Turing promises the moon with the 2017 Cadenza: dual Snapdragon 830, 60MP camera, 12GB RAM
The Sailfish OS-based Turing Phone offers secure software combined with a proprietary liquid-metal alloy chassis that’s touted to be stronger than aluminum and steel. The phone was initially slated to launch last year, but ran into significant delays, with the first wave of pre-orders going out in July. Turing Robotic Industries, the company behind the phone, has detailed plans for its 2017 handset, the Cadenza. The company is looking to integrate artificial intelligence to “dramatically improve our day to day mobile communication,” promising specs that sound far too good to be true.
According to Turing CEO Steve Chao, the Cadenza will feature a 5.8-inch QHD display, two Snapdragon 830 SoCs with a total of 16 Kryo CPU cores, a 60MP “iMAX 6K Quad Rear Camera with Triplet Lens/T1.2”, 20MP front camera, 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM (2 x 6GB modules), four SIM card slots, and a staggering 1TB of storage.
Here’s the spec sheet in its entirety:
The Cadenza will run Swordfish OS, an as-yet-unannounced fork of Sailfish OS that incorporates deep machine learning. This looks more like someone at TRI put out a spec sheet crammed full of all the buzzwords they could think up. In slightly more believable news from this dimension, the folks at Acer have gone utterly mad and put a 21-inch curved screen on a gaming laptop.
How to download and manage apps from the Google Play Store
How do I download and manage apps and games through the Google Play Store? .intro
Whether this is your first smartphone or just your first using Android, there’s a lot to love here, and it all starts with finding some apps to fill that new phone (or tablet) with. Google Play is the app store that Google runs, and it’s also an important piece of Android’s security as it scans apps before and after they’re downloaded and monitors them for unusual activity. It can be a bit overwhelming when you first open up Google Play, but don’t worry, we’re here to help you get started!
- How to search for apps on Google Play
- How to browse apps in Google Play
- How to download free apps
- How to buy paid apps
- How to update apps
- How to toggle auto-update
- How to uninstall apps
- How to remove apps from your app history
How to search for apps on Google Play
If you already know the name of the app you’re looking for, or have a specific app type in mind, you can search for it rather than browsing through app categories.
Tap the Google Play icon on your home screen.
Tap the white search bar at the top of the screen.
Enter the name of the app (or type of app) you’re looking for.
Tap the search icon on your keyboard (should be in the location of the Enter key).
If you’re not quite as sure what you want, or your search results don’t help you (don’t worry, it happens to all of us), there are other ways to find apps on Google Play.
How to browse apps in Google Play
You can browse through Google Play’s Top Charts to try and find a new app you want to install.
Tap the Google Play icon on your home screen.
Tap Apps & games to ensure you’re on the app side of the store.
Below Apps & games, tap Top Charts.
You’re now ready to browse the charts for new apps. Swipe left and right between the charts for Top Free, Top Paid, Top Grossing, Top New Free, Top New Paid, and Trending.
You can also browse through Google Play by category:
Tap the Google Play icon on your home screen.
Tap Apps & games to ensure you’re on the app side of the store.
Below Apps & games, tap Categories.
Tap the category you’d like to browse.
Now, some app categories are just a series of Top Charts narrowed to that category of app, but other categories have featured apps and subcategories in addition to the Top Charts for that category.
Once you’ve found one you like, it’s time to install it.
How to download free apps
Tap on an app in the search results or categories.
Read through the app’s description and reviews to ensure the app seems right for you.
Tap Install.
The app will now download and install itself, usually in a few seconds depending on how large or small the app is. If you’re on a device running an older version of Android, you’ll have to agree to an app’s permissions before it downloads. Read the permissions before clicking Agree. Once it is finished installing, an Open button will appear in the same place the Install button previously occupied.
How to buy paid apps
The process for buying a paid app is just a hair different than downloading a free one, and it goes like this:
Tap on an app in the search results or categories.
Tap the price to bring up the payment options.
Your default payment method will be shown. If you want to change your payment method, tap the down arrow next to your current payment method.
Tap Payment methods.
Tap one of your established payment methods. If you don’t have one, you’ll be prompted to add a credit card, PayPal account, or carrier billing.
Tap Buy.
Confirm your Google Play password.
The payment is processed and the download will begin. Tap Continue to close the window.
How to update apps
Apps need updates from time to time, and if you need to manually update your apps, here’s how you do it.
Tap the Google Play icon on your home screen.
Swipe in from the left edge of the screen OR tap the three line menu icon in the top white bar to open the menu.
Tap My apps & games.
App needing updates will appear at the top of the list. Tap Update All to update all the apps needing updates.
If you want to update a single app rather than all of them, you can do that, too. Follow the same steps above, but instead of tapping Update All:
Tap the app you want to update.
Tap Update.
If there are any new permissions, read them over before tapping Accept.
How to toggle auto-update
Rather than manually updating apps, which is easy to forget, Google Play is set to automatically update apps for you when you’re on Wi-Fi. If you’d prefer that it install updates automatically even when on cellular data — or not auto-update at all — you can change the setting easily.
Tap the Google Play icon on your home screen.
Swipe in from the left edge of the screen OR tap the three line menu icon in the top white bar to open the menu.
Swipe up to scroll down.
Tap Settings.
Tap Auto-update apps.
To turn off auto-update, select Do no auto-update apps. To enable auto-update on cellular data, select Auto-update at any time.
If there are apps you do not want auto-updated, you can opt them out of auto-update while allowing your other apps to stay updated.
Swipe in from the left edge of the screen OR tap the three line menu icon in the top white bar to open the menu.
Scroll down and tap My apps & games.
Scroll down and tap the app you don’t want auto-updating.
Tap the three dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen (next to the search icon).
Tap to uncheck Auto-update.
How to uninstall apps
Tap the Google Play icon on your home screen.
Swipe in from the left edge of the screen OR tap the three line menu icon in the top white bar to open the menu.
Tap My apps & games.
Scroll down and tap the app you want to uninstall.
Tap Uninstall. Note: if this is a paid app and it’s still within the refund window, you will tap Refund instead.
A window will open confirming you want to uninstall the app. Tap OK.
The app will now uninstall and remove itself from the device.
How to remove apps from your app history
If you install an app, don’t like it, and uninstall it, it’s still attached to your app history in the All section of My apps & games. If you don’t want an app in that list anymore, here’s how you get rid of it.
Swipe in from the left edge of the Google Play store screen OR tap the three line menu icon in the top white bar to open the menu.
Tap My apps & games.
Tap All in the green bar.
Scroll down and find the app you want to remove.
Tap the X in the top right corner of the listing for the app.
The app will disappear.
Your turn!
What do you love about the Google Play Store? Did we miss anyhting
New Beats headphones promised for iPhone 7 launch
Apple is expected to debut new Beats headphones alongside the launch of the iPhone 7, a leaked email has revealed.
The headphones company, bought up Apple in 2014, has been quiet of late on the new product front, and the latest news could suggest why.
According to the email, sent to French Apple fan site, iGeneration, by mistake, the headphone division will use the Apple keynote on the 7 September to also reveal “a selection of new Beats by Dry products”.
The site, which posted the email, has now taken down the screenshot of the email after being asked to remove it by the Apple owned company.
The arrival of new Beats makes perfect sense. Apple is rumoured to be removing the headphone socket from the new iPhone and instead encouraging owners to connect wirelessly.
If that’s the case, users will no doubt be keen to buy a new set of “wireless” headphones alongside the purchase of their new phone.
Apple has long encouraged third-party manufacturers to ditch the cable and go wireless, evidence of which is already apparent at the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin, Germany. At the show a number of manufacturers have launched wireless headphones as they all try to stay one step ahead of Apple.
Pocket-lint will be covering the iPhone 7 launch event on the 7 September.
We will keep you posted.
Tesla may have disabled the Model X’s door safety sensors
The latest firmware Tesla rolled out for Model X was supposed to fix its buggy doors, but it seemed to have brought new problems of its own. See, the car’s sweet Falcon doors had been giving owners grief. One common complaint was that their inductive sensors, in charge of preventing those automatic wings from crushing precious fingers, were inclined to detect objects that weren’t really there. Owners would sometimes have to try a few times to get them to close. According to the new firmware’s logs, the update is supposed to improve this behavior. However, based on the tests conducted by MEtv Product Reviews on YouTube, Tesla might have deactivated those sensors altogether instead of issuing a proper fix.
In the first video below (at around the 8 minute mark), you can see a Falcon door closing on a cucumber clearly in its path, slicing it in half. Its sensors would have prevented that from happening. The real problem is, the automaker didn’t specify such an important change on the firmware’s update logs. While it’s true most people wouldn’t place their hands on a car’s door frame, accidents do happen. Jalopnik asked MEtv Product Reviews for specifics, and the person behind the YouTube channel and website said:
“I was told they [the sensors] were deemed no longer necessary. They were turned off in v 7.1 2.32.100. I took it to mean that they couldn’t get the buggy inductive sensor to work properly, and since everyone was having issues with them removed them and didn’t tell anyone until I asked because I noticed the behavior had changed. You can see how they work in my previous videos. I don’t think there is any other video online that shows how the inductive sensors work…
Everyone’s had issues with phantom object detection which is caused by these inductive sensors. Take from this what you will, but it looks like they figured out a way to just remove them and use the motors in the hinges to detect. How it pinches, before with the inductive it stops on contact.”
The company didn’t say whether it truly disabled those specific set of sensors when Jalopnik asked for a statement. Its spokesperson only said:
“We adjusted Model X Falcon Wing doors via a software update in order to improve closure consistency and reduce false detection of obstacles.”
For now, the best thing to do if you own a Model X is to be very careful around those doors. Or, you know, to physically restrain the limbs of restless passengers if necessary.
Source: MEtv Product Reviews
Uber granted court review of TfL’s English language test
Uber is trying everything to overturn stringent new rules proposed by Transport for London (TfL). Last year, the organisation took a long hard look at the capital’s ride-hailing market, and concluded that a few crucial changes were needed. These included a new English language test for all Uber drivers, better customer support and vehicle insurance. Uber supported some, if not all of these proposals at first, but quickly changed its tune once the fine print was revealed. In short, the company thinks the new requirements go too far, and will affect its ability to recruit drivers.
The regulations will now be contested in court. Uber has been granted a judicial review, which will examine TfL’s proposals — which were put out for consultation last year, and approved by the organisation’s board in March — before they come into effect next month. “We’re pleased that the judge has decided this case deserves a hearing,” Tom Elvidge, general manager for Uber London said. “TfL’s plans threaten the livelihoods of thousands of drivers in London, while also stifling tech companies.”
The biggest point of contention is a new English language test, designed to ensure drivers can speak eloquently with their passengers and address any problems on the road. Under the new proposals, all Uber drivers from non-English speaking countries would need to hold a B1-level qualification. The exam looks at proficiency in speaking and listening — something Uber broadly supports — but also reading and writing. To pass the two-hour exam, candidates need to write a few short essays and articles (an example test shows they’re about 150 words each). Uber argues that this proficiency is unnecessary, as it far exceeds the requirements for British citizenship.
The company has also taken issue with a TfL proposal that states “operators must ensure that customers can speak to a real person in the event of a problem with their journey.” Guidance published in June states that the “person” must be working from a licensed London centre — it can’t just be the driver you’ve taken a trip with. Uber believes this is unfair because “there is no similar requirement on black cabs.” Such a building would, of course, require considerable investment, and Uber stresses that you can always contest a fare or inefficient route through the app.
A spokesperson for TfL said the organisation is looking forward to the judicial review, as it will provide closure on the “remaining issues” contested by Uber. “The changes to private-hire regulation were made to enhance public safety and we are determined to create a vibrant taxi and private hire market, with space for all providers to flourish.”
Via: BBC News
Dell’s latest Alienware laptops are VR ready
Dell has revealed a 13-, 15- and 17-inch lineup of thinner, VR-ready Alienware laptops that pack new designs and whiz-bang eye-tracking features. For gamers, the main attraction is support for the latest NVIDIA laptop cards. The big-screen Alienware 17 gets the top-end NVIDIA GTX 1080 chip, while the Alienware 15 and 13 get the GTX 1070 and 1060, respectively. That means that all three models will be “VR-ready” for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets.
The 17- and 15-inch models have been completely redesigned, with the hinge point pushed forward. That allowed Dell to put additional parts and cooling at the back, making for 25 percent slimmer devices. The chassis are built with anodized aluminum and magnesium allow, with steel reinforcing, making for better build quality and rigidity, Dell says.
As for what’s inside, there are sixth-generation Intel Core i7 CPUs (not the next-gen “Kaby Lake”) with the flagship 17-inch model getting an overclocked, “k-series” option, Dell says. The 15- and 17-inch models carry 1080p IPS screens with 120Hz refresh and G-sync support, plus 2667 MHz DDR4 RAM. The larger models have Dell’s “TactX” keyboards with 2.2mm of travel, RGB LED key lighting and simultaneous multi-key press support (up to 10 keys at once).
To be as tech-cool as possible, Dell added Windows Hello cameras to all models, letting you log in just by putting your face in front of the screen. It also added Tobii eye tracking tech that can do a few new tricks. They’ll disable the keyboard backlight when you look away from the screen, for instance, and even let you lock or unlock the device using your eyes. Much as with MSI’s laptops, it will “detect your gaze [and] allow you to record and export your gaze pattern as a coaching tool to help improve you gameplay.”
Dell hasn’t revealed the all-important pricing yet, but the 15- and 16-inch models arrive in the US on September 30th and hit the UK by October 4th. The 13-inch model will be available in both countries sometime in November.
Source: Dell
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.
AIVAnet 