-core Snapdragon 616 chipset, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB ROM with microSD expansion, 13 MP primary camera and 5 MP front-facing camera, 2,750 mAh battery, Android 5.1 Lollipop, LTE, dual-SIM and dual rear-facing stereo speakers.
Picasa is shutting down in favour of Google Photos
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Many of you will know the name Picasa as a place to store photos and many of you will have used it for many years. Unfortunately, that run is going to come to an end as Picasa is shutting down and Google focuses its development on Google Photos. While this will be a big inconvenience for some, Google understands that some people have put blood and sweat into their Picasa curations:
“We know for many of you, a great deal of care has gone into managing your photos and videos using Picasa—including the hours you’ve invested and the most precious moments you’ve trusted us with. So we will take some time in order to do this right and provide you with options and easy ways to access your content.”
So easy in fact that if you log into Google Photos right now, all your photos and videos from Picasa will already be there. If, however, you still want access to the tags, captions and comments you’ve accumulated on Picasa, Google will soon provide a way for you to keep these. You still have time to say your goodbyes though, as Google will only start the shutdown process on May 1st, 2016. Note that the Picasa desktop app is also going to have its support terminated from May 15th, 2016 – naturally, there is a Google Photos version should you choose to go down that path (and let’s be honest, you probably should).
What do you think about Picasa shutting down? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Google Picasa Blog via Droid-life
The post Picasa is shutting down in favour of Google Photos appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Pansonics’s mirrorless selfie camera fixes your flaws
To get the best possible pictures — of yourself — you could do worse than Panasonic’s latest Lumix, the GF8. With a 16-megapixel sensor and flip-around screen, the mirrorless camera will certainly take far better pictures of you (and other stuff) than a smartphone. The drawback of putting an interchangeable-lens camera next to your face is that it also highlights your flaws, so Panasonic has introduced “Beauty Retouch” mode for selfies. In its own words, the feature “enables users –- especially women — to shoot portraits more attractively with its Soft Skin, Defocusing and Slimming effects.”
If you’re as vain as Panasonic supposes, you’ll also appreciate the faux-leather-wrapped body and choice of brown, silver, pink or orange colors. It should make a good walking-around camera too, thanks to the small size, WiFi smartphone connectivity, 5.8fps shooting speed and 1080p/60fps movie capability. Other than the re-touching features, it’s little changed over the previous GF7 model, so that must mean there’s more demand for a chichi, high-performance selfie camera than we figured. There’s no word yet on pricing or availability.
Via: Engadget Chinese
Source: DP Review
LG revamps its mid-range with two “Specialist” handsets
Ahead of its main announcement at this year’s Mobile World Congress, the G5, LG has announced two new mid-range smartphones that boast some of the company’s high-end technology. The new Specialist X Series is made up of the X cam and X screen, which reveals a little about the special features included with each of the handsets.
Starting with the X cam, the smartphone boasts a dual-rear camera configuration that is built from a 13 megapixel and 5MP sensor, presumably allowing for adjustable focus post-processing. This is accompanied by an 8MP front facing sensor. The handset also features LG’s 3D Bending Glass for a curved front panel finish. Other specifications include a 5.2-inch FullHD display, an unspecified 1.14GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a 2,520mAh battery. There’s also Android 6.0 Marshmallow installed by default and 4G LTE support.
The X screen features very similar base specifications, with 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear and 8MP front camera combination, 16GB of memory, Marshmallow and LTE support. However, there’s a 1.2GHz quad-core processor in this phone, paired up with a slightly smaller 2,300mAh battery. The big feature with the X screen is a secondary always-on display, similar to that which featured in the flagship V10 model. The 1.76-inch ticker screen displays frequently used apps, battery information, and notifications, among other things. This display sits right above the main 4.93-inch HD display.
See also: LG G5 rumor roundup: release date, specs, and features
There is certainly some interesting hardware available with LG’s latest mid-range handsets. Unfortunately, we don’t know how much these smartphones will costs yet or when they will be hitting store shelves. LG will probably unveil the final details when it showcases the X cam and X screen at MWC in Barcelona on February 22nd.
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