Galaxy Note 8 could be T-Mobile’s coverage secret weapon this fall

Samsung and T-Mobile are scheming to promote the company’s upcoming coverage boost.

The Galaxy Note 8 will likely be the first phone to feature an upgraded version of the modem inside Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 platform boasting support for the 600MHz spectrum that T-Mobile just spent $8 billion to acquire.

During its first quarter earnings call this week, the company’s CTO Neville Ray revealed that the first 600MHz-supported handsets will be available “before the end of the year,” and the Samsung will be the first out of the gate. Other manufacturers like LG, with its V30, will also likely support the new technology.

The net benefit for T-Mobile, as it steals more customers from Verizon and AT&T, is the ability to reach customers in more rural areas, since airwaves over 600MHz travel further. Until now, most low-band spectrum has been largely held by Verizon and AT&T, so T-Mobile is understandably excited about the prospect of taking on its biggest rivals in parts of the U.S. where its coverage has been either weak or non-existent.

Yes, we are adding support for the 600 MHz band to the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem and the WTR5975 with which is pairs. https://t.co/onx7piC0sR

— 📶 Sherif Hanna (@sherifhanna) April 25, 2017

T-Mobile is also launching service in the unlicensed spectrum space, which allows the company to aggregate traditionally non-cellular spectrum in the 5GHz space with licensed spectrum in lower bands for much faster speeds. The company is already testing LTE-U in certain parts of the country, and plans to experiment with another unlicensed standard called LAA, or Licensed-Assisted Access, with the intention of rolling it out more substantively in 2018 and 2019. The Galaxy S8 is the first phone in the U.S. to support LTE-U on T-Mobile’s network.

Going back to the Galaxy Note 8, though — even if it’s released later than it was last year, pushed up by the Galaxy S8’s debut, it would likely still be out in September, which would give T-Mobile plenty of marketing opportunities to promote its improved rural coverage (and better nationwide coverage overall) for the all-important holiday season. T-Mobile added over a million new customers this past quarter, mainly at the expense of AT&T and Verizon, so it will be interesting to see whether, when it can truly compete on a network level, the momentum can be maintained.

How to fix Audio Sync issues on your Gear VR!

Audio issues can make games and experiences much less enjoyable but there are ways to deal with it.

The point of VR is to be able to completely immerse yourself in an experience, right? Whether you’re gunning down enemies in Gunjack, or enjoying some 360 degree videos, audio is an integral part of the package. So what do you do when the audio isn’t syncing up correctly with video inside of your Gear VR? Have no fear, we’ve got you covered.

Read more at VRHeads.com

Best Wall Outlets with Charging Ports

What’s the best wall outlet with USB ports?

At this point, most households have some sort of portable device that requires charging, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or vape (AKA douche flute). Sometimes you have to negotiate between leaving a lamp and TV plugged in or having a charged phone. You can save yourself the annoyance by picking up a wall outlet with USB ports. That way you can charge your devices while leaving all the appliances and other electronics plugged in.

Here are the best wall outlets with charging ports.

• Topgreener TU21548A Smart Dual USB Charger Outlet
• Leviton T5632-W
• Sunco Lighting USB charger and duplex receptacle
• Seckatech LD-U001
• Topgreener TU21548AC
• Cable Matters 6-outlet wall mount
• Belkin BSV300ttCW

Topgreener TU21548A Smart Dual USB Charger Outlet

Topgreener’s USB wall outlet is The Wirecutter’s number one pick and one of the best-reviewed USB outlets on Amazon. This 4.8A/5V, 24W outlet features two USB-A ports that are able to read the power needs of your devices and maximize charging accordingly in order to charge them as quickly as possible (up to Quick Charge C 3.0 speeds).

Each power outlet is tamper-resistant, preventing objects from being jammed inside, meeting safety standards. As a bonus, these outlets come with three click-on colored faceplates in black, white, and almond.

See at Amazon

Leviton T5632-W

Leviton’s USB outlets are available in seven colors and offer 3.6A of charging power from each USB port. These ports recognize device and optimize charging speeds accordingly. The Leviton T5632-W is easy to install, thanks to its back and side wiring, and you can buy them individually, in a two-pack, or in an eight-pack.

See at Amazon

Sunco Lighting USB charger and duplex receptacle

Sunco’s outlets push 3.1A (not quite Quick Charge 3.0 speeds), allowing you to charge two devices at the same time. They’re back- and side-wired for easy installation and come with a five-year warranty. The main power outlets are tamper-resistant, so young’uns won’t be able to shove forks in.

Sunco outlets come in packs of 2, 4, 6, and 10.

See at Amazon

Seckatech LD-U001

Seckatech’s outlets offer 4.2A at 5V (up to Quick Charge 3.0 speeds) from the USB ports, offering optimal charging conditions for Quick Charge and regular devices, thanks to their ability to read charging needs from each device. The 15A power outlets are tamper-resistant and Seckatech provides you with free wall plates. A two-year warranty is included should anything go awry.

See at Amazon

Topgreener TU21548AC

If you’d like an outlet with a USB-C port, then go with Topgreener’s TU21548AC. It features one USB-C port and a USB-A port, each capable of charging at up to 4.8A/5V (up to Quick Charge 3.0 speeds), as well as two 15A/125V power outlets. Each USB port is able to discern the charging needs of each device you plug in, and Topgreener even provides you with a free 3.3-foot USB-C to USB-C cable.

See at Amazon

Cable Matters 6-outlet wall mount

If you don’t want to replace your in-wall sockets and just want something you can plug in on the fly, check out Cable Matters’ 6-outlet wall mount, which features six power outlets and two USB-A ports, which provide up to 2.4A (up to Quick Charge 2.0 speeds) and are protected by a surge suppressor. All outlets are powered by a single connection to your wall outlet, and you get a two-pack of Micro-USB cables for free.

See at Amazon

Belkin BSV300ttCW

Belkin’s plug-in outlet features three power outlets and two USB-A ports, which can charge at 2.4A (up to Quick Charge 2.0 speeds). You can charge two devices simultaneously, and you can rest one on top of the outlet in the built-in groove, so you don’t have to awkwardly prop your phone up against the wall or leave it precariously on the floor.

You can also choose one power outlets, two outlets, or six.

See at Amazon

Do you have wall outlets with USB ports in them?

Which ones? Let us know in the comments below.

HTC U 11 vs HTC 10: What’s the rumoured difference?

HTC is rumoured to be announcing its new flagship for 2017 on 16 May. The new device is known to leakers as the HTC Ocean and more recently, the HTC U 11 and it will succeed the HTC 10 while sitting at the top of the company’s 2017 portfolio.

Here is how the HTC U 11 could compare to the HTC 10, based on the speculation. You can also read how it may compare to the Samsung Galaxy S8 in our separate feature.

HTC U 11 vs HTC 10: Design

• HTC U 11 rumoured to have touch-sensitive frame
• HTC U 11 should be IP57 water resistant
• 3.5mm headphone jack on HTC 10, not expected for HTC U 11

The HTC 10 features a metal unibody measuring 145.9 x 71.9mm with a curved rear between 3mm and 9mm and a weight of 161g. There is a beautiful chamfered edge on the rear and a physical capacitive button on the front with a built-in fingerprint sensor.

At the bottom of the device, you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack, along with USB Type-C. The HTC 10 comes in three colours including gold, silver and carbon grey.

The HTC U 11 is rumoured to be coming with a touch-sensitive squeezable frame, called Edge Sense, that will allow for various features and functions. Leaked images suggest the device will offer a shiny finish and there will be a capacitive button on the front.

According to the rumours, the HTC U 11 will not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, following in the path of the previous U devices, while USB Type-C is pretty much a certainty. No measurements have been detailed as yet but it is thought the HTC U 11 will offer an IP57 water and dust resistance.

• HTC 10 review

HTC U 11 vs HTC 10: Display

• Larger display expected on HTC U 11
• HTC U 11 could have curved display
• Not clear if HTC U 11 will opt for LCD or AMOLED

The HTC 10 comes with a 5.2-inch Super LCD display with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution for a pixel density of 564ppi. It is a flat screen protected by Corning Gorilla Glass with a curved edge, offering a seamless finish.

The HTC U 11 is rumoured to be coming with a slightly larger 5.5-inch display, though it is not clear whether HTC will opt for AMOLED as it did with the Pixels or whether it will stick to an LCD screen.

The resolution is expected to remain at Quad HD, which would mean its pixel density is slightly softer than the HTC 10 at 534ppi, though it has been claimed the new device will offer a curved display over flat. There has been no detail on whether the HTC U 11 will offer Mobile HDR, like the LG G6 and Samsung Galaxy S8.

• Mobile HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10 and Mobile HDR Premium explained

HTC U 11 vs HTC 10: Cameras

• 12MP rear camera reported for HTC U 11, like HTC 10
• Likely to offer many of same features, such as OIS
• Higher resolution front camera expected on HTC U 11

The HTC 10 features a 12-megapixel rear camera with 1.55µm pixels, optical image stabilisation, laser autofocus and an aperture of f/1.8. There is a dual-tone LED flash on board and a number of features including Auto-HDR, face detection and 4K video recording.

The front facing camera of the HTC 10 has a 5-megapixel sensor with 1.34µm pixels, an aperture of f/1.8 like the rear and optical image stabilisation.

There are a couple of different rumours surrounding the cameras of the HTC U 11. Some have claimed the new flagship will offer a 12-megapixel rear camera, coupled with a 16-mgepaixel front camera, while others have claimed a 12-megapixel rear shooter will be partnered with an 8-megapixel front snapper.

We’d expect many of the same features to be on board, such as 4K video recording capabilities and optical image stabilisation. The HTC-built Pixels have excellent cameras so we’d expect the same quality from the new flagship.

• Google Pixel review

HTC U 11 vs HTC 10: Hardware

• Faster processor expected for HTC U 11
• Could have same RAM and storage
• Both devices should have microSD support and USB Type-C

The HTC 10 features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, supported by 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. There is microSD on board for further storage expansion up to 1TB and Android’s Flex Storage feature is supported.

A 3000mAh battery capacity runs the show, charged via USB Type-C as we mentioned previously and there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, as we also said earlier. In terms of audio, the HTC 10 is Hi-Res audio certified and it features HTC’s BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition.

The HTC U 11 is rumoured to be coming with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and we’d expect at least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, as well as microSD support. There haven’t been any leaks detailing battery capacity as yet but we would be surprised to see less than 3000mAh.

The 3.5mm headphone jack is expected to be missing from the HTC U 11 as we mentioned, though we’d still expect to see BoomSound Hi-Fi for a great audio experience like the previous flagship.

HTC U 11 vs HTC 10: Software

• More features expected on HTC U 11
• Edge Sense frame rumoured to offer different way of interacting
• Android with minimal bloatware

The HTC 10 launched on Android Marshmallow with a simplified version of HTC Sense that stripped back a lot of the bloatware for a more refined Android experience.

The HTC U 11 is likely to offer a similar experience to the HTC 10, but with a couple of additional features. Should the Edge Sense frame appear, it will no doubt bring various software functions not available on the old flagship, while there should also be the HTC Sense Companion app.

This app appeared on the previous U devices, launched earlier this year, designed to make your phone more personal using artificial intelligence. We’re also expecting to see full Google Assistant on the new device.

• HTC Sense tips and tricks

HTC U 11 vs HTC 10: Conclusion

As with any flagship successor, the HTC U 11 looks like it will improve in various areas compared to the HTC 10, including design, processor, camera and software.

The leaks suggest the new device will look familiar to HTC’s previous devices, so we’d expect a similar software experience too, though if the touch-sensitive Edge Sense frame does appear, hopefully it will give the HTC U 11 something a little different over its predecessors and its competition.

We will be updating this feature as more leaks appear, as well as when the official specs are announced so don’t go away for too long.

• HTC U Ultra review

This DJI/Hasselblad camera drone doesn’t have a price yet, you probably couldn’t afford it anyway

Drones are primarily used for aerial photography and videography, and some of DJI’s latest have 4K cameras mounted to them for super-sharp images and videos.

• Best drones to buy in 2017, whatever your budget

At the top of DJI’s Phantom 4 range is the Pro, with a 20-megapixel 4K sensor, but that pales in comparison to the Hasselblad H6D-100c camera that has been mounted on a Ronin-MX gimbal and attached to a DJI M600 Pro drone.

That’s because the Hasselblad camera has a 100-megapixel CMOS sensor with 15 stops of dynamic range, which the company says can capture maximum detail in highlight and shadow areas. It will record 4K video in RAW format too, or in H.264 to make it ready to transfer to most editing programs.

This uber-camera drone is the latest product since DJI bought a stake in the Swedish camera manufacturer in 2015.

DJI

The M600 Pro drone boasts six rotors and a dustproof propulsion system. It also benefits from a D-RTK GNSS navigation system which claims to withstand magnetic interference, leaving you with a highly accurate 3D-positioning system, so you can put the drone exactly where you want it.

Pricing of the M600 Pro drone complete with Hasselblad H6D-100c camera and Ronin-MX gimbal will be announced later this year, but expect it to cost between £35,000 and £40,000 based on the cost of the individual components.

If you happen to be passing through Las Vegas today or tomorrow, 27 April, you can see it on display at the NAB Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

700 million people are using Instagram

Instagram’s Stories feature beating out all of Snapchat in terms of users is so two weeks ago. Now the photo-minded social network is crowing about hitting 700 million users in rapid fashion. Specifically, 100 million folks flocked to the app within the last four months alone. The last time Instagram gained 100 million new users it took six months, according to TechCrunch.

What’s more, the social network told Engadget’s sister site that the evaporating Stories feature is at least partially responsible for the uptick in users and them sticking around. Not bad for an app that’s still primarily mobile-only, no? Should this pace keep up Instagram could become the second social network to hit a billion users. You know, behind parent company Facebook.

In case you’re just waking up, Twitter just released its report on users and the results aren’t nearly as sunny. The microblogging service increased its numbers a bit, bumping from between 310 – 320 million up to 328 million. Welp.

Source: Instagram

Delta is handing out premium headphones to rich people

Starting on July 15th, you’ll find a pair of premium LSTN headphones in your seat when you fly overseas in first or business class with Delta. They’re really not quite like your typically plain onboard headset, with beautiful wooden panels the headphones maker is known for. LSTN has been working with the carrier for the past two years to make the partnership happen, but not just for its own benefit. Now that the project is launching, it can help a lot more people hear again or for the first time ever: the socially responsible headphones company is donating 100 percent of the proceeds to the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

LSTN says it has helped over 22,000 hearing-impaired individuals from all over the world in less than four years since it was established through Starkey. It has funded multiple hearing missions not just in the US, but also in Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean, distributing hearing aids to those who need it. In fact, the first mission funded by what LSTN will earn from Delta will take place in Peru this May. Seeing as Delta has over 10,000 international first and business class passengers a day, LSTN could be funding quite a few missions in the future.

Delta will also do its part by promoting the headphones maker’s mission through a video that will be shown on its entertainment system. It will also train all its flight attendants to be LSTN’s brand ambassadors. By telling more people about the brand, they’re likely hoping to gain more customers and earn more money that will go towards more hearing missions.

How ‘Puyo Puyo Tetris’ tricked me into liking puzzle games

When Larry Kasanoff said he was turning the world’s most iconic puzzle game into a trilogy of science fiction movies, I was speechless. After a disaster like Pixels, how could anybody look at Tetris and think there was a narrative to tell? The game may be a classic, but the narrative potential of organizing falling bricks into horizontal lines seemed weak to me. Then I played Puyo Puyo Tetris. Kasanoff’s sci-fi epic still sounds terrible, but somehow it pulls off the impossible: It builds an entertaining narrative from an abstract puzzle game.

The idea of a comedy-driven story supporting a puzzle game might be novel to me, but for Puyo fans, it’s par for the course. The series was originally spun off from a Japanese RPG, and the narrative aspect of the adventure series carried over to the match-four Puyo games. When the franchise merged with the classic tetromino game to create Puyo Puyo Tetris, that storytelling carried over once again. Thankfully, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, offering an “adventure mode” that’s little more than a collection of anime tropes performing over-the-top slapstick gags. Even so, this is more than enough to do something no other puzzle game has before: keep me engaged.

Chalk it up to personal preference or a simple ineptitude for the genre, but puzzle games have never been able to hold my interest for long. I enjoy the challenge of Dr. Mario, and indeed, Tetris is an essential piece of gaming history — but I inevitably abandon the games when the difficulty curve outstretches my patience. With Puyo Puyo Tetris, it’s oddly different. The game’s silly vignettes are the perfect way to break up the endless rounds of gameplay, rewarding each victory with a few minutes of light comedy, cute characters and just enough story to make one wonder what comes next. It’s the carrot that pushes me to learn how to play the game better.

It’s worth the effort too. Puyo Puyo Tetris’ story may be by-the-numbers anime nonsense, but it’s funny nonsense, enough to make me laugh out loud repeatedly. Maybe I’m easy to please, but it drove me to learn the game — which is surprisingly refreshing. Both the Puyo and Tetris elements of the game are competent in their own right, but as the game progresses the two play styles merge, introducing competitive game modes that pit the puzzle games against each other: One mode swaps between the two on the fly, and another forces you to play both at the same time.

These game modes are all fun on their own, but on the Nintendo Switch, they’re a special joy. Pulling out Puyo Puyo Tetris at a friend’s house, handing her a Joy-Con and watching her react when the game suddenly switches from Tetris to Puyo Puyo is a unique, sadistic pleasure. It’s also a great case for the console’s tabletop mode, and next to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it has become my go-to game for showing the multiplayer capabilities of the Switch to friends.

Every new Nintendo console needs a Tetris game, and although Puyo Puyo Tetris isn’t exclusive to the Switch, it fills the role well. My hard-core puzzle-fan friends tell me there are better versions of each game available, and that’s probably true — but if you’re looking for a lighthearted, genuinely funny and challenging puzzle game with a lot of variety, you can’t go wrong here.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is available on PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Wii U, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch.

VR’s latest victim: ‘live’ standup comedy

Comedy Living Room started in 2012 as a way for emergent stand-ups to try out gags in the safety of a friend’s living room. Now, the event is embracing virtual reality, enabling everyone to watch a low-fi comedy gig in someone else’s living room while you’re sat in your own… living room.

The event is being run by AltspaceVR, a company that lets you create a digital avatar and wander around a virtual, cartoony world. In this instance, you’ll be hanging out at a new virtual party house complete with lounge, pool, barbecue and frisbee court.

Comedy Living Room VR will broadcast on April 27th at 8pm ET / 5pm PT with The League star Paul Sheer topping the bill. There are five other acts that’ll take part, including Jay Larson, Drennon Davis and Paige Weldon.

If you’ve yet to try Altspace, then you can do so on any Google Daydream, HTC Vive, Oculus or GearVR headsets. You can also watch the gig in 2D mode on your desktop if you’ve yet to take the plunge and splash out on pricey VR gear.

It’s not the first time that Altspace has tried to bring the comedy world into VR, with a Reggie Watts VR show last year. If you’re curious, you can catch some of that action on this slightly dodgy YouTube clip, although it’s clear that VR isn’t yet ready to replace your nearest Laugh Factory.

Source: AltspaceVR

Twitter Working on 24/7 Live Streaming Network of TV Shows to Rival Current News Outlets

Twitter is gearing up to launch an always-on, live-streaming video section of its apps and desktop site, which would run 24/7 and is ostensibly referred to as “Twitter TV” (via BuzzFeed News). The news comes from Twitter COO and CFO Anthony Noto, who said the 24/7 video update would be an expansion of Twitter’s current live video efforts, which in the past have covered big events like the Presidential inauguration and pre- and post-shows for the 2017 Oscars.

Live video has become such a pillar of success and growth for the social network that it’s helped Twitter gain access to advertisements in the 15-to-30 second range, for which advertisers “typically write big checks to TV networks.” A beefier lineup of live videos on an always-on network could boost Twitter’s profits even higher, although Noto noted that the launch of such a service will still take some time.

Specific type of content beyond news, sports, and entertainment reporting — like scripted shows — was not revealed, although it appears the company intends to strictly focus on current events coverage. Noto did mention that the company is “working on many, many things,” however.

“We will definitely have 24/7 content on Twitter,” Noto said during an extensive interview about the company’s live video strategy last week. “Our goal is to be a dependable place so that when you want to see what’s happening, you think of going to Twitter.”

Twitter will take some time to reach its 24/7 programming goal, Noto said, without offering a timetable. But he indicated much more programming in the works. “We’re working on many, many things,” Noto said. “There’s a lot in the pipeline.”

Ultimately, Noto is hoping that Twitter’s 24/7 live video service could become a network that has a mix of “of ultra-premium content and not-so-ultra-premium content,” meaning that viewers can tune in for shows they’re interested in, and then use Twitter TV as background noise for the rest of the day.

Jeremy Liew of venture capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners referred to this type of content as “ambient digital video,” and said Twitter could very well fill a gap left over by premium services like Netflix and HBO, which are always seeking full viewer attention.

From Twitter’s perspective, becoming a source of always-on-in-the-background video in the way that CNBC is in airports would be a great outcome. “We think that is a great way to have the programming carried along with you during your day,” Noto said. “Focus in on it when you hear something that’s of interest, but then maybe not be 100% focused on it when it’s not of interest. I did that myself during the debates.”

Closer to debut is said to be a handful of new shows that Twitter will introduce as a means to boost advertising revenue in the near-term. The company is said to be pitching advertisers to spend money on its video content as soon as next week, but Noto didn’t mention what kind of shows and videos are incoming. Likely candidates will be sports-related shows compared to SportsCenter on ESPN, with Twitter still reeling from the loss of the chance to stream NFL games over the course of the 2017-2018 season to streaming video rival Amazon.

The Twitter TV news comes alongside Twitter’s better-than-expected first quarter earnings report, in which it generated $548 million in revenue with earnings of 11 cents per share, besting predictions that the company would net around $511 million in revenue with earnings of one cent per share. The number is still a noticeable decline from the $595 million earnings in the year-ago quarter. Twitter also introduced 9 million new users in the quarter, raising its monthly active users to 328 million.

Tag: Twitter
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