A closer look at Sony’s Xperia Ear voice assistant
Sony has been teasing its Xperia Ear voice assistant since last year, but now we know the concept will be an actual consumer product later this year. At IFA 2016, the tech giant announced that the tiny Bluetooth- and NFC-powered device is set to arrive in November, though it still hasn’t said how much it’s going to cost. Still, unlike at MWC 2015, Sony’s now letting people try the device here in Berlin, as opposed to only showcasing it behind a glass box.
Once paired with a smartphone, the Xperia Ear supports a variety of voice commands, such as dictated messages, web searches and weather info. You can also get directions, check your schedule and get more notifications from your phone. Behind it all is Sony’s “Agent”, a personal assistant platform designed to rival the likes of Amazon’s Alexa. What’s more, the Xperia Ear is said to have a full-day of battery life and, most importantly, doesn’t feel uncomfortable when it’s placed in your earhole.
It’s worth noting that the Xperia Ear is just one of many concepts Sony has shown off in recent years. Last IFA, for example, the firm gave us a sneak peek at a lamp that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker. And like the Xperia Ear, that’s being turned into a consumer product as well. We’ll be sure to share the Ear’s pricing info as soon as we have it, but do keep in mind it’s only expected to be available in select markets.
Apple’s Five-Year-Old Twitter Account Gets Active Ahead of September 7 Event
Created five years ago in September of 2011, Apple’s official twitter account, @Apple, has begun stirring today. The company updated the page with a new logo — a classic black Apple image on a white background — and the same teaser art for next week’s September 7 event that was included on invites earlier this week.
Although Apple appears to be preparing a new section of its social media presence, the account has yet to tweet anything to its more than 110,000 followers. With the timing of the reactivation, and the similar art, it seems likely that Apple will begin using the account to share news and updates from its event in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California.
Apple hasn’t been completely averse to social media, since over the past few years the company has created Twitter accounts for iBooks, Apple Music, iTunes, and just this year began bolstering its presence on Twitter with Apple Support and Apple News. Apple was recently rumored to be working on a social media app of its own for launch in 2017, with similarities tying its video-heavy features more to Facebook and Snapchat than to Twitter.
(Thanks, James!)
Tag: Twitter
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Alienware 15 (2016) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
It’s a great time to be a PC gamer, or at least a fan of PC gaming hardware. Desktops are flying off the shelves, thanks to the popularity of virtual reality headsets among tech early adopters. Companies such as Nvidia and AMD have new graphics hardware that makes major leaps over older components, and there’s even a small but growing number of gaming laptops that are ready for VR.
The older Alienware design is on the left, with the new design on the right.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Alienware is joining that arms race with a pair of redesigned gaming laptops. The new Alienware 15 and Alienware 17 both feature current-gen Intel processors and Nvidia’s new 10-series GPUs. That’s important, as these new Nvidia GPUs promise nearly the same performance in both their laptop and desktop versions — no more underperforming “M” versions of graphics chips.
That means the Alienware 15 and Alienware 17 are ready for the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, despite being slimmer than the models they’re replacing. The new design is subtly updated, with a thinner body, an inset hinge that gives the fans and vents more room to work without adding bulk, and even optional eye-tracking, from a company named Tobii, in the 17-inch version.
The sleek, new Alienware logo.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If you look closely, you’ll see one more important change. The Alienware logo, untouched for most of the company’s 20-year history, has gotten a makeover. The iconic alien head is just a hair slimmer and more streamlined, while the Alienware name is now written in a lighter font for a more modern look.
Amazon Echo UK release date? Invite sets 14 September announcement
Amazon has sent out an invite in the UK for an unannounced device with no reference to what it could be or any tag line to suggest otherwise.
The event, which is to be held on the 14 September in London, forgets to say what it is for. Amazon is clearly keen to tease UK customers.
The rather mysterious invite sent to Pocket-lint features only the events details on a dark blue background with a light blue halo effect at the top. We’ve removed the London address and times.
Pocket-lint
A number of possible suggestions spring to mind.
The event could be for the UK launch of the Amazon Echo. The Alexa powered personal assistant is yet to make it to the UK. With a number of other third-party developers and manufacturers starting to add Alexa support to their devices, now could be the perfect time ahead of the Christmas season, to get Alexa and the Amazon Echo into UK homes.
The second idea could be a refresh of the company’s TV set top box range to co-incide with launch of the the new launch Clarkson, Hammond, May motoring show The Grand Tour. As the autumn nights draw in and the favourite TV shows start up, a new improved range of set top boxes could be a winner.
The third is the launch of a new range of Fire tablets, again refreshing the line, and improving the current crop of devices available to 2016 technology and the Christmas season ahead.
Or of course it could be something completely different. What do you think it is? Have your say in the comments below.
Samsung to recall every Galaxy Note 7 following battery explosions
All Note 7s sold to be recalled and European launch delayed as Samsung tackles defective batteries.
Following reports of explosions due to defective batteries in some units, Samsung has announced a global recall of Galaxy Note 7 handsets.
Samsung says that 35 “cases” (of overheating, fire or explosions) have been noted so far, adding “we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market.”
All Note 7s sold to consumers will be replaced “over the coming weeks,” Samsung says and NPR’s Elise Hu reports that unsold units will also be recalled. (Gizmodo Australia reports that the number in consumers hands right now makes up 1 million of the 2.5 million units produced.
In the meantime, Samsung has halted sales of the phone. Samsung U.S. says it’s working with carrier partners to announce details of a product exchange program “as soon as today.”
The recall will also delay the coming European launch of the Galaxy Note 7, which had been slated for September 2. According to Samsung’s German Twitter account, the Note 7 launch will not go ahead as planned, but will be held back to some future date.
Aside from the obvious publicity hit from an unprecedented product recall, the delay could also push the Note’s European arrival past the iPhone 7 launch, expected later in September.
We’ll update this post with more information as it becomes available.
Google ditches Project Ara, modular phone indefinitely shelved
Google has reportedly suspended all plans to launch a modular smartphone. The interchangeable phone concept has been shelved in order to streamline the company’s hardware strategy, it is claimed.
The software giant has been expected to ship development units of the device at the end of this year, with a consumer model ready for 2017. According to Reuters, however, this is no longer the case.
The news site revealed that it received confirmation from two separate, unnamed sources. They each said the project had been canned – or at least suspended, in the same way that Google Glass was suspended last year.
- Google’s Project Ara modular smartphone: Everything you need to know
It will come as a shock to many considering it announced partners for Project Ara as recently as a dedicated developers conference in May. However, there is also slim hope that those third-parties will continue their work and potentially bring the device to market without Google’s direct input.
Project Ara was an ambitious concept in which you could swap different hardware modules to build or upgrade the phone that suits you most. Other companies have also announced plans for a similar device, but none have become available as yet. The closest we’ve got so far is the LG G5 and Moto Z with their adaptable modded add-ons.
Apple activates its Twitter account ahead of iPhone event
Apple has activated its Twitter account and redesigned the Newsroom just days ahead of its iPhone 7 event on September 7th. The company has had a Twitter account since September 2011, but has never tweeted anything and, until now, had a generic “egg” avatar. That’s now been replaced by the Apple logo and a background with the same design as its event invitation. It still has only 50,000 followers, but that will change very quickly if it starts to tweet regularly.
My guess as well: they’ll live tweet the event. https://t.co/XBbhk3ptZM
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 2, 2016
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has broken numerous Apple stories in the past, suggested that Apple activated its Twitter account in order to live Tweet next week’s event. The company has live-blogged events before, to accompany its video streams, but doing one on Twitter would be new.
Apple also redesigned its Newsroom press relations site. Articles are now much larger, feature images, and have been arranged in a “Storify” style with a card for each. The company recently added three “Apple Original” articles about how to use Siri. At the bottom of each article, it now includes the direct contact information for PR personnel, something it has never done before. The changes wouldn’t be that big a deal for most companies, but Apple hasn’t changed its approach to the press since, well, forever.
Source: Apple (Twitter), Apple
Samsung recalls the Galaxy Note 7 amid battery fears
The Galaxy Note 7 isn’t just the highest-scoring phone we’ve reviewed this year, it’s the highest-scoring product. But following several reports that batteries were exploding, Samsung has issued a global recall of the device. Sales have been halted effective immediately, and all devices sold will be replaced.
The problem occurs when faulty devices are being charged, and is down to an issue within the batteries themselves, rather than power adapters or circuitry. Apparently, it affects only a small percentage of devices, but when shipments are in the millions, that still amounts to a very big problem. Yonhap News Agency cites an anonymous official saying that batteries were sourced from both China and Korea, and it’s the Korean-made batteries that are affected. Nonetheless, Samsung is recalling all models to be sure.
At a press conference to announce the recall, Samsung said that 35 cases of the fault have been reported to date, and it estimates the problem affects only 24 in a million devices, which equates to roughly one for every 42,000 sold. Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung’s mobile business, apologized for any inconvenience the recall may cause customers, but said it was important to put safety first.
By all accounts, this will be the highest-profile consumer tech recall in history, but it’s by no means the first. Apple has had its fair share of issues, from the Beats Pill XL recall last year to the iPhone 4 Antennagate (which resulted in free bumper cases being handed out). Fitbit had huge problems with skin irritation on the Force fitness tracker, and ended up recalling all of them. The largest recall of all, however, surrounds Takata airbags — to date, well over 50 million have been recalled.
The recall is obviously a big embarrassment for Samsung. Over one million phones will need to be replaced at considerable cost, and the halt in sales comes at a time when the device was still being rolled out globally. The company’s mobile growth had stagnated over recent quarters, but had just begun to tick up with the launch of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
It was hoped that the Note 7 would propel growth further, but any positive impact the device’s launch has had will now be considerably lessened. Once the recall is complete, Samsung will need to convince potential customers that the device is safe for use, and persuade them not to buy the (by then freshly-announced) iPhone 7 Plus instead.
So what happens now? Samsung has halted the sales of the device worldwide, and is preparing replacements. It says it’ll take around two weeks to get the pieces in place, and it’ll exchange devices like-for-like. Most carriers around the world had already halted sales, and any that hadn’t will now, to ensure the faulty devices don’t spread any further. The precise details of how the recall will work are likely to be announced on a regional basis.
Update: Samsung has issued an English-language statement on the recall:
“Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note 7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue.
To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7.
For customers who already have Galaxy Note 7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks.
We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.”
Source: Samsung (KR), (EN)
Google reportedly launching new phones, 4K Chromecast, and Daydream VR headset on Oct. 4
Get ready for new hardware next month.
With Google dropping the Nexus branding from its handsets, we’re starting to see the biggest shift in the company’s strategy for its Android handsets since the program started in 2009. According to a new report from Android Police, Google will unveil its phones along with a Chromecast capable of 4K playback, Google Home, and Daydream VR headset on October 4.
Android Police also notes that the upcoming Google phones will be branded the Pixel and Pixel XL. Both phones are expected to be made by HTC, with the 5.0-inch handset dubbed the Pixel and the 5.5-inch model the Pixel XL. The Nexus program provided a platform for vendors like Huawei to get attention in Western markets, and Google has reiterated over the course of the year that it will work with phone manufacturers to build its handsets: “Our plan is still to work with OEMs to make phones.”
That said, previous devices in the Pixel series — like the Chromebook Pixel — were fully conceived by Google and made no mention of the manufacturing partner, which only leads to more confusion over the proposed Pixel moniker for the upcoming phones. We should know more about how Google approaches branding early next month, but for now, the Pixel XL name just sounds… clunky.
This year’s Google phones will feature additional software tweaks on top of the vanilla Android interface as the company looks to differentiate its handsets, and our own sources confirm that Allo and Google Assistant will be making their debut early next month.
Google is also expected to unveil a Chromecast that can handle 4K content, as well as the company’s voice-activated Google Home wireless speaker. We’ll also see the first Daydream VR headset, and hopefully more details on Google’s plans for the VR platform.
Glass cracks and that’s why you need to protect your glass Note 7 with a Caseology case
I learned a tough lesson this year with my Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, and it’s one most of you already know; dropping your cell phone sometimes results in cracks on the glass display. In the case of the S7 edge, it can also result in cracks on the back of the phone as well.
I rarely ever used cases on my smartphones in the past. I almost never dropped them, and even if I did, they never cracked as the falls were usually from sitting down when they slip out of my pocket. After almost a decade of owning smartphones, I cracked my first smartphone and it was the S7 edge. It was kind of a freak accident. Sitting outside at a picnic table, the smooth S7 edge slipped out of my atheletic pants and fell. As a result of the fall on the edge, was a spiderweb of cracks that ruined the IP68 rating as well as the look of my beautiful device.
Insurance isn’t an option for me as I never opt to buy it for my devices. Insurance has gotten much more expensive for smartphones over the last five years, and with deductible fees and all of the fine print on what is and isn’t covered, were enough for me to avoid them.
To replace the glass on my cracked S7 edge would cost over $250. Considering I could buy a brand new S7 edge for $600-700 off contract it just wasn’t worth the money. Instead I covered it up with a skin from dbrand so I never have to look at the cracks again.
The take home lesson for me, is I should have bought a case for this phone. Cases range in price from $5-100, they come in all shapes and sizes, and most importantly they protect and prevent cracking the glass.
Caselogy cases
If you are a regular user of smartphone cases there is a good chance you know Caseology. It is a company based just north of me in Cerritos, CA. The company profile says it is made up of ordinary people like you and me who have the desire to do the extraordinary.
They make cell phone cases, how extraordinary does that get?
While cell phone cases are very ordinary, Caseology adds in the “extra” factor. I see the “extra” in the two example cases I was sent to protect my all glass Samsung Galaxy Note 7 which I will not make the mistake of going case free again.
I’ve tested quite a few cases from other reputable brands, and while they checked all of the boxes of protection, I never left them on my phones because I ended up not liking them for a multitude of reasons.
For the first time in a long time, I’ve found cases that I have no problem recommending to everyone.
Caseology Skyfall Galaxy Note 7 case – $12.99 at Amazon, $24.99 at Caseology
Caseology’s Skyfall case is perfect for those who want to show off their beautiful Galaxy Note 7s and protect it at the same time. In the image above you can see it is clear as glass. Even though it is 100% optically clear and free of defects, it is made from plastic. The sides are silver, although it does come in gold, black and rose gold as well. 
Those silver sides are soft on the inside which offers drop protection, and the button slots are clear which allows the gold accent to show through from the Note 7.
Every cutout lines up perfectly for each slot – microphone, 3.5mm audio jack, USB C charging port, speaker and of course the stylus.
Caseology managed to design the case so that it doesn’t change the way you eject the stylus from the Note 7, and while it may seem like a small issue, this is where the designers went the “extra” distance. I’ve already tested out other cases that do impede the stylus, and for those of you who use it regularly like I do, you want a case like this. Adding difficultly to ejecting the stylus is enough for me to eject a case from my life.
Above I stated that the case is perfectly clear. This allows you to show off the natural beauty of the Note 7, but my only issue is that it draws fingerprints just like any other clear surface. As long as you don’t touch the inside of the cover when installing the case, you can wipe off the back with a soft cloth to make it clean and clear once again.
Design, attention to detail, high quality look and feel set this Skyfall case apart from the crowd. The best part of the case though is its incredible price at just $12.99 at Amazon. I could buy 20 of these cases for the cost of the broken glass replacement from Samsung, and if you’ve ever had glass replaced, it rarely works like it did when it was new.
Caseology Wavelength Galaxy Note 7 case – $15.99 at Amazon, $24.99 at Caseology
I’m a big fan of the Wavelength series case from Caseology. It’s a two piece case that is made up of a soft rubber covering, with a rigid second piece that holds it in place around the phone. While maintaining a slim profile, it manages to bring in features like a full front lip on the front to protect the screen as well rigidity found in bulkier cases.
The outside and inside are texturized with lines that give this case the ultimate grip factor. The Note 7 is a small form factor with a phone of its display size, but it is still large making it hard to grip with the smooth sides and back. When I used my Note 7 case free for the first day, I never felt safe holding it in one hand. That led me to grip it tighter than I would have liked, which lead to a few aches in my hand.
The Wavelength case feels extremely tough while providing the grip that gives me confidence to hold this phone with less force. Just like with the Skyfall series, all of the cutouts and buttons line up perfectly with the Note 7.
Priced at $15.99 on Amazon, you really can’t go wrong with this case. It’s durable, affordable and very well designed. I prefer the black color for this case, although it does come in black/gold, coral pink, mint green and navy blue to suit your individual taste.
Summary
Caseology is a brand you can trust and might be a brand you already trust. Its products frequently sit atop the ranks at Amazon and these two examples show the “extra” that Caseology adds to ordinary. Design, price, and protection all score perfect marks in this review and I suggest you keep your Note 7 protected to prevent damage like I encountered with my Galaxy S7 edge.
Learn more at Caseology.com.
AIVAnet 