LG G6 phone could come with glass back for wireless charging
LG’s next, module-free flagship could have a glass black.
According to ETNews, the LG G6 will have a glass back when it debuts next year, making it the first phone in the G-series to come with such a feature, though the line has frequently switched up backplate materials over the past few years. The G4 had a plastic back, while the G5 had a metal back and worked with modules, and now, the G6 is reportedly going for the premium flagship feel.
But it’s not all about looks here. LG is reportedly mulling wireless charging as a standout feature for the G6. Keep in mind metal backs make wireless charging really difficult. Also, the G6 wouldn’t be the first phone to offer such a capability. (If you recall, Samsung made its Galaxy S6 capable of charging wirelessly.) But with a glass back, LG might have to consider sealed batteries.
It’ll be difficult for the company to include removable batteries – let alone support the modular design of the G5 – with a glass back. LG is already thinking about ditching the whole modular approach anyway for the G6, but we won’t know for sure until February at MWC 2017, as that’s when the company is expected to reveal its new flagship. But nothing is confirmed as of yet.
So, stay tuned. Check out Pocket-lint’s LG G6 rumour round-up for more.
Samsung enters the smart inbox fray with ‘Focus’
Samsung’s Focus (no, not the Windows phone from ages ago) wants to be your Android productivity app of choice. The latest update brings the application out of beta and fixes a deleted email sync issue, according to patch notes. But, when Google Play says that up to this point Focus has only been installed between 10,000 and 50,000 times, chances are you haven’t heard of the Samsung-exclusive app.
At its simplest, Focus brings email, a calendar, your contact list and memos into one tabbed app. You can even set keyword alerts, with all relevant instances of, say, “meeting” popping up in the main tab. What’s more, you can also flag individual email senders as priority so they don’t get buried in the chaff of your inbox too — a feature that Outlook mobile could definitely use.
And if you’re in the business of creating conference calls, you can make those invites directly within the app, and Samsung says you can dial in without leaving Focus pretty easily, too. But anyone who’s actually been on a conference call knows dialing in is hardly the hardest part.
Source: Samsung, Google Play
DirecTV Now’s $35 special offer goes away January 9th
DirecTV launched its AT&T-backed online-only streaming service, DirecTV Now, last month with a special introductory $35 price for its 100+ channel option. But that offer is set to expire on January 9th, when it jumps to $60 to settle between the other three service tiers. If you want that many channels at that price, get it now.
Note that the will still be a $35 option with the more limited 60+ channel level, which is the lowest-cost of the bunch. It’s also unclear how long users will get to subscribe at that bargain price: while the fine print on DirecTV Now’s website says folks signing up will be locked in at that lower cost, “Pricing, channels, features, and terms subject to change & may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice.”
Source: The Verge
Best Winter Accessories: What you need to stay warm and mobile
If you’re reading this in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s winter time! You’re probably huddled under your blanket with some hot cocoa and a warm laptop, trying to fend off Jack Frost in all his guises. But the sad reality is you’re going to have to head outside sometime soon, for work or school or a snowball fight with the darned neighbor kids. You’re not going to leave your tech behind when you go out, right? That laptop could probably protect you from more than a few snowballs…
MrMobile drops some holly-jolly knowledge about what you can wear this winter to look tight and keep your tech on you. If you need some winter gear, start your search right here with Michael Fisher.
Stay warm, my friends
- YouTube
- Le web
- Snapchat
Apple iPhone 8 with 5.8-inch AMOLED display could debut alongside iPhone 7S models
At least one iPhone model debuting next year could be dramatically different from any iPhone we’ve ever seen – and it’ll be hugely popular.
Apple is thought to be developing a few different handsets for the tenth anniversary of its iPhone, including iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus models and maybe even a flagship iPhone 8 model. According to a new report, that iPhone 8 could feature an all-new design and a 5.8-inch AMOLED display. Apple has huge expectations for this flagship device, as it reportedly expects to ship as many as 70 million units in 2017 alone.
DigiTimes, which has a so-so record when it comes to leaking Apple news, citing Apple suppliers in Taiwan, claimed that the 70-million figure will be in addition to the smaller iPhone 7S models with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays. The interesting takeaway here is that Apple reportedly thinks the iPhone 8 will be a big hit – and this is yet another report to suggest Apple is working on three new iPhone models rather than the usual two.
The DigiTimes report (via Apple Insider) also said that Samsung will be the sole supplier of the OLED panels for the 5.8-inch iPhone 8, which is something we’ve heard before, and that production will begin in March, ahead of a September release. The phone is thought to feature a bezel-less design that hides components such as the earpiece and Touch ID. Check out Pocket-lint’s rumour round-up to see what else it might feature.
As for those iPhone 7S models, they’re expected to feature LCD panels and might sport a glass rear casing instead of metal. One of them – the middle phone – might also come with a vertical dual-lens setup.
Pros and cons: Our quick verdict on Google WiFi
Google WiFi is the company’s latest (and very aptly named) wireless router. Like the OnHub router that Google put out last year, WiFi is meant to be sleekly designed and easy to use. This time, though, WiFi also can create a mesh network with other Google WiFi routers — an alternative to standalone WiFi extenders in larger spaces, like multi-story homes. The device does indeed work as promised, and offers some useful parental control features, to boot. That said, power users (perhaps even some Engadget readers) will be turned off by the lack of a web console and the fact that there are only two Ethernet jacks. Mainstream users, however, are not likely to be disappointed.
The US just imposed sanctions on Russia over election hacks
President Barack Obama’s administration has imposed sanctions on Russia’s two top intelligence services and it’s ejected 35 Russian intelligence officials from the US. This is in response to Russia’s repeated, documented hacks of the US election system throughout 2016, and it marks the strongest-ever American response to a state-sponsored cyber attack, The New York Times reports. The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation also released a joint report detailing how Russia attacked the US and ways to prevent intrusions in the future.
DHS and FBI also releasing technical data on Russian cyberattacks to help the world defend against them. pic.twitter.com/FuJB0lCY7L
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) December 29, 2016
The executive order that Obama issued on Thursday expands the president’s ability to respond to cyber attacks on the US election system or those of its allies. Using this new authority, the US has sanctioned Russia’s foreign military intelligence service (GRU), its central security agency (FSB), four individual GRU officers, and three companies that supported the GRU’s cyber attacks.
“All Americans should be alarmed by Russia’s actions,” Obama said in a statement. “In October, my Administration publicized our assessment that Russia took actions intended to interfere with the U.S. election process. These data theft and disclosure activities could only have been directed by the highest levels of the Russian government. Moreover, our diplomats have experienced an unacceptable level of harassment in Moscow by Russian security services and police over the last year. Such activities have consequences.”
In addition to sanctions, the State Department has shut down two compounds in Maryland and New York that are used by Russian intelligence authorities. The 35 Russian intelligence operatives that were kicked out of the US were given 72 hours to leave the country.
“These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia’s aggressive activities,” Obama said. “We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized. In addition to holding Russia accountable for what it has done, the United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia’s efforts to undermine established international norms of behavior, and interfere with democratic governance.”
The joint report from the DHS and FBI lays out the technical details of Russia’s cyber attacks on the US.
“This activity by [Russian agencies] is part of an ongoing campaign of cyber-enabled operations directed at the US government and its citizens,” the report reads. “These cyber operations have included spearphishing campaigns targeting government organizations, critical infrastructure entities, think tanks, universities, political organizations, and corporations leading to the theft of information. …In some cases, RIS actors masqueraded as third parties, hiding behind false online personas designed to cause the victim to misattribute the source of the attack.”
Early in December, the Obama administration ordered an investigation into Russian cyber attacks on US election systems, following hacks on the Democratic National Committee and other Democratic leaders that resulted in thousands of leaked documents.
The FBI, CIA and the broader US intelligence community previously concluded that Russia hacked the US in an attempt to disrupt the election process and secure Donald Trump’s win. The agencies found only the senior-most Russian officials could have authorized the attacks — which means Russian president Vladimir Putin was involved. Russia has denied its involvement, despite mounting evidence from the US and abroad.
The White House will present a report to Congress in “the coming days” about Russia’s intrusions on the US election system in 2016, complete with additional details about cyber attacks on previous elections.
Looking forward, when President-elect Trump takes office on January 20th, he’ll have the power to overturn these sanctions. There’s no word so far on his plans in this regard. Trump has publicly doubted Russia’s involvement in the hacks and he enjoys a cozy relationship with Moscow.
On Wednesday night, Trump responded to a question about possible sanctions against Russia with the following statement, according to The New York Times: “I think we ought to get on with our lives. I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on. We have speed, we have a lot of other things, but I’m not sure we have the kind, the security we need.”
Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in the United Kingdom responded to the sanctions with the following tweet:
President Obama expels 35 🇷🇺 diplomats in Cold War deja vu. As everybody, incl 🇺🇸 people, will be glad to see the last of this hapless Adm. pic.twitter.com/mleqA16H8D
— Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) December 29, 2016
Via: NYT
Source: The White House, US Treasury Department, NCCIC, FBI
Find out when you can download ‘Super Mario Run’ on Android
If you’ve been staring wistfully at the many iOS folks who are playing Super Mario Run on your commute, wondering when your Android gizmo could get in on the action, maybe stop doing that. First up, it’s a little creepy and, secondly, soon enough you’ll be able to play on your own device. To find out exactly when, you can pre-register for the app via Google Play and be alerted as soon as the download is ready. Precisely when that is isn’t clear, but hopefully the gap will be shorter than it was between announcement and availability on Apple’s mobile OS — a month.
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Play
ESPN takes you inside a college football rivalry with VR
Virtual reality has the ability to take us inside events and offer new perspectives for things we’d typically only view on TV. VR company Jaunt has been touting its “cinematic” platform for a while now and it teamed up with ESPN to give sports fans a behind-the-scenes look at one of college football’s biggest rivalries. The Game: Michigan at Ohio State chronicles this year’s matchup from the perspective of ESPN’s College GameDay in the form of an all-access pass to the game. Of course, it’s all in VR.
ESPN and Jaunt also worked together on Jacob Jarvis: Why It Matters, the story of a 17-year-old boy battling Muscular Dystrophy who gets support from Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and is a big part of what the Buckeyes do on and off the field. Both selections are available now and you’ll need a VR headset for the best viewing experience. It’s no surprise that these two are in cahoots following a reported $65 million investment in Jaunt from Disney (ESPN’s parent company) and other investors back in September.
Source: Jaunt (1), (2)
Donut-shaped ice shelters could shield astronauts on Mars
Since future astronauts might be spending months at a time on Mars, their sturdy shelters must reliably insulate inhabitants from extreme outer temperatures and the cosmic radiation filtering through the planet’s thin atmosphere. Some have proposed concepts that use material found on the surface, like this conceptual concrete, to minimize what the crew brings with them. Scientists and experts at NASA’s Langley Research Center have came up with a novel, efficient solution that repurposes planet resources: The Mars Ice Home.
The design describes a torus — a large, inflatable innertube — lined with a shell of water ice. Not only is the structure lightweight, it incorporates materials from Mars itself. In addition, the water, which protects against cosmic rays, could be repurposed as rocket fuel for the Mars Ascent Lander.
The Mars Ice Home is just a concept with some drawbacks — for example, experts at Martian resource extraction say it would take 400 days to fill the shell with enough water directly from the planet. On the other hand, robots could inflate and pump the shelter while the astronauts are en route, and the water’s radiation shielding would allow the shelter to exist aboveground, obviating the need to dig deep enough to protect the shelter’s inhabitants. It’s far more theory than ironed-out solution, but the Ice Home is just the kind of fascinating concept that will prod designers and experts to innovate elegant, efficient answers to Martian exploration’s challenges.
Source: NASA
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