Samsung schedules Galaxy Note 7 event for August 2nd
Samsung has just sent us an invitation for its Note event in New York City, and yes, it’s for the Note 7. We’ve heard for awhile now that the company would be skipping over a number for its next phablet, but now it appears to be official. According to Samsung, the name of the device will “minimize confusion” and “complement our Galaxy S7 and S7 edge” handsets, thus unifying the product portfolio. There’s not much else we know about the phone, though rumors suggest a 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED display handset with a 12-megapixel rear camera and 64GB of storage. It’s all rather mysterious, but as the event will be on August 2nd, we won’t have long to find out more.
‘Pokémon Go’ Gets First Update With Much-Needed Bug Fixes
Ultra popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go received its first update since its July 5 launch, introducing some much-needed bug fixes to resolve several issues Pokémon players have run into while using the app.
A major concern with Pokémon Go was the app’s access to a user’s full Google account when signing in through Google on an iPhone, a problem that has now been fixed. Users worried Pokémon Go developer Niantic Labs would have access to Google account information like Gmail messages, Google Drive documents, and more through its full account access, but Niantic clarified asking for full access was a mistake and that nothing more than basic profile information had been utilized.
As of today’s update, Pokémon Go will no longer request full access to Google accounts when a Google account is used as a sign-in option.
Niantic Labs is also introducing fixes to the log in process, which should cut down on the number of times that players have to log into the game, and there are fixes for the frequent crashes users have been experiencing. Many Pokémon Go players have noticed crashes when discovering pokémon and attempting to catch them, and today’s update may fix these problems.
Thank you for your incredible response and support of Pokémon GO! We are working hard to improve the experience for everyone. This update focuses on making Pokémon GO more stable with the following improvements:
– Trainers do not to have to enter their username and password repeatedly after a force log out
– Added stability to Pokémon Trainer Club account log-in process
– Resolved issues causing crashes
– Fixed Google account scope
Since its release last week, Pokémon Go has been hugely successful, earning an estimated $1.6 million in daily revenue with approximately 7.5 million downloads in the United States alone. The game has sparked a worldwide phenomenon, garnering heavy coverage in the media and driving traffic to local businesses as players set out on foot around their neighborhoods to track down pokémon.
Pokémon Go can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Tag: Pokémon GO
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Apple Faces Patent Lawsuit Over iPhone’s Battery Technologies
Somaltus, LLC has filed a complaint against Apple today in an Eastern Texas district court, accusing the iPhone maker of infringing upon its 2010 patent related to complex battery technologies. The small Frisco, Texas-based firm also filed lawsuits against Asus, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba over the same patent.
The lawsuit claims that the iPhone 6s and any similar devices sold by Apple infringe upon U.S. Patent No. 7,657,386, titled “Integrated Battery Service System,” and seeks unspecified monetary damages or, alternatively, a running royalty on sales of infringing devices from the time of judgment going forward.
Defendant sells, offers to sell, and/or uses telephones including, without limitation, the iPhone 6s (the “Product”), for example, and any similar devices, which infringe at least Claim 1 of the ‘386 Patent.
On information and belief, the Product includes a battery service system including a processor (e.g., the A9 chip), which is configured to receive signals from connectors coupled to a battery (e.g., the Product’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery).
Specifically, it appears that the infringement claim at least partially relates to the iPhone’s process of charging in fast-charge mode until the battery reaches 80% capacity, and then adjusting to trickle-charge mode above 80% capacity.
On information and belief, the processor executes the control codes to continually adjust a charge level to the battery. The Product has a charging system according to which the system operates in fast-charge mode until the battery reaches 80% capacity and then adjusts to trickle-charge mode when the capacity exceeds 80%. When the capacity drops below 80%, the system gain adjusts to fast-charge operation. The purpose of the system is to reduce the charging level applied to the battery at high capacity in order to extend the battery lifespan. Thus, the system adjusts the charging level applied to the battery and does so continuously as the battery charge capacity repeatedly exceeds and drops below 80%.
Somaltus, LLC generally fits the description of a “patent troll,” as it does not appear to provide any obvious products or services and lacks an easily identifiable online presence. Nevertheless, it has successfully reached out-of-court settlements with automakers like Ford and Nissan in the past in relation to the same particular patent.
The legal complaint’s case number is 2:16-cv-00758 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
Related Roundup: iPhone 6s
Tags: lawsuit, patent
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Caution)
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Dutch Court Orders Apple to Replace Customer’s Broken iPhone With New, Not Refurbished, Model
A judge in Amsterdam has ruled in favor of a Dutch woman [Google Translate] who sued Apple for refusing to replace her broken iPhone 6 Plus with a new model, and instead offering her a refurbished model as per its standard policy.
The court nullified the purchase agreement and ordered Apple to refund the woman the full €799 that she paid for the iPhone, which was purchased in December 2014 and stopped functioning nine months later in August 2015.
Apple being ordered to refund the purchase price plus interest and pay all of the woman’s legal fees was specific to this case, but it is the precedent that could be set in the Netherlands and possibly elsewhere that is more important.
Apple’s standard one-year limited warranty and extended AppleCare+ policies for iPhone in both the Netherlands and the U.S., and most other countries, explicitly state that repairs or exchanges may involve devices or parts that are either new or “equivalent to new in performance and reliability,” otherwise known as refurbished.
It is common practice for Apple to replace defective iPhones with a refurbished model consisting of both new and recycled parts, and only rarely does the company provide a brand new replacement on a case-by-case situation. The court’s decision in Amsterdam, however, could force Apple to change its policies.
The court filing in the Netherlands does not indicate if Apple plans to appeal the decision, but it would not be unprecedented for the company to exhaust all avenues in an effort to overturn the ruling. Apple has not publicly commented on the matter.
In 2011, facing pressure from regulators, Apple revised its warranty replacement policy for iPhones sold in South Korea, offering customers returning their defective phones within the first month of ownership the option of receiving a brand new replacement rather than refurbished units as had been standard policy.
(Thanks, Coen and Jasper!)
Tags: lawsuit, AppleCare, warranty
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J&L Real 100 wireless sport headphones: $25 headphones that could easily cost $100 (review)
Without question, wireless headphones are gaining in popularity and are quickly replacing its 3.5mm wired counterparts. There’s even rumors that Apple will do away with its dated 3.5mm audio out port, to be replaced by the thinner Lightning port or switch to wireless altogether.
The writers here at AndroidGuys have gone through many heated discussions about wireless vs. wired, and we think it is a smart move to go away from the standard wired option. There are audiophile snobs like Josh Noriega, who cannot be convinced that wireless is the way to go. Then you have your young and progressive teen in Jason Botha who knows it’s time to make the switch and do away with the 3.5mm audio out port.
I’m on the fence. I understand the need to stick with the century old 3.5mm audio jack since 90% of headphones on the market use that standard. But I’m quickly starting to realize that need is more fear based than anything else. Wireless Bluetooth technology has improved immensely over the past two years with the stiff competition amongst manufacturers for high quality audio output. Also wireless technology battery life has increased tremendously over the past few years, making Bluetooth headphones even more relevant to everyday users.
I’ve recently been using the J&L Real 100 Bluetooth wireless sport headphones which cost just $24.99 at Amazon, and can tell you that they are so good I wouldn’t have a problem paying $100 for them.
Let’s check them out.
J&L 100 Real Bluetooth headphones design
The J&L 100 Real sport headphones have built in Bluetooth connectivity with the brains and battery built directly into the earpieces. This type of design results in large earbuds, but does away with an inline remote or neckband like other wireless headphones.
The two earbuds are connected by a wire which loops behind your neck to stay out of your way when you’re working out. The wire is of the flat variety that is coated in a rubber material that prevents it from tangling in on itself. There are ear stabilizers that slide over the earpiece which hold the hefty earbuds in your ear, with three sets of different sized silicone ear pieces (S, M, L).
The microphone, volume control, and power button are all integrated into the right side earbud, leaving the microUSB charging port for the left side. The headphones weigh in at 16.5g and can last up to four hours away from a charger.
All standard stuff for wireless earbuds.
Usage
When it comes to sport earbuds, the J&L Real 100 earbuds sound pretty darned good. They aren’t audiophile quality that you will find in multi-driver in ear monitor setups, but these cost just $24.99 and are designed for sport use.
Once the right silicone ear tip is selected, with the proper ear stabilizer, the fit and feel of the headphones are very comfortable. I usually prefer to avoid this style as the earbuds tend to get uncomfortable past an hour, as the weight drags on my ears. Yet these fit so snug that they remain comfortable even when I go out on runs. Only people with small to very small ear canals might have issue with the fit. If you have an average sized ear canal, these should be perfect for you.
With sound tuned for sport use, these earbuds get really loud. So loud, even with 15 years of daily wearing of headphones, they even hurt my ears when I turned them up to full volume. That is actually a rarity when it comes to most wireless headphones, as the loudness can drain on the battery pretty hard. Most other wireless headphones I have tried out are about 80% loudness of their wired counterparts. But the J&L Real 100 earbuds are easily the loudest headphones I have put on in years.
As stated before, you won’t be getting audiophile quality sound reproduction, but you will get a sound that is extremely fun to listen to. The sound signature is also perfect for those who love their music when they work out. These are tuned with a decent amount of bass, mids, and highs which result in an ultra fun listening experience. I’ve easily heard worse headphones that cost five times as much.
If you’re looking to listen to classical music or smooth jazz, these aren’t for you. However, if you are the type who wants upbeat and fast paced music for your workout, these are perfect for you. They are even resist sweat – when I work out I sweat a lot, and never dealt with any issues with these headphones as a result of that sweat.
J&L advertises four hours of music playback, but I frequently picked up four to six hours of usage depending on how loud I cranked on the volume.
As for calls, I prefer to use these in a quiet environment. Whenever I dealt with street noise, the user on the other end of the phone call could hear too much of it. With a quiet environment, the call quality was great.
My only complaint with these earbuds would be the control buttons are small and a little hard to manage when I am wearing them. Other than that, the battery life is better than advertised, sound quality is perfect for workouts, and the comfort exceeded my expectations.
Conclusion
Simply put, you will not find a better sport wireless headphone for less than the $24.99 I paid for the J&L Real 100 Bluetooth wireless sport headphones. Battery life, build quality, comfort and sound reproduction are all incredible for wireless headphones in this price category.
With my experience with wireless headphones, I would easily pay $100 for these fantastic sport headphones.
I highly recommend the J&L Real 100 wireless headphones at $24.99 which you can get at Amazon now in black, red, and green.
Aquatune 5712 by Yatra: Great speaker for your water activities (Review)
The sun is shining and it’s beating down something fierce. Hot weather means one thing, you’re trying to stay cool. One of America’s favorite past times to beat the heat is finding the closest body of water, whether it’s a pool, lake, or the ocean and jumping right in.
While you’re chilling by that water, maybe under an umbrella to block the sunlight, you may want to listen to some of your favorite tunes. Whatever you choose to listen to, you need something durable and affordable. Most importantly it needs to handle being around water, you know, since you’re hanging out by the pool or wherever.
Yatra has a line of Bluetooth speakers that fit into those categories. But I’m not gonna talk about all three, I’m just gonna talk about one. The Aquatune 5712 for $39.99. It could be your next Bluetooth speaker.
Design/Build
The Aquatune 5712 is a small compact speaker that is built to withstand your rugged outdoor lifestyle. It comes in either black and orange or just black. The cover is a soft rubber that will keep it beautiful in the likely event that you drop it or perhaps you bump it into something.
It comes with a carabiner clip and a bicycle strap. The carabiner clip has a locking sleeve to secure it further so it doesn’t slip off. This is the one area I find a little flimsy. Both the gate and the locking sleeve seem to be made out of a soft aluminum that feels like it could break easily.
Despite the material of the gate and locking sleeve, attaching it to things is a snap. I hang mine from a baby stroller while walking and have no problems. You can also hang it from beach chairs or anything with a handle and it will fit nicely.
The Aquatune 5712’s charging time takes around an hour and a half and lasts you all day. I listened for around 10 hours before I decided to recharge and my volume was an average of 75%.
There are three buttons used to control the Aquatune, power, volume up/change track, and volume down/change track. All the buttons are easy to press with no resistance.
The micro USB charging port (cable included) is brilliantly designed to be hidden in plain site. Its cover is built into the design of the speakers rubber cover. Peel back the bottom, and there it is. This is where you would normally find the 3.5mm jack as well, but this is strictly a Bluetooth speaker.
My favorite thing is its IPX7 rating. For those who don’t know what that is let me give you the definition. Protection against water immersion for up to 30 minutes at a depth of up to three feet. How awesome is that? I did try it, but not for the full 30 minutes. I did it to George Micheal’s Faith in about one foot of water in my kitchen sink. It still works.
Sound
With its small design, it’s no surprise that its sound isn’t party loud. My that I mean don’t expect to rock the party with it. It plenty loud for your “personal space”, like headphones that don’t go in your ear.
This Aquatune speaker’s sound is one of the best I’ve run across. You can tell the engineers worked hard to ensure a transparent sound. You can clearly hear all instruments working together in harmony for a pleasant sound on the ear. You can even hear the bass without it being too bassy.
Bluetooth
I’m gonna keep this section short and sweet. Falling right in line with other Bluetooth speakers, it has a range of 33 feet. I had no troubles reaching that mark. When using the speaker as a phone device, the calls were clear. However considering this is marketed as a water speaker, I’m not sure you would use it anyway.
Summary
The Aquatune 5712 is at the top of my favorite Bluetooth speakers in terms of design and price. It looks cool and the added water rating, that’s just icing on the cake. If you plan on being at a pool, or any water activity, this speaker is a good one to have at your side.
Buy Aquatune 5712 from the website
Buy from Amazon
Pokémon GO and your privacy
You might have noticed that Pokémon GO is sort of popular. Like a gajillion people are playing it, and the demand is such that the servers themselves are being crushed. Seems like most everyone wants to catch them all …
But one important aspect to consider is how Niantic — the people who wrote the application and are actually collecting the data about how you use it — is handling your privacy. We had a look at the Pokémon GO Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and here’s the quick and dirty breakdown. And if you’re playing on your iPhone, you at least need to be aware of some real but not exactly harmful account concerns.
- Like most online services, if a child under the age of 13 wants to take part, a parent will need to verify that they are the guardian of said child through The Pokémon Company International, Inc. You can find the details about how to do this on the support pages.
- Niantic and TPCI are not responsible if you hurt yourself while trekking about catching Pokémons. They are also not responsible if other people use the app to cause you harm or if you get arrested and mistaken as a drug dealer.
- Niantic does collect personal and identifying information about you. This includes your real name and the content of any messages you have sent through the app.
- Niantic only shares anonymous aggregated information and non-identifying information with third parties. These include development partners as well as unidentified other third-parties for analysis and profiling.
- You can terminate your account at any time here. But your account data is saved for a reasonable period of time.
- If there happens to be a sale of the company or companies involved here, your data is also sold to the buyer.
There’s nothing there that’s surprising. Kids need a parent’s permission, they collect lots of data and only share data that doesn’t identify you.
But it’s important that you read and understand these things, even if we try to break them down. Stay safe, trainers.
Pokémon Go
- Requirements to play Pokémon Go
- The Ultimate Pokémon Go Game Guide!
- How to play without killing your battery
- Be careful where you download from
- Join our Pokémon Go forums!
The best smartwatch deals you can find on Prime Day!
Looking to replace your aging smartwatch or grab one for the first time? If you like to save money, you’ll want to check out these deals from Amazon as part of its Prime Day sale. Whether you are looking for a Pebble, Huawei Watch or something sportier, there is likely a watch here for just about everyone.
Some of the deals you can take advantage of include:
- Huawei Watch – $206
- Pebble Time Steel – $159
- Samsung Gear S2 – $224
- Moto 360 Sport – $149
Of course, you will need to be a Prime member to get these prices, and if you aren’t currently you could always sign up for a 30-day free trial so you don’t have to miss out on them. Remember, these deals are only good for today, July 12, while quantities last.
More: The best Amazon Prime Day deals
Spider-Man joins Marvel Avengers Academy in the latest update
TinyCo and Marvel have both announced a new, limited-time event in Marvel Avengers Academy, alongside an update with the addition of Spider-Man. As an added bonus, to celebrate the new character, players will have the opportunity to win an all-expenses paid trip to the premiere of the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming movie. To enter, you simply need to have the game downloaded, installed and enjoy the experience.
Here’s some back story to this latest update:
“After winning the high school science fair with an experiment that impressed Tony Stark during last month’s Civil War update, Peter Parker found himself as an intern at the prestigious Stark Industries. Under the guidance of Tony, Peter secretly hones his powers as the Amazing Spider-Man while learning everything he can from the Avengers Academy and his fellow powerful peers. Young, ambitious, and extremely quick-witted (perhaps too much so for his own good), Peter’s personal journey only continues to grow in this brand new update for MARVEL Avengers Academy.”
It’s down to Parker to find out what Osborn and his henchmen are up to. Ready to take part in the civil war? Download Marvel Avengers Academy from the Play Store for free.
Samsung Pay arrives in Puerto Rico, but only for Banco Popular
Samsung Pay has officially launched in Puerto Rico. For the moment, the payment system is only open to customers of Banco Popular with phones on the AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Claro networks.
Since its debut last year in South Korea, Samsung Pay has expanded to a number of countries, including the U.S. and China. The system launched in Spain, Australia, and Singapore just last month.
Press release:
Samsung Pay Launches in Puerto Rico
Korea on July 13, 2016
Samsung Electronics announced today that it is bringing Samsung Pay—the most widely accepted mobile payment system—to Puerto Rico. Starting today, Samsung Pay will support eligible credit cards from Banco Popular, Puerto Rico’s largest bank, and will be available on AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Claro networks in Puerto Rico.
Samsung Pay is the only mobile wallet that allows users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphones at terminals, thanks to both MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) and NFC (Near Field Communications) technologies. Samsung Pay will be available starting today on compatible Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Active, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Active and Galaxy S7 edge, with specific availability varying by local operator in Puerto Rico.
“We’re excited to partner with Banco Popular to bring Samsung Pay to Puerto Rico,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global Co-General Manager of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “With Samsung Pay, you can shop in Puerto Rico right from your phones at retail chains and independent businesses – the stores you already know and love. With the widest acceptance, Samsung Pay works almost anywhere you scan swipe or tap a card.”
Today’s announcement follows Samsung Pay’s recent launch in three new countries across three continents. In June, Samsung Pay began operations in Spain, its first market in Europe; Singapore, its first within the South East Asian region; and Australia, its first market within the Oceania region. These launches mark a significant milestone in the service’s global expansion, with a number of additional markets, including Brazil, Canada and the U.K., coming this year.
Extensive Partnership Ecosystem
Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers upon its launch.
Currently, Samsung Pay has partnered with major payment networks such as MasterCard and Visa, and Puerto Rico’s leading financial institution, Banco Popular.
More Than a Payment Service
Samsung Pay, a digital wallet service from Samsung Electronics, is enabling users to make easy, secure payments right from their phone almost anywhere plastic cards are accepted.
SIMPLE: Samsung Pay is easy to use. Users simply swipe up from their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay at millions of merchants across the country.
SECURE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. Samsung Pay users are fully protected against fraud by card issuers, and merchants receive Card Present rates with no EMV liability shift.
ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment system. Samsung Pay works with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals. For more information on Samsung Pay, visit www.samsung.com/pay.
AIVAnet 