Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in VR is as intense as it is amazing!
Shooting your way to glory, but in spaaaace!
Activision’s Call of Duty XP event in Los Angeles featured a number of exciting games to check out. We competed in Infinite Warfare multiplayer, teamed up in Zombies in Space, and test drove Modern Warfare Remastered. But the most amazing thing might’ve been the Infinite Warfare VR experience for PlayStation VR.
Read More at VR Heads!
Samsung reveals when it’ll start exchanging recalled Galaxy Note 7s in the UK
UK + Irish Galaxy Note 7 owners can begin exchanging their devices from September 19
Update: We’ve added Samsung’s statement on new Note 7 sales below.
Following last week’s announcement of a global recall of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 handsets after battery fires and explosions in a handful of units, the manufacturer has given more details on how the recall program will work in the UK and Ireland.
Samsung halted the rollout of the Note 7 in the UK before the Sept. 2 street date, meaning only a handful of pre-order customers will have received units. Nevertheless, those phones still need to be rounded up and replaced.
As in other countries, Samsung is working with carriers and retail partners to exchange Note 7s that may have battery issues with new, safe units.
“For UK customers who have Galaxy Note7 devices, Samsung in collaboration with its partners and operators, will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one.
“UK customers who have Galaxy Note7 devices will be contacted by the provider or operator from which they purchased the product in order to arrange their device exchange. The exchange of units will begin from 19 September 2016.”
September 19 is the start date for the first replacement Galaxy Note 7s arriving, and Samsung says this will be its main priority before recommencing sales of new handsets. A Samsung spokesperson told AC: “Our first priority is to support current Note7 owners who are participating in the Product Exchange Program. We will confirm new in store dates shortly.”
So there’s still a fighting chance Samsung could get the Note 7 on European store shelves ahead of Apple’s iPhone 7, but the exact timing remains uncertain.
MORE: Everything you need to know about the Note 7 recall
Samsung Galaxy Note 7
- Galaxy Note 7 recall: Everything you need to know
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
- The latest Galaxy Note 7 news!
- Here are all four Note 7 colors
- Complete Galaxy Note 7 specs
- Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!
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Google’s September security update has three patch levels
Google has broken the security patches down even further to make it easier for manufacturers.
For more than a year now, Google has been addressing security on Android through monthly updates. These updates are provided to Google’s partners 30 days before being released to Nexus, Pixel, and Android One hardware in hopes that all of Android can be more secure every month. Despite these efforts, many Android phones still lack regular security updates. September 6th marks not only a new month for Google’s security patch program, but a new step in further simplifying the security patch so more phones and tablets can remain up to date.
September’s security patch levels will look like this:
- 2016-09-01 — patches for a pair of Critical remote code execution vulnerabilities, many serious Elevation of Privilege vulnerabilities, several Information Disclosure vulnerabilities, and a pair of Denial of Service vulnerabilities all within Android itself.
- 2016-09-05 — Everything in the 2016-09-01 patch, as well as patches for several kernel related Elevation of Privilege vulnerabilities, many Qualcomm driver-related vulnerabilities, and Elevation of privilege vulnerabilities found in other third-party drivers.
- 2016-09-06 — Everything in the 2016-09-01 and 2016-09-05 patches, as well as a fix for a Critical Elevation of Privilege vulnerability in the kernel shared memory subsystem and a fix for a vulnerability in a Qualcomm networking component.
Obviously the September 6th patch level will make your phone or tablet the most secure, but breaking up the patches into specific categories like this makes it easier for many manufacturers to release something. Google’s report reminds everyone that there have been no reported cases of active exploits using any of the vulnerabilities fixed in these patches, but these are all still incredibly important additions to Android itself and should be installed as soon as possible. If you have a Nexus, Pixel, Android One, or BlackBerry Android phone you’ll see this update arrive shortly through and Over the Air update. If you’d prefer to install that update on a Nexus right now, you can find the images on Google’s Developer Site.
For every other manufacturer, we’ll have to wait and see which patch level is offered in their update!
Woman who received world’s first face transplant dies at 49
Isabelle Dinoire, the first person in the world to undergo a face transplant, died at the age of 49 in Amiens, France, of complications following her groundbreaking surgery. In May 2005, Dinoire was mauled by her labrador while she was sleeping and in December of that same year, she received a partial face transplant of the chin, mouth and nose. The procedure left her with the ability to eat, speak and smile normally, and surgeons labeled it a success, though her body never fully accepted the new tissue.
Dinoire fell ill last winter after her body rejected a new skin graft, leaving her with limited function in her lips. The immunosuppressants and other treatments that Dinoire routinely received took their toll over the years, and she recently developed two different cancers.
Dinoire died on April 22, 2016, though the hospital in Amiens only announced her passing today. Officials have not offered a reason for the delayed announcement.
Dinoire’s surgery opened the doors for subsequent face transplants around the world, including two full-face procedures in the United States. Surgeons at Cleveland Clinic recently attempted the nation’s first uterus transplant, though that failed after two weeks. In May, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital successfully completed the first penis transplant in the US.
Via: Gizmodo
Source: The Local
Trademarks for ‘AirPod Case,’ ‘Iris Engine,’ ‘Touch Bar,’ and More Hint at Future Apple Products
Trademark lawyer Brian Conroy today shared the culmination of months of intensive research on Apple trademarks, giving us some solid insight into what the company might be working on based on its trademark filings around the world.
First and foremost, Conroy has tracked down a trademark filing for the iPhone 7, seemingly confirming the “iPhone 7” name just ahead of tomorrow’s event. The larger version of the iPhone, the “iPhone 7 Plus” is also mentioned in a separate filing, confirming that name as well.
Conroy has also found a trademark filing that confirms the “AirPods” trademark has been registered by Apple. MacRumors first discovered the AirPods trademark late last year and linked it to a lawyer associated with Apple, but Apple was careful to use a shell company for trademark registration. While there was little doubt the AirPods trademark belonged to Apple, there is now no question.
Alongside the AirPods, which are said to be wireless Bluetooth earbuds, Apple also appears to have trademarked the name “AirPod Case,” which is in line with rumors suggesting the AirPods will come with a battery case that is aimed at charging them on the go to increase battery life. The AirPods are rumored to feature four hours of battery life sans case and they could be announced at tomorrow’s event along with updated Beats headphones.
Conroy has also found trademark filings for future Apple products that include “Apple Iris Engine,” “Apple Iris Image Engine,” “Apple Smart Button,” and “Apple Touch Bar,” which he plans to cover in greater detail in later posts. Apple is rumored to be working on iris recognition capabilities for the 2017 iPhone, and “Apple Touch Bar” could potentially refer to the touch panel that’s built into the next-generation MacBook Pro, rumored to be coming tis October. Apple Smart Button is less clear, but could potentially refer to the new touch-based flush Home button coming in the iPhone 7.
Software-based filings have also been discovered, including “Apple Swift Labs,” “Apple Progress Card,” “Apple Breathe,” “Apple Smart View,” “Apple Rich Links,” “iBooks Storytime,” “Control Strip,” and many other trademarks for known iOS 10 features. macOS Sierra trademarks that hint at alternate names Apple might have used for the operating system have also been discovered and will be shared later.
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Engadget giveaway: win a ‘Star Trek’ prize package courtesy of ThinkGeek!
On September 8th, 1966, TV audiences were taken on a journey where no one had gone before. This was the date Star Trek first aired and whether you’re a fan or not, it’s likely made an impact. The 50th anniversary of this space adventure’s first voyage is officially just two days away, and to celebrate, ThinkGeek has provided us with some serious Star Trek merch for one lucky reader. Think you’d ace the Kobayashi Maru? Try pitting your strategies against your friends in the Star Trek 50th Anniversary Risk game, or just sit on the couch and zap your TV with this phaser replica remote control. Motorola’s StarTAC may have paved the way for real-world flip communicators, but now you can have the real thing (via Bluetooth). These and a pile of other spacey gadgets are all part of this week’s prize package. Have no fear, though, everyone can stock up on all they want over at ThinkGeek. For up to three chances at winning this stack of Star Trek gear, all you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below. Live long and prosper!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) of each of the following Star Trek-themed items from ThinkGeek: Bluetooth Communicator, Phaser replica remote control, Transporter coaster, Tricorder, Romulan Ale glasses, Borg bath towels, 50th anniversary Risk game and Star Trek Original Series watch (ST39).
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until Sept. 7th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Technics’ pricey SL-1200G turntable goes on sale this month
At IFA last year, Panasonic announced that it was reviving the iconic Technics brand with new turntables. After releasing a super limited special edition earlier this year, the company announced at IFA 2016 that the updated SL-1200G would arrive this month. What Hi-Fi reports that the new version is nearly identical to the SL-1200GAE that sold out in about a month, save for some design changes to the platter and the tone arm.
While there will be more than 1,200 of the SL-1200G available to masses, this turntable won’t be any cheaper than that special edition. With a price tag of £2799 (about $3,740, no word on exact US pricing yet), you’ll likely need to give some serious thought to nabbing one before September is up.
Via: FACT
Source: What Hi-Fi
T-Mobile to increase its max LTE speeds to 400 Mbps
In the last few weeks, T-Mobile introduced its One plan for unlimited data and then tweaked it after customer complaints. For power users, T-Mobile’s claiming several tech advances that combine for a max download speed of 400 Mbps. But you’ll only get those blindingly fast rates using a Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge within one of 319 cities, and only after a pair of software updates by the end of October.
The first announced speed boost, 4×4 MIMO (multiple in, multiple out), alleges to double upload and download rates by increasing data paths between device and cell tower by twofold. According to T-Mobile’s post, that’s already active in 319 cities and will go live on the aforementioned Samsung phones after a software update later in September. This alone will double data speeds up and down.
But you’ll only get to that magic 400 Mbps max when using both new speed-augmenting technologies. The other one, 256 quadruple amplitude modulation (QAM) for downloads and 64 QAM for uploads, will be available nationwide with an end-of-October software update to supported phones. Like MIMO, it’s only available for Galaxy S7 and Edge, though more supported devices will be named later on.
Source: T-Mobile blog
Instagram is dropping photo maps
Instagram isn’t just piling on new features — it’s taking them away, too. The social image service says that it’s removing the Photo Map feature, which lets you see where a person’s snapshots come from. The removals started last week, Instagram adds. It’s currently focused on removing maps on profiles of other people, but you’ll eventually lose access to your own photo map as well. Location info will stick around (such as pages showing all the photos taken at a given place), however, so you won’t lose track of where you took that stunning flower shot.
The company doesn’t beat around the bush when explaining the move: it tells us that Photo Map “was not widely used.” It’s shifting its attention to other areas, according to the statement (which you can read below). Frankly, the decision isn’t shocking. When’s the last time you browsed your friends’ photo locations? And when Instagram is currently obsessed with video and beating Snapchat, cartography isn’t exactly high on the priority list.
“Photo Map was not widely used, so we’ve decided to remove the feature and focus on other priorities. You will still be able to see location tags on individual posts.”
Source: Mashable
Apple Watch Losing Ground to ‘Basic Wearables’ Like Fitbit Ahead of New Models
New data from market research firm IDC shows a split in the wearables market, with “basic wearables” (Fitbit) gaining popularity, and “smart wearables” (Apple Watch) seeing stalled growth. Despite a portion of the market stalling out, the overall wearable device market grew 26.1 percent in comparison to the year ago quarter, suggesting the burgeoning technology is gaining traction among consumers.
IDC specifically categorizes basic wearables as those devices without third party application support and smart wearables as any device with support for third party applications. Comparing each section’s growth from last year, the research firm said that the two categories “traveled at different speeds and directions” in 2016, with basic wearables up 48.8 percent from 2015, and smart wearables down 27.2 percent year-over-year. In total, basic wearables represented 82.8 percent of every wrist-worn device shipped during the quarter.
Basic wearables, which include most fitness trackers, have benefited from a combination of factors: a clear value proposition for end-users, an abundant selection of devices from multiple vendors, and affordable price points,” said Ramon Llamas, research manager, Wearables.
“Smart wearables, meanwhile, are still struggling to find their place in the market,” added Llamas. “There is plenty of curiosity about what smart wearables – particularly smartwatches – can do, but they have yet to convince users that they are a must-have item. The good news is that smart wearables are still in their initial stages and vendors are slowly making strides to improve them. But this also means that it will be a slow transition from basic wearables to smart wearables.”
Apple, representing the smart wearables section of the market, was the only company among the leaders in the wearable market to post a year-over-year decline in shipment volumes, which IDC ascribes mainly to the lack of a second generation Apple Watch on the first generation’s anniversary last March. Specifically, Apple again finished third in the overall wearables market with a 7 percent market share and 1.6 million units shipped. In the first quarter of the year, Apple had a 7.5 percent market share and approximately 1.5 million sales for the Apple Watch.
As the Apple Watch stalls, Fitbit has grown, with a 25.4 percent share of the market and 5.7 million units shipped in the second quarter, compared to a 24.5 percent share and 4.8 million units in the first quarter. Because the company’s name remains “synonymous with fitness bands,” IDC believes its reign will continue in the wearables market. Until smart wearables with various functionalities can justify higher prices to consumers, a more affordable wearable with “a clear value proposition,” i.e. fitness-focused features, will help Fitbit remain on top of the market, according to the firm.
Any slowdown in market share of the Apple Watch could also be attributed to prospective buyers holding out for the second generation device, now expected to be announced during Apple’s media event set for tomorrow, September 7. In addition to a thinner display and larger battery, the Apple Watch 2 is believed to include GPS, an improved processor, and better waterproofing.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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