Roku Streaming Stick 2016 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Roku’s streaming philosophy? Speak softly and carry a small stick.

Year in and year out the little company manages to create our favorite TV streaming gear, beating out Apple, Amazon and Google in our reviews. Roku trails Google in sales according to NPD, however, and Google’s $35 Chromecast is the most popular streamer overall.

The new Roku Streaming Stick, available for preorder starting today at $50, seems aimed directly at Chromecast. And from what I’ve seen so far, the extra $15 gets you a lot more stick.

Roku Streaming Stick 2016 (pictures)
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The 2014 Roku streaming stick is my favorite pint-sized media streamer, and will continue to be available for $40 while supplies last. I love that it tucks discreetly behind your TV, and that it has an actual remote and on-screen display (unlike the Chromecast, which depends entirely on your phone). Unfortunately it’s showing its age. Responses can be slow, particularly with complex apps like Sling TV. It also takes a long time to boot up, which is an issue if you want to use a USB port on your TV for power.

Roku says its 2016 stick is eight times faster than the old one, with more processing power than the Amazon Fire TV Stick or Chromecast. In my hands-on demo with Roku’s representatives it did feel lightning-fast, zipping through menus, loading apps and responding just as quickly as the company’s boxes, including the $70 Roku 2, which was my favorite streamer of 2015.

Its performance was so impressive, in fact, that I don’t see much reason to buy a Roku 2 anymore, unless you want to use a wired Ethernet connection. I’ll need to see how it performs in a full review, coming soon, before I can say for sure.

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Another big extra is the new ability to listen via your phone’s headphone jack. An updated version of Roku’s mobile app, available for Android and Apple phones and tablets, has a little headphone icon that you can tap to enable private listening mode. Doing so mutes the TV and pipes audio from the Roku Stick to your device, allowing you to listen without disturbing others.

More-expensive Roku devices, including the Roku 3 and Roku 4, offer this feature via a headphone jack on the remote control, but the 2016 Stick is the only Roku so far to offer it via the app. When I asked, Roku did not confirm that this app-based private listening feature would eventually make its way to other devices. It’s exclusive to the 2016 Stick, for now at least.

The old Roku stick (top) is shorter, fatter and purpler than the new one. Both are the size of a USB stick and connect to a TV’s HDMI port.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Roku says it has improved the Wi-Fi on the new stick as well, adding 802.11 a/b/g/n dual-band (5GHz and 2.4 GHZ) MIMO capability, although it’s not .ac, like the Roku 4. The new remote is also bit slimmer and I like the button arrangement better, mainly the central placement of the “OK” key.

Like previous Roku devices, the Stick offers the company’s Hotel and Dorm Room Connect feature, which makes it usable on the kinds of “captive portal” Wi-Fi networks common in those places.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Roku is CNET’s favorite streaming platform thanks to its industry-best selection of streaming apps and customer-friendly interface. Unlike Apple TV or Chromecast it actually has an Amazon Instant Video streaming app, and unlike Fire TV it doesn’t push Amazon down your throat. It places all apps on a level playing field, allows full customization of app icons on your home page (just like your phone) and delivers the best search, combing through more than 30 services and presenting results by price.

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An update to Roku’s software is also rolling out, adding Movies and TV categories to the My Feeds page. These categories show the most popular films and shows trending across all of the services that Roku searches, allowing users to quickly find something to watch without having to delve into the various apps individually. The update will hit all compatible Roku devices by the end of the month.

The new Roku Streaming Stick will be available later this month from national retailers. We’ll have a full review soon.

HTC Vive review – CNET

The Good The HTC Vive offers a flat-out amazing virtual reality experience with sharp visuals, great motion controls and full-room sensing to walk around in virtual space. Vive hardware can help indicate where your walls are, and an in-helmet camera can be used to see your space with the headset on.

The Bad It requires a high-end PC to run. Long wires and lots of equipment take time and space to set up. Steam VR offers a lot of software but it isn’t always beginner-friendly.

The Bottom Line Vive is the best virtual-reality experience you can have right now, thanks to its motion controls and room-scale tracking. It’s the closest thing to having a holodeck in your home.

Visit manufacturer site for details.

I realize I’m not sure where I am, literally speaking.

I know where I am virtually. A miniature golf course? The bottom of the ocean? A demented office filled with robots. My little home office became all these things in the middle of the night. I walked through these worlds with my feet. I pulled at things with my hands. And, many times, like when I was looking at a school of luminescent fish in the darkness of the ocean bottom, I’d see a glowing blue grid. A wall. My wall. HTC Vive was warning me of where my simulation would end. I lift the helmet. I’ve turned myself around. I’m huddling next to the closet, cords tangling under me.

Time for an eye break.

You remember the holodeck from “Star Trek”? Or, maybe, the Ray Bradbury story “The Veldt.” Virtual reality is one thing, but a whole room that can come alive and be your space is a different type of spatial magic. And right now, the HTC Vive deals in that magic exclusively.

Much like the Oculus Rift — the most well-known virtual reality offering out there — HTC Vive runs on high-end gaming PCs. It’s tethered with long cables that run to that PC. But Vive also adds the hardware to interact with spaces with your hands, and to walk around, too. A pair of motion controllers and two light-emitting boxes turn a space of your own into a mapped grid.

You’re not just entering VR. A chunk of your home is, too.

You can wander a room, within reason.

Sarah Tew/CNET

What it offers that Oculus Rift doesn’t (yet)

Virtual reality on a PC, which both this and Oculus Rift hook up with in many very similar ways, is about pushing the limits of graphics and power. The downside is that you need a big, pretty powerful Windows PC to make it work (read about what you’ll need — odds are, your PC will need an upgrade), plus it needs to be tethered with cables.

Vive adds the ability to not only use your eyes and head, but your hands and body in virtual reality.

For $800 (£689 in the UK), the HTC Vive offers a complete motion-tracking headset, two wireless motion controllers, and two small, whirring. laser-emitting boxes that scan your room and create the bounds of your motion-tracking virtual playspace. Plus earbuds, mounting brackets for the laser boxes, power adapters, and lots and lots of cables.

Yeah, all of this comes in the box.

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Oculus Rift costs less ($600), but only comes with a headset, a single motion sensor, a remote control and an Xbox One game controller. Oculus will get its own motion controllers too, called Oculus Touch, but they’re not arriving until later this year. And at an unknown price.

Vive is a collaboration between electronics company HTC and PC game software publisher Valve. Valve’s Steam PC store and platform is what drives Vive. Valve offers a good handful of SteamVR games at launch, and many of these games aren’t available anywhere else yet (but will be, later on this year). The Vive comes with a few free games, and they’re all excellent: Job Simulator, The Lab and Fantastic Contraption.

Gotta jack in.

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Gearing up

Every time I had tried the Vive since my first demo last year, I’d been in controlled spaces, with attendants helping me goggle in. Now I’m using this VR equipment on my own. I’ve set it up and gotten it running many times, on multiple PCs, both at the CNET office and in my home.

What it offers is unparalleled. It’s the best virtual reality experience you can have right now, and it’s also one of the most amazing tech experiences, period.

But it’s a lot of gear.

I connect it with a massive Clevo laptop running a desktop-level graphics card. This already feels like a cyberpunk novel from the ’90s.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Vive’s headset is huge and bulbous, and it looks like a spider head. It fits comfortably, even over my glasses. Sometimes the lenses fog up, though. Thick straps stretch over my head and are held in place via velcro, like a bathing cap. Cables run down my back: a thick tether of three cords that plug into a breakaway box. A headphone jack dangles in the back, where you can connect your own headphones or use the buds that come included. The Vive’s tether is very, very long: about 15 feet. You’re meant to wander in it.

It tangles around my shoes as I walk across my office.

Two wireless controllers, included.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The Vive’s controller-wands are very good, and a little oddly shaped. A ring-shaped disc of plastic at the top, a hand grip, several front and side buttons, a trigger and a large concave clickable disc that’s like a giant trackpad. They have haptic vibrations, and rechargeable batteries.

Gripping the wands and pulling the triggers, it starts to feel like I’m grabbing things and picking them up. I can see the controllers in VR, and they transform. In painting apps like Google’s Tilt Brush, they become spinning palettes, brushes. In the game Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives, they become disembodied white-glove cartoon hands. In plenty of other games, they become weapons.

The Vive’s neatest trick is its room-sensing magic, which happens via the two light boxes I mentioned above, which connect to AC plugs, but not to your computer. They emit light to help position your head, hands and feet properly.

An artist’s recreation of what the glowing blue grid-lines feel like in VR

Sarah Tew/CNET

Room-scale VR, and the cage of reality

Vive can work while standing still or sitting as with Oculus Rift, if you wish, but the Vive can also expand out to allow full-room VR. And hey, “room-scale” VR is why you’d want to buy the HTC Vive in the first place. But you’ll need at least 6.5 feet by 5 feet of space to work with, up to 16 feet diagonal between the light boxes…which need to be set up in line of sight from each other, preferably high in the air. I ended up using camera tripods, or balancing them carefully on bookshelves and stacks of boxes.

Setting all this up feels like specialists’ work. Sometimes it feels like fetish gear. It’s definitely not for those who find an Xbox Kinect intimidating. But the Vive has easy-to-follow instructions, at least. I downloaded software, wired my boxes, calibrated my floor, and attached my headset in half an hour.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge vs iPhone 6s Plus

For a lot of people, the only comparison worth making in the smartphone world is between the latest and greatest from Samsung and Apple, and with their respective flagship release cycles out of sync, we have a new comparison to make every six months.

• Samsung Galaxy S7 review
• Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review

It’s Samsung with a new device on offer this time around, and while the latest large display iPhone is an “s” iteration, Apple introduced some key features and upgrades that aren’t usually seen with these versions. How do these smartphones compare? We find out, as we take a comprehensive look at the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge vs Apple iPhone 6s Plus!

Buy the Galaxy S7 Edge
Buy the iPhone 6S Plus

Design

Both smartphones retain a lot of the design language from their respective previous iterations, even more so in the case of the iPhone 6s Plus, but with subtle improvements being made to further enhance the experience. In the case of the Apple flagship, that involves the use of a higher grade aluminium for the build to help avoid any “bendgate” issues, but apart from being a touch thicker, the iPhone 6s Plus is otherwise identical to its predecessor.

The Galaxy S7 Edge is also slightly thicker than the Galaxy S6 Edge, but that helps reduce the camera protrusion on the back significantly. Borrowing a design element from the Galaxy Note 5, there are also curves along the sides of the back, to help the device nestle nicely in the palm of the hand, which makes for a better handling experience.

Both the iPhone 6s Plus and the Galaxy S7 Edge come with 5.5-inch displays, but the former does have a larger overall footprint compared to the latter. The larger bezels along the sides of the display and the top and bottom portions of the iPhone contribute to its size, while in the case of the Samsung flagship, the side bezels are almost non-existent. Both devices are large and don’t offer the most comfortable one-handed experience, but the iPhone 6s Plus definitely requires a lot more of stretch, and its extra width makes for a less secure grip in the hand as well.

The iPhone 6s Plus comes with a full metal unibody design which looks and feels great in the hand, and while the Galaxy S7 Edge comes with a metal frame, the rear backing is glass. The glass reflects a lot of light, and makes the phone look fantastic, but it does have its disadvantages as well. For starters, despite the glass panel being of the Corning Gorilla Glass 4 variety, a hard enough fall will cause some damage. Secondly, the glass backing is a big fingerprint magnet, which takes away from the great look of the device.

The iPhone 6s Plus is significantly heavier than the Galaxy S7 Edge, with weights of 192 grams and 157 grams respectively. The difference in thickness between in the two is negligible, and even though that isn’t actually the case, the Galaxy S7 Edge appears to be the thinner of the two, courtesy of the curved edges on the front and back.

The power button is on the right side on both devices, but while it is placed within easy reach at the middle in the case of the Samsung device, it sits pretty high up on the iPhone, making it quite uncomfortable to get to. The volume rockers are on the left side, but with the iPhone, you also get a very useful hardware toggle that lets you quickly and easily silence the phone.

We may have different build materials on show here, but both Apple and Samsung have managed to design a couple of beautiful and premium smartphones. Of course, aesthetics comes down to personal preference, so it is up to you as to which look you prefer more. However, it has to be said that when it comes to ease of use and the overall handling experience, the Galaxy S7 Edge does have the leg up over its Apple competition.

Display

The Galaxy S7 Edge comes with a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a Quad HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 534 ppi, while the iPhone 6s Plus features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD screen with a Full HD resolution and resulting pixel density of 401 ppi. When comparing the two displays on paper, it is easy to dismiss the iPhone display as “just” 1080p, but 1080p more than gets the job done at this screen size.

The display of the Galaxy S7 Edge is admittedly sharper and clearer, but the real differences between the two can be seen courtesy of their contrasting underlying technologies. The Galaxy S7 Edge comes with all that we’ve come to expect from, and love about, Super AMOLED displays, with the deep inky blacks, vibrant and saturated colors, high brightness, and great viewing angles. The colors are a lot more vibrant on the Galaxy S7 Edge display when compared to the iPhone 6s Plus, but you do have an option to tone it down in the Settings menu for a more natural color reproduction. The LCD display of the iPhone also gets brighter than the display of the Samsung phone, but outdoor visibility isn’t an issue with either device.

As mentioned, the display of the iPhone 6s Plus definitely allows for a good viewing experience, but when comparing two, I do prefer the extra sharpness, more vibrant colors, and overall nicer image that is possible with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

Performance

Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge comes with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, clocked at 2.1 GHz, backed by the Adreno 530 GPU and 4 GB of RAM, while the iPhone 6s Plus comes with a dual-core Apple A9 processor, clocked at 1.84 GHz, and backed by the PowerVR GT7600 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. While a by the numbers comparison is obviously in favor of the Samsung device, it isn’t really fair in this case, given the completely different ecosystems that are being catered to.

When it comes to real world everyday performance, both seem as fast as the other. When opening applications, the Galaxy S7 Edge is a touch quicker, but as far as loading games is concerned, the iPhone 6s Plus is faster by quite a margin. While gaming, frame rates are great with both devices, which is particularly impressive in the case of the Samsung phone, given that it has a lot more pixels to push. Performance is one aspect where you won’t have anything to complain about with either smartphone, which is the least we can expect from the latest and greatest from both these companies.

Hardware

In hardware, both smartphones come with fingerprint scanners in a similar implementation, embedded into the physical home button up front. While this is great for unlocking the device when placed on a flat surface, some may prefer the rear placement of the scanner seen with other competing smartphones. Both scanners are fast and accurate, and while the Galaxy S7 Edge requires a slightly longer press to unlock the device, the faster iPhone falls behind because of the slower unlocking animations.

The bottom of both devices look quite similar, with both coming with a single speaker unit on the right side, along with the charging port at the center. You get a microUSB port with the Samsung device, while the iPhone comes with a lightning port, which has an advantage over the former, with the charging cable being reversible. The speaker of the iPhone 6s Plus is also better, with it being louder, clearer, and offering a lot more bass. However, the placement of the speakers are not ideal, and are easy to cover up when holding the phones in the landscape orientation.

While things were a lot more even between Samsung’s 2015 flagships and iPhone, the return of a couple of key features swings things in favor of the Galaxy S7 Edge this time around. First up is the vaunted return of expandable storage, which a lot of Samsung fans were happy to see, and while 32 GB is the only option when it comes to internal storage, you can expand it by an additional 200 GB via microSD card. 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB are the storage options available with the iPhone 6s Plus, but without expandable storage available, you will have to fork up quite a hefty premium to pick up one of the higher storage options.

The second returning feature with the Samsung device that is much appreciated is dust and water resistance. The Galaxy S7 Edge comes with an IP68 rating, which means that you can submerge the device in up to 1.5 meters of water for as long as 30 minutes, without a negative impact on performance.

When it comes to the battery, the Galaxy S7 Edge comes with a larger 3,600 mAh battery compared to the 2,750 mAh unit of the iPhone 6s Plus, but the battery life available with both is largely similar, which goes to show just how well Apple has optimized their software package. The Galaxy S7 Edge does have the slight leg up though, but both phones can comfortably last through a full day with moderate use.

The Galaxy S7 Edge extends its advantage in other aspects of the battery, such as the availability of fast charging, that lets you charge the device fully in about 75 minutes, compared to the nearly 2 hours it takes to fully charge the smaller battery of the iPhone 6s Plus. The Galaxy S7 Edge comes with fast wireless charging capabilities as well.

Camera

Over the years, Samsung may have made a lot of fun of Apple for their phone cameras having lower megapixel counts, but this year things are an even field on paper, with Samsung “downgrading” their camera to a 12 MP unit, while Apple upgraded theirs to a 12 MP camera as well. However, what the Samsung camera features is a larger pixel size, that allows for better performance in low light conditions, and it also comes with a larger f/1.7 aperture, compared to the f/2.2 aperture of the iPhone 6s Plus. Both smartphone cameras also come with optical image stabilization and 4k video recording.

Both camera applications are easy to launch, but it is much easier and faster with the Galaxy S7 Edge, courtesy of the very useful double tap of the home button shortcut. In the case of the iPhone, you have to wake the device, and at the lock screen, slide up the camera shortcut. However, the very fast fingerprint scanner is actually a disadvantage here, as the device goes past the lock screen in less than a second, making this shortcut almost impossible to get to at times.

As far as the image quality is concerned, the general theme you will notice throughout is softer, darker images with less contrast with the iPhone 6s Plus,and more sharpening, contrast, and vibrant colors with the Galaxy S7 Edges. To see the differences between the two, we’ll be doing a more in-depth comparison now to see whether one camera outperforms the other.

In the images above of the bench, you will immediately see the more toned down colors of the iPhone 6s Plus, with the Galaxy S7 Edge giving a boost to these colors to create a more yellow shot. The Galaxy S7 Edge may impress at first glance because of the vibrancy of the colors, but the iPhone 6s Plus does a better job with exposing the photo, and the softness gives it a more natural look. When zooming into the branches, you will also see the oversharpening that the Galaxy S7 Edge is prone to, that allows for more clarity. Choosing between the two images is a toss up, and comes down to personal preference.

In the second set of images, you can see that the lens of the Galaxy S7 Edge comes with a wider angle, allowing for information to be in the shot. This is without HDR on and you can see that the iPhone 6s Plus does a better job at exposing the shot, keeping the blue sky present, while still having the subject bright. When zooming into the bolts above these rocks, you’ll see that a lot more post process sharpening is being done by the Galaxy S7 Edge, making for a sharper image. Colors also pop a bit more here, but what I did enjoy more is the deeper blue sky that is seen with the iPhone 6s Plus camera.

In the images of the flags, HDR mode is turned on. Looking at the picture taken with the iPhone, the sky looks great, and the main subject is bright. We get a brighter image with the Galaxy S7 Edge, but that does hurt the colors of the sky. You’ll notice a huge boost in the colors, especially in the glass, and you can see the extra sharpening as well.

When taking a picture of the traffic cones, I really put HDR mode to the test. HDR on the iPhone 6s Plus is very subtle, and you can pretty much leave it on and depend on it to take a decent picture. On the other hand, with the Galaxy S7 Edge, HDR can hurt the photo in some cases and you have to be wary about using this mode. In the case of the above images however, HDR makes for a much nicer photo. The shot is also much brighter, and you can actually see the trees in the background, which are mostly blacked out in the shot taken with the iPhone.

In the images of the flowers, we will see the difference in focal lengths, and also how the larger aperture of the Galaxy S7 Edge camera comes into play. The iPhone 6s Plus can’t get as close to objects as the Galaxy S7 Edge, and there is also less of bokeh effect with the former, with the larger aperture of the Galaxy S7 Edge allowing for the background to be more blurred, which looks really nice. The Samsung camera app also comes with a robust manual mode, with granular control over aspects like white balance, ISO, and more, to really get the shot to look exactly the way you want it.

In what we’ve seen so far, the larger pixel size of the Galaxy S7 Edge doesn’t make much of a difference, but a significant separation is seen as we move on to shots taken in low light conditions. In low-light areas, the iPhone 6s Plus image will appear to almost have a haze over the photo. The Galaxy S7 Edge also creates much brighter images, with more punchy colors, and lots of detail. The extra boost in colors take the low light shots taken with the Galaxy S7 Edge to a whole new level, and when zooming into small objects, a lot more detail is available. The layer of haze is always seen with the iPhone 6s Plus pictures, and the Galaxy S7 Edge is the clear winner here.

When taking group selfies with the iPhone, you never get enough information into the shot to really provide any context as to where the image was taken, but that isn’t the case with the Galaxy S7 Edge, courtesy of its wide angle front-facing camera. You can get a lot more people into the shot a lot, even if the post processing seems to soften the faces a little.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge camera samples

Both phones take great 4k video, and thanks to OIS, video comes out very smooth. It has to be said though, the iPhone videos are much smoother, and while the Galaxy S7 Edge isn’t far behind, the software does warp the video a little more, and the OIS isn’t as good at removing any shakiness. In terms of quality though, it’s the same theme we’ve been use to. The Galaxy S7 Edge has very bright and vibrant colors, which looks really good, although there is some trouble with exposure. One areas where the Galaxy S7 Edge has the iPhone clearly beat is when it comes to focus speeds, as the dual pixel technology instantly locks onto objects.

iPhone 6s Plus camera samples

When deciding which camera is better, it depends on how often you take photos in low-lit areas. When it comes to day time shots, both cameras are phenomenal, and the best that can currently be found. However, when it comes to low-light situations, the Galaxy S7 Edge definitely has the advantage.

Software

On the software side of things, the iPhone 6s Plus is running iOS 9.3, while the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. What is great about the iPhone is that when Apple releases a new version of their software, you will receive the update almost immediately, while in the Android ecosystem, official updates can take a disappointingly long time, unless you have a Nexus smartphone.

iPhone 6s Plus screenshots

iOS remains quite limited in its functionality however, and there is a lot more you can do with Android, such as place apps wherever you want, add widgets on the home screens, download icon packs, change launchers, create gestures, and more. iOS is a good, albeit simplistic, operating system, but my biggest gripe with it is with regards to the notification system. On Android, a glance at the top left corner will show you what notifications you’ve missed, but on iOS, you’ll have to swipe the notification down and swipe left to see any pending notifications. Getting rid of these notifications also requires a few extra clicks.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge screenshots

Each device has its own unique software feature as well, namely 3D Touch in the case of the iPhone, and Edge panels with the Galaxy S7 Edge, with both of these features offering a way to add shortcuts without cluttering the interface. 3D Touch is pressure sensitive, and pressing down with more force on certain app icons opens up shortcuts. Edge Panels on the Galaxy S7 Edge allows you to swipe in from the curved edge of the display, and gives you access to apps, app actions, widgets, news, weather, and more.

Specs comparison

Display	5.7-inch Super AMOLED display Quad HD resolution, 518 ppi	5.5-inch IPS LCD display Full HD resolution, 401 ppi
Processor	2.1 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Adreno 530 GPU	1.8 GHz dual-core Apple A9 PowerVR GT7600 GPU
RAM	4 GB	2 GB
Storage	32 GB expandable via microSD card	16/64/128 GB no expansion
Camera	12 MP rear camera with OIS 5 MP front-facing wide angle lens camera	12 MP rear camera with OIS 5 MP front-facing camera
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS NFC USB 2.0	a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 GPS + GLONASS NFC ( with Apple Pay only) USB 2.0
Software	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	iOS 9
Battery	3,600 mAh	2,750 mAh
Dimensions	150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm 157 grams	158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm 192 grams

Gallery

Final thoughts

So, there you have it for this in-depth look at the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge vs iPhone 6s Plus! While aspects like design, camera performance, and of course, the operating system, comes down to personal preference, the Galaxy S7 Edge does have a lot of advantages over its competitor here.

A better display, better battery life with fast charging and wireless charging capabilities, and better handling experience. The return of expandable storage and dust and water resistance only makes the deal sweeter as well. While adamant fans of either will have a hard time making the switch to the other, the Galaxy S7 Edge is likely to be the clear winner for anyone who’s not set on either of these particular devices.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

What do you think of the Galaxy S7 Edge and the iPhone 6S Plus and which would you rather have? Vote in the poll above and let us know your views in the comments below!

Buy the Galaxy S7 Edge
Buy the iPhone 6S Plus

Android is the operating system of choice for most global travelers, according to Gogo

According to some new studies from Gogo, the in-flight Wi-Fi provider, Android is the operating system of choice for global travelers. More than two times as many Android phones and tablets are being carried onto airplanes than iPhones. The company also says that 90% of travelers bring a connected device along with them on their flights, and connectivity options are important to travelers.

Gogo says that more than 50% of passengers factor in whether or not Wi-Fi will be available on their flights when picking an airline to book with. You can find all the information that Gogo has collected about phone and tablet use when traveling below.

Press release:

Global Demand for In-flight Connectivity Continues to Soar

More than 50 percent of global passengers say in-flight Wi-Fi availability plays an integral role in their airline choice when booking a flight.

CHICAGO, IL. – April 4, 2016 – Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO), the global leader in providing broadband connectivity solutions and wireless entertainment to the aviation industry, recently conducted a global study on in-flight connectivity and entertainment and found that the demand for in-flight connectivity services continues to soar and drive passenger behavior.

Gogo’s global study reveals that when choosing a flight, more than half of global travelers factor Wi-Fi into their choice of airline.

The U.S. market has become saturated with in-flight Wi-Fi and wireless in-flight entertainment. But, the interest in these services is even greater for travelers in the rest of the world, where the proliferation of in-flight connectivity is still in its early stages. Outside the U.S. and Canada, 86 percent of travelers say they are interested in using in-flight connectivity vs. 75 percent within the U.S. and Canada. When it comes to wireless in-flight entertainment, 76 percent of global travelers show interest vs. 67 percent of U.S. and Canadian travelers.

The percentage of passengers boarding a flight with at least one Wi-Fi enabled device also continues to climb. Today, 90 percent of global passengers brought at least one Wi-Fi enabled device on-board their last flight. When it comes to smartphones and tablets, Android is the operating system of choice among global travelers. There are more than twice as many Android powered smartphones as iPhones being carried onboard the world’s commercial aircraft.

“The need for ubiquitous connectivity is no secret. There are very few places on earth today that people can’t connect and the plane is really the last frontier,” said says Ash ElDifrawi, Gogo’s chief commercial officer. “What’s surprising to us is that the demand is actually higher outside of the U.S. and Canada, where we are just scratching the surface in terms of connecting planes. The growing demand of in-flight services outside of the U.S. and Canada creates a significant opportunity for airlines servicing these regions around the world.”

Gogo has created an infographic that details some of these findings, which can be found here. This data was compiled from Gogo’s global traveler research study and represents participants across 19 countries and 5 continents. All participants had taken a round-trip flight in the past twelve months.

Roku updates popular Streaming Stick with faster processor, dual-band Wi-Fi

Roku has announced that its Streaming Stick, the company’s Chromecast and Fire TV competitor, has received a significant hardware and software upgrade.

Now available for pre-order for $49.99 USD ($59.99 CAD), the Roku Streaming Stick boasts a quad-core processor that the company claims is eight times faster than its predecessor, along with dual-band MIMO Wi-Fi for connecting more quickly, or more further away, to home wireless networks.

The Streaming Stick, like the Chromecast, plugs into the HDMI port of any HD television, offering many of the Roku 4’s best features, such as Netflix, YouTube, Spotify and Hulu streaming, along with casting from your phone to the television.

The updated Stick is also the first Roku product to boast Roku OS 7.1, which adds additional categories in the Feed. But perhaps the best addition is the ability to stream the Roku’s sound output to the company’s Android or iOS app. More expensive Roku boxes boast a headphone port in the included remote, but to cut costs the Streaming Stick’s remote lacks that option. So here Roku decided to route the Stick’s audio to a connected smartphone app. The company says that other devices will receive the same Roku OS 7.1 update later in April.

Pre-orders begin April 5, and the Roku Streaming Stick will be available later this month for $49.99 USD at Roku.com, Best Buy, Target, Walmart and other retailers.

In Canada, the Roku Stream will run $59.99 CAD from Best Buy, London Drugs, Staples, Walmart, Amazon.ca and others.

See Streaming Stick at Roku

Press release:

New Roku Streaming Stick Combines More Power and Portability in Sleek New Form Factor

Only Pocket-Sized Streamer to Feature Quad-Core Processor and Private Listening with Headphones via Mobile Device

LOS GATOS, Calif. – Apr. 5, 2016 – Roku Inc. today announced the new Roku® Streaming Stick® designed for streamers who are looking for the ultimate in power and convenience in a sleek, pocket-sized form. Priced at just $49.99, the latest model of the popular device has been developed with a focus on performance and features a quad-core processor giving it more processing power than any other pocket-sized stick in the industry. The new Roku Streaming Stick has 8X more processing power than its predecessor to get consumers to their favorite entertainment fast with smooth and responsive navigation. It’s also the first Roku device to offer private listening through the Roku Mobile App.

“The Roku Streaming Stick is one of our most popular models. Consumers appreciate having access to the complete Roku streaming experience in a portable, low-cost device,” said Sharad Sundaresan, SVP product management for Roku. “The new Roku Streaming Stick takes our popular experience to the next level with a significant upgrade in power and performance, as well as features that are specifically designed to get people to the entertainment they want to watch quickly and easily whether they’re at home or on the go.”

The New Roku Streaming Stick: Powerful and Portable • Only pocket-sized streamer with a quad-core processor; more processing power than Amazon Fire TV stick and Google Chromecast™ • Private listening via a mobile phone or tablet using the Roku Mobile App for iOS and Android™ devices • Dual-band MIMO wireless for great connectivity • Included remote for easy navigation and control • Small, sleek design makes it simple to move between TVs in the home or use while traveling • Cast video from Netflix and YouTube mobile apps directly to the TV • Control with Roku Mobile App for iOS and Android – play personal video, photos and music on TV using the Play On Roku feature • Hotel and Dorm Connect for easy connection to wireless networks away from home

The new Roku Streaming Stick runs Roku OS 7.1, the latest version of the company’s operating system, also announced today. Roku OS 7.1 enhances the search and discovery experience by adding new categories within Roku Feed that enable customers to view popular TV Shows and Movies in one place. Similar to the existing Movies Coming Soon feature, consumers can now easily view these new categories to discover popular movies and TV shows across a variety of streaming channels on the Roku platform. They can then choose to watch a popular movie or TV show immediately, or Follow it in the Roku Feed to receive automatic updates when the availability or price changes, or the movie or TV show becomes available to watch for free.

Additionally, a feature available exclusively for the new Roku Streaming Stick enables consumers to use the Roku Mobile App for iOS and Android on their phone or tablet to listen through wired or wireless headphones. The Roku Mobile App offers a companion experience and can act as a remote control, enable voice search or provide an on-screen keyboard. Consumers can use the Play On Roku feature within the app to stream their personal videos, music and photos to the TV using the Roku Streaming Stick.

A Complete Streaming Entertainment Experience

The new Roku Streaming Stick provides consumers with the complete experience of the Roku streaming platform in a small device. Consumers in the US have access to more than 3,000 streaming channels, including 300,000 available movies and TV episodes. Unlike its competitors, Roku offers a comprehensive and unbiased universal search feature that looks across 30 top streaming channels to return search results. In addition, the Roku Feed is a first-of-its-kind discovery feature that lets consumers know when favorite entertainment, such as movies and TV shows, becomes available for streaming – and at what price.

Ultimate Portability

The new Roku Streaming Stick is smaller than the previous version and has a compact, sleek design that makes it the ideal streamer for virtually any HDMI® enabled TV including wall-mounted flat screen TVs. Whether they want to move it between multiple TVs in the home, take it with them to a friend’s house, or pack big entertainment into their vacation; the Roku Streaming Stick makes it easy for consumers to stream wherever they go.

The new Roku Streaming Stick also includes the Hotel and Dorm Connect feature to make it easy for consumers to connect to wireless networks that require sign-in through a web browser like those commonly found in hotel rooms, college dorms and other public locations. Consumers simply connect their Roku device to the password-protected network, sign-in with their login credentials using the browser on their mobile phone, tablet or laptop, and they’re ready to start streaming.

Availability

The new Roku Streaming Stick is available for pre-order today from http://www.roku.com for an MSRP of $49.99. It will be available later this month in national retailers such as Best Buy, Target, Walmart and others.

Roku OS 7.1 is available on the new Roku Streaming Stick. It will be rolled out to all other current-generation Roku players through a software update that is expected to be completed this month. The update is expected to be rolled out to Roku TV models shortly after. The latest version of the Roku Mobile App for iOS and Android is available for download today.

In addition to introducing new features for consumers, Roku OS 7.1 includes a number of platform updates and new software development kit (SDK) tools for Roku developers. Information for developers can be found on the Roku Developer Blog.

About Roku OS

At the heart of the Roku streaming platform is the Roku OS, a powerful operating system purpose-built for the TV screen rather than being adapted from an existing mobile OS. Designed to run on affordable streaming players and smart TVs, the Roku OS gives consumers a superior entertainment experience while enabling channel developers to effectively grow and monetize their audiences through advanced development, billing, and advertising tools. Using the Roku SDK, content providers can quickly develop custom streaming channels and deliver content to millions of devices worldwide. Roku Billing offers seamless, one-click subscription to certain Roku channels, streamlining users’ access to content, while accelerating developers’ user acquisition efforts. Roku’s Ad Framework enables advertisers to reach Roku’s large audience of TV streamers with sophisticated advertising tools, while helping developers bring more, free, ad-supported content to Roku users. 

About Roku, Inc.

Roku is the creator of a popular streaming platform for delivering entertainment to the TV. Roku streaming players and the Roku Streaming Stick are made by Roku and sold through major retailers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., the Republic of Ireland, France and Mexico. Roku licenses a reference design and operating system to TV manufacturers to create co-branded Roku TV models. Under the Roku Powered™ program, Roku licenses its streaming platform to Pay TV providers around the world who want to use the Internet to deliver entertainment services through streaming players. Roku was founded by Anthony Wood, inventor of the DVR. Roku is privately held and headquartered in Los Gatos, Calif., U.S.

Roku and Streaming Stick are registered trademarks and Roku TV and Roku Powered are trademarks of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners in the United States and/or other countries.

Bubba Watson blasts his way onto your phone with Bubbamoji!

You’re Bubba Watson. You already own two green jackets and are looking for a third this week at The Masters golf tournament. You’ve got a hovercraft golf cart. Played Bubba Claus. Host Bubba’s Bash. Did, uh, this thing. You were just featured on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”. You’re part owner in one of minor-league baseball’s top organizations. And you’ve got more trick shots than one man should be able to pull off.

So what’s next?

Bubbamoji, of course.

Professional golf’s most polarizing (and entertaining) player now has his own animated stickers and gifs. They run $1.99 on iOS and on Android and feature the likeness of ol’ Bubba himself, including audio and video.

What they won’t do, however, is help you fix your slice.

Bubbamoji require iOS 8, Android 4.2, and a sense of humor.

Everything you’ve all been waiting for… Bubbamojis!!! #bubbamoji #urwelcome https://t.co/EkOs9mg06i pic.twitter.com/e9NkFRvtCo

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) April 5, 2016

STARZ morphs into the one app for all your entertainment needs

STARZ has morphed its collection of apps together into a single experience. STARZ Play, ENCORE Play and MOVIEPLEX Play have combined to create the ultimate STARZ app. The app has also been met by a new design and improved overall functionality.

With the STARZ app installed, you’ll be able to download favorite shows and movies to watch on the go. Of course, there are original series, full download rights for most listings, best-hit movies, as well as a wide selection of genres to choose from. You’ll need to be a STARZ subscriber, which will set you back $8.99 a month.

You can download the STARZ app from Google Play.

Sony set to release PlayStation 4 3.50 update tomorrow with Remote Play

Sony plans to roll out software release 3.50 for the PlayStation 4 console tomorrow. This impending update will implement a bunch of new features, including the ability to play remotely on a PC or Mac.

As well as Remote Play, version 3.50 will also add the ability to appear offline, notifications when friends come online, user scheduled events, as well as making it easier to connect to and join friends in-game. For Remote Play, you’ll need to be rocking either Windows 8.1/OS X 10.10 or later.

The default resolution is 540p, but you can bump it up to 720p if you so wish, while the default frame rate is set to 30fps, but can be raised to the silky smooth 60fps. More details on the update, as well as new features, can be found on the PlayStation blog.

Why is there PlayStation stuff here?

PlayStation on Android Central?!? We use our Android phones to interact with the PlayStation 4 — especially if you have a Sony Xperia phone. We’re also talking a lot more about VR, and PlayStation VR is just as big a part of that conversation. It stretches things outside of Android a little, but it’s also going to be a lot of fun. Enjoy!

• Gaming with Second Screen apps
• Hands-on with PlayStation VR
• Specs comparison: Playstation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Gear VR

B&H begins pre-orders of LG G5 VR bundle with phone, 360 Cam and VR headset for $749

B&H Photo is now accepting pre-orders for an LG G5 VR bundle that includes the phone, a 360 Cam and a VR headset. The bundle will be priced at $749, which is an instant savings of $300 for what is included. Both the Titan and Silver colors of the G5 will be offered in this bundle. Whether you are looking to create some awesome 360-degree content, or you just want to watch some already made VR content, this bundle makes it easy to do all of it.

Shipments are expected to begin in May, so if you want to save on the bundle be sure to place your order for it now.

See at B&H Photo

LG G5

• LG G5 hands-on
• LG G5 complete specs
• LG G5 CAM Plus module
• LG G5 B&O Hi-Fi audio module
• Join the LG G5 discussion

AT&T Unlocked Sprint T-Mobile

T-Mobile’s Music Freedom and Binge On add more streaming media services

T-Mobile customers can now access even more audio and video streaming services without impacting their cellular data plans. The wireless carrier has announced new supporters of both its Music Freedom and Binge On programs.

T-Mobile says Music Freedom now includes support for Amazon Music, Chilltrax, ESPN Radio, OHIO.FM, PreDanz and Uforia. T-Mobile says over 40 services now support Music Freedom, and they cover 96% of all music streamed by its customers. The new additions to the Binge On video streaming program include Dailymotion, EPIX, OVGuide, OWNZONES, Viki, YipTV, 120 Sports, Nickelodeon, Spike, and TV Land. The carrier says that Binge On now supports 70% of all video streamed to its customers.

T-Mobile also offered some more stats on Music Freedom and Binge On:

• Since Music Freedom launched, T-Mobile customers have streamed 90 billion songs for free.
• Today, T-Mobile customers are streaming 210 million songs every single day without using a drop of high-speed data.
• With Binge On, T-Mobile customers are watching 2x more from free streaming sites on plans with limited data and have streamed over 190 million hours of video for free.
• With Music Freedom and Binge On together, T-Mobile customers have saved over 350 petabytes of high-speed data.