Get your iPhone’s slim form back with lightweight and durable Peel Cases

We go to great lengths to protect our iPhones, often dealing with bulky, heavy cases which completely defeat the engineering miracles that went into such a slim design.

If you’d like to get your case back into relative phone form, the Peel iPhone Case is for you – and you can pick one up in your choice of colors for the 6/6S (Plus versions also available), at just £17.57 ($24.99) from Pocket-lint Deals.

Peel provides a tough layer of protection for your iPhone that won’t add weight or alter its appearance. Formed to fit your iPhone, the Peel case protects your protruding camera lens, with a maximum thickness of 0.35mm. There’s zero visibility, so you’re not a walking billboard for a brand.

Cases shouldn’t be expensive to start with (you’re paying enough for the phone), but at £17.57 ($24.99), the Peel is priced just right – it’s quite clearly the Goldilocks of iPhone cases. Shipping is free from Pocket-lint Deals.

Oculus Social launches on Gear VR, Facebook tie-in coming soon

Following the lead of nearly everything else on the internet, Oculus has announced it’s adding social features to the company’s VR platform. Starting tomorrow, Gear VR owners will be able to create a profile of their own, and then search for others by their real name or username. Social hooks aren’t that unexpected for a company owned by Facebook and of course, tie-ins for that are coming as well. We reached out to Oculus and the company says linking your account with Facebook will be completely optional, but for those who want it, it’s coming next week.

Users will be able to like and share Facebook’s 360-degree videos from within VR, and an API for developers to create social links is coming soon as well. Right now users can check out new VR games that let them play with friends or create virtual rooms to watch videos with friends. Social Trivia is a 4-player knowledge game, while Herobound: Gladiators invites up to four players to try out arena-style combat. Finally, now that there are identities, you can also leave reviews under your account name in the Oculus Store.

Source: Oculus Blog

Napster founder is making a day-and-date movie release service

Sean Parker, Napster co-founder and ex-Facebook president, is cooking up another big project. According to Variety, he and Prem Akkaraju (an exec at SFX Entertainment, Inc.) have recently pitched a premium day-and-date movie release service to studio representatives. It’s reportedly called “the Screening Room,” and the duo promised studios that it can protect the movies with a secure anti-piracy technology.

If it sees the light of day, it’ll cost you $150 to buy the set-top box that transmits movies the same day they come out in the theatres. Every title will be available for you to watch within a 48-hour period, but you’ll have to pay $50 every time you view it. Steep, but at least you can watch movies in peace, without screaming kids and loud adults in the background. Plus, there’s a reason they plan to charge that much.

See, in order to convince studios and theatres to get on board, Parker and Akkaraju are offering them a lion’s share of the per-view fee. They even plan to give you two movie tickets for every title you pay for, so cinemas can earn from concession sales. After everyone else gets their cuts, the Screening Room takes its $5 commission.

Variety says Universal, Fox and Sony are already showing serious interest and have been studying the duo’s business plan closely. The two also told the people in their presentation that they’re close to signing a deal with AMC, which is in the midst of acquiring Carmike Cinemas. Negotiations are still in the very early stages, though. They still need to hash out details, especially since the Screening Room wants to be studios’ exclusive content partner.

Source: Variety

How to watch the Hillary Clinton-Bernie Sanders Democratic debate online – CNET

Ted Soqui/Ted Soqui Photography/Corbis

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will take the stage tonight at Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida. The debate comes on the heels of two primary elections. Last night, Clinton captured an easy victory in Mississippi, but was upset by Sanders in Michigan.

The debate will be hosted by Univision and The Washington Post, and moderated by Karen Tumulty and Univision anchors Maria Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos. The debate is slated to begin at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).

Here are the different ways to tune in:

• A live stream of the debate will be available on The Washington Post website, as well as on the Washington Post app on Apple TV devices.
• The debate will be aired in Spanish on the Univision cable channel, with a Spanish live stream available on Univision’s website.
• The debate will also be shown live on CNN, with a live stream available on CNN.com and the CNN mobile apps for Android and iOS.

Want to follow along or contribute to the conversation on social media? Use the hashtag #DemDebate.

Also, go to our sister site CBSNews.com for complete coverage of the debate, as well as ongoing coverage of the 2016 election.

How to sign up for the Android Beta Program – CNET

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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Google on Wednesday released the developer preview of Android N. The company also went against its normal tradition of releasing only the system image files and forcing developers to install the update using command line code and developer tools, Google also announced the Android Beta Program.

Once you sign up for the program, your Nexus device will receive Android N updates via the normal software update process over-the-air. Saving you valuable time and headache should you have no idea where to begin with flashing images to your beloved Android device.

Signing up for the program is easy, but there’s a giant warning you need to be aware of before doing so: The only way to revert back to a stable build of Android Marshmallow is to completely wipe your device, removing any and all personal information from it.

Installing Android N is by no means a permanent decision, just be ready to set up your device as brand-new should you want to go back.

All right, with that out of the way, here’s how to sign up:

• You must own a recent Nexus device to take part. The complete list includes the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 6, Pixel C tablet, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player.
• Visit the Android Beta Program page and sign into the same Google account you use on your Nexus.
• There you’ll fine a list of eligible devices. Click on Enroll Device next to the device you want to install Android N on.
• Accept the terms, and the stern warning about reverting back to Android Marshmallow, then click Join Beta.

A few minutes later the freshly enrolled device will prompt you to install an Android system update. It can take up to 24 hours for the update to reach your device, according to Google but in my testing I was prompted in less than a minute after joining on two different devices.

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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

It’s not a bad idea to have your charger handy and a solid Wi-Fi connection. The update on a Nexus 6P came in at just over 1GB.

Once you begin the installation process, the steps are no different than a standard system update; just let your device do its thing.

To leave the beta program, revisit the program page and click on Unenroll Device. Another OTA update will be sent to your device, wiping all user data and putting the device on the latest official version of Android.

Samsung Pay now available for the Verizon Galaxy S7

The Samsung Pay app is now available to download from Google Play for the Verizon Galaxy S7, following a short bout of confusion going around the Internet concerning its availability. In checking Google Play on our Galaxy S7 review unit, the Samsung Pay app is now showing as compatible and available for download.

Of course, the ability to download Samsung Pay won’t matter to too many people just yet, as the handset doesn’t officially launch until March 11. However, just as Verizon previously indicated, Samsung Pay will be ready and waiting on Google Play for Verizon customers who get their hands on a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge going forward.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 edge with Exynos: A Canadian perspective
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Details on the Galaxy S7’s camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 5 updated with February Android security patch

If you’re using a Samsung Galaxy Note 5 on AT&T, you’ll want to keep an eye out for a security update that’s rolling out to the smartphone now. According to AT&T’s support pages, the update just started rolling out to the carrier’s Galaxy Note 5, bringing along unnamed security and performance enhancements.

While AT&T’s release notes don’t specifically call it out, a screenshot posted by Android Central forum user Bpschoon81 shows that this latest update brings the handset’s security patch level up to February 1. As for size, the update looks to come in right around 49MB large.

As the update only just began rolling out, it could take some time to land for everyone.

Galaxy S7 pre-orders stronger than expected, Samsung says

Sales of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge are off to a great start, according to Samsung. As reported by Reuters, Samsung’s mobile chief, Dongjin Koh, recently stated that pre-orders have been stronger than the company had initially expected.

Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has seen stronger-than-expected preorders for its new flagship Galaxy S7 smartphones launching this week, a senior company executive said on Thursday.

As Reuters notes, Koh did not follow up with any specific sales figures. However, he did go on to state that Samsung hopes a strong performance from the Galaxy S7 can help drive success for the company in China where it is currently facing fierce competition.

Android N preview: Here’s how to get the next version of Android now

Google has randomly made a developer preview of the next version of Android, codenamed N, available for Nexus devices.

Google typically releases the latest Android preview during its I/O developer conference held annually in May. Now – for the first time – the preview is available early as an over-the-air update for those enrolled in the Android N Beta Program. But there are actually a couple of different ways for getting ahold of Android N way before the official consumer release later this year.

Here are two different routes you can take…

Android N: What is it and when will it arrive for all?

Android N is the upcoming, next version of Android (Android 7.0).

Google names its Android versions after sweet treats. That’s run on for years, recently taking in Kit Kat, Lollipop, and Marshmallow. So what will be the name of Android 7.0? All we know is that it is currently going by the codename N. We also know Android N is expected to be unveiled at Google I/O opening on 18 May 2016. We usually get our first glimpse of the next version of Android at this conference.

Android N won’t land for consumers until later in the year however, around October. This is usually timed with the release of a new Nexus handset, making the debut of the new Android version, and showcasing its new features.

Android N: What is the developer preview?

A developer preview is a “work in progress” build that is released to app developers prior to a consumer rollout of the final software. Google offers a preview to collect and incorporate developer feedback. The preview includes an updated a software development kit with system images for testing on the official Android emulator and on Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Nexus 9, and Pixel C devices.

Google has warned the developer preview release is for developers only and not intended for daily use or consumer use.

Android N: How can you get the developer preview?

Traditional system image

The first way to get the Android N developer preview is to go the system image/manual flashing route. You can download images from Google and then flash them onto your device. Here’s the site where you can download them, or you can use the direct links below for specific devices. This page details how to flash while also providing step-by-step instructions that’ll get you going.

Keep in mind flashing a system image will wipe all your information off your device, so ensure you back up important data beforehand. Also, flashing additional Android N preview images will cause more data wipes, and if go this route, you will not get automatic OTA updates like you do with the Android N Beta program (continue reading to learn more about the beta program).

• Nexus 5X
• Nexus 6P
• Nexus 6
• Nexus 9
• Nexus 9 LTE
• Nexus Player
• Pixel C

Android N Beta Program

Google wants to make it easier for you to try Android N on your development device (not your everyday device), so it’s offering an Android Beta Program that allows anyone enrolled to update their Android devices to the developer preview and receive ongoing, over-the-air updates.

So, by enrolling in the beta, you can get the Android N developer preview via an over-the-air update as you would get any standard update. You’ll also automatically get any other updates that won’t require you to wipe your data every time they come down the pipeline (and that includes the update that’ll bring you to a stable Android N build prior to the release of the consumer version).

You will receive a preview update every 4 to 6 weeks until the public launch of Android N. Google has opened enrollment at this site, which also provides information about how the beta program works.

Android N: Want to know more?

Pocket-lint offers this piece with information about everything you can expect from Android N.

Huawei teases April event and dual-camera system for P9 flagship

Huawei has officially announced a launch event scheduled for 6 April.

Most reports have suggested the Chinese manufacturer will unveil its P9 flagship smartphone at the event. Although the invite teaser doesn’t mention the Huawei P9 whatsoever, it does feature the tagline “change the way you see the world”. You can also see the hashtag “#OO”.

Leaked images of Huawei’s next phone have indicated the device will feature a rear-facing dual camera system, so this tagline and hashtag seem to confirm that the phone will indeed launch with this camera configuration, though keep in mind Huawei has yet to confirm anything.

According to a report from Evan Blass, the P9 might also feature a 5.2-inch Full HD display, Kirin 950 processor, 3GB of RAM. We might even see a premium version with a Kirin 955 system-on-chip and 4GB of RAM. Both devices however will have 12-megapixel sensors and Leica lenses as part of their dual-camera arrays. Blass also said we may see a low-end P9 Lite and big-screened P9 Max.

All this is speculation, but it looks like we’ll know more next month when Huawei holds it event in London.