Android 7.0 is now available for the U.S. unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 edge via Smart Switch

The phone that time (and Samsung) forgot finally gets a Nougat update.

Everyone was happy when Samsung decided to sell a factory unlocked Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge last year. First-adopters and enthusiasts wanted it and they got it. But nobody was happy when it was forgotten any time an update rolled around for carrier versions. If you were one of these enthusiasts and bought a Galaxy S7 edge, you need to start looking for your USB cable because Android 7.0 is available through Samsung’s Smart Switch desktop software.

The full change log courtesy of userFscC8dPJ4j at Samsung’s official forums:

• OS upgrade – Android 7.0 Nougat
• Provides new UX and various performance modes
• Improved usability of the Notification feature and Quick settings button
• Improved usability of the Multi window
• Improved setting menu and AOD feature, addition of the Samsung pass feature
• Efficient space for installation of downloaded apps, improved speed of system upgrade and app installation

According to information at Samsung’s forums, there is no OTA update just yet and no specific date when or if it will become available. The same goes for the “regular” non-edge U.S. unlocked Galaxy S7; no news when or how.

The update brings the April 1, 2017 security patch and is ready and waiting if you haven’t already flashed a T-Mobile ROM to your GS7 edge. If you give it a try or have already updated, holler in the comments so we all know how things are going!

Thanks to Tom for the tip!

Android Nougat

• Android 7.0 Nougat: Everything you need to know
• Will my phone get Android Nougat?
• Google Pixel + Pixel XL review
• All Android Nougat news
• How to manually update your Nexus or Pixel
• Join the Discussion

OnePlus’ next flagship killer might have a killer camera, leaks hint

OnePlus could trot out a dual-lens camera for its next phone in its quest to be the flagship killer.

OnePlus’s next smartphone, thought to be called the OnePlus 4 or OnePlus 5, will follow the OnePlus 3T, an upgrade to the earlier OnePlus 3. There has been suggestion it will offer a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, glass-made body, Snapdragon 830 or 835 processor, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, up to 128GB of storage, and maybe even a dual rear camera. In fact, a new leak shows us what we can expect from the camera.

True-Tech

The leak is thought to be the first camera samples coming from the phone. Website True-Tech said it received the camera samples from a source that offered accurate tips in the past, and the EXIF data of the images reveal they were captured on a OnePlus device. The geolocation data points to Shenzen, China, where the phone is likely being tested. As you can see, the photos show great detail as well as some blur.

• Dual lens cameras: The history running up to iPhone 7 Plus
• OnePlus 3 review: The flagship killer we’ve been waiting for

Are they proof that the phone features a dual-lens camera with optical zoom and bokeh effects, just like the iPhone 7 Plus features? It’s hard to say, as pictures can be faked. We do know OnePlus hasn’t been shy about pitching high-end phones with mid-point prices as “flagship killers”, so if it really wants to go after some of the flagships today, it will need to add a dual lens to the OnePlus 5 or whatever it’s called.

True-Tech

OnePlus revealed the OnePlus 2 in July 2015, the OnePlus 3 in June 2016, and the OnePlus 3T in November 2016. We don’t expect to see another device for a few months. The company may be planning a summer launch again. It’s anyone’s guess at the moment though.

F1 on the water: How Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR plan to win the America’s Cup

“It’s like Formula 1 on water,” Sir Ben Ainslie explains. Ainslie is talking about the America’s Cup, a sailing race started by the British in 1851, and remarkably never won by them since.

Pocket-lint has travelled to Bermuda, the location of the 35th America’s Cup, and base camp for the five competing teams hoping to beat the last winners and the dominant team in recent history, Oracle Team USA. The America’s Cup – named after the first winning boat rather than the county – has, ironically, been dominated by the USA throughout its history, something that Ainslie is looking to change.

The four-time Olympic Gold medal-winning sailor is used to racing solo, but in the America’s Cup, he isn’t doing this on his own. This time he has help.

Pocket-lint

That help comes in the guise a 107-man support team including 12 other sailors, an army of engineers, £90m from backers that include Sir Charles Dunstone (co-founder and former chairman of Carphone Warehouse amongst other techy accolades), and sponsors like Land Rover who bring all its technical engineering prowess to the party.

“It’s fascinating being on these boats, we’re really enjoying the technology that the boats are giving us,” Ainslie tell us. “Technology has revolutionised the sport,” continues the man who helped Oracle Team USA win in the previous race in 2013.

The boats themselves are a technological marvel, sitting at the pinnacle of boat racing. Called foiling catamarans, the craft’s twin carbon fibre hulls lift out of the water when moving to reduce drag and give you as much speed through the course as possible.

Just like in Formula 1, there are strict rules as to what teams can and can’t do, but they do have room to manoeuvre in certain areas like the sails and the design of the foils that remain in the water. Get those bits right and you win, get it wrong and you’ll be going home without making it through the qualifiers.

With such a strong focus on the design and engineering elements it is easy to see the comparison to Formula 1.

The Land Rover BAR boat has 190 sensors that collect data from 350 different data points that in turn relay over 16,000MB of data per sailing session back to base camp and the company’s HQ half way around the world away in Portsmouth.

Land Rover BAR

The information is captured, analysed returned back to the boat in real time for use by the team on a number of tablets and screens as they race. It means that at any given moment Giles Scott, the boat’s tactician, not only knows exactly where the boat is on the course, but how many seconds it will take him to get to the next buoy or the finish line.

Using machine learning algorithms, the sailors can use the data to help better understand the factors that create both optimal speed, and the “perfect” manoeuvre on the course, allowing Ainslie and his crew to gain vital seconds in the numerous races in the cup. When the races only last about 20 minutes, every second counts.

“The computer could fly the boat perfectly, but the rules won’t let us do that,” explains Nick Hutton, the team’s trimmer. The notion of flying a boat might seem strange until you see it in action.

Scott, who’s main control panel is a customised Sony Xperia tablet with dedicated software, has the same story to tell: “They could pretty much sail themselves. It’s getting very close to that, but I think that the rules will change to stop that happening.”

Land Rover BAR

Similar to running watches that provide you a ghost runner to race against, the software creates a “virtual race boat” that takes all the data available and suggests the top achievable speed or the best trim angle given the weather and water conditions at that moment. It is then the team’s job to determine whether that’s something they want or need to match.

“It [the data] is about helping me create shortcuts to a lot of time consuming data elements,” explains Scott. The value in all this technology, the gold-winning Olympic sailor tells us, is not about the data telling him things he doesn’t know, but helping him get the answer quicker.

Hutton and Scott’s comments are a recurring theme throughout the teammates we talk to. It’s clear that the technology is far more capable than the rules allow, but striking that balance between how much the boat can do, and how much the sailor should do, is important for the sport to stay not only relevant, but interesting.

Land Rover BAR

Hoping to give Ainslie the edge over the other teams is a newly designed steering wheel, which for the first time, will allow Ainslie to both steer and control the lift of the foils on the boat with ease. “The wheel is hopefully going to make my life easier,” explains Ainslie.

The wheel is designed by Land Rovers Human Factors design team specifically to Ainslie’s requirements and allows skipper and team principal Ainslie to “fly” by adjusting the boat’s hydrofoils with greater precision for the fastest possible racing. He can lift R1, Land Rover BAR’s 2.4-tonne race boat, out of the water with a flick of his fingertips.

Just as an aerofoil helps an aircraft into the sky, hydrofoils lift a boat out of the water. The Land Rover steering wheel turns the boat left and right as it would on a car, while the shift paddles control its height above the water by controlling the lift from the foils, with that height being monitored by more sensors. Land Rover’s Human Machine Interface engineers spent 18 months developing the wheel.

Land Rover BAR

The days of six crew in a boat with a couple of sails, has long passed. Today’s 50ft long boats fly through the air at speeds of up to 50 knots (approx. 57mph) and are aerodynamically tuned.  

“If you took the same level of change in F1 as we’ve seen in sailing, those same F1 cars would be breaking the sound barrier,” Dirk Kramers, Head of Engineering tells Pocket-lint.

But with better technology comes a better understanding of what is possible and the team’s strong acceptance of technology is no doubt down to Land Rover BAR’s CEO, former McLaren Racing boss, Martin Whitmarsh. It’s no wonder the comparisons with Formula 1 are clear to be seen everywhere.

Land Rover BAR

From the data mining, to the strong engineering design focus, to the speed. The only thing missing from the boatshed workshops are the pristine floors you see in F1 pit lanes.

“I couldn’t have imagined a boat like this 25 years ago. Really only in the last 5 years have we’ve seen the technology coming on in leaps and bounds,” adds Ainslie. “The speeds, the forces, the technology, you feel like a pilot or an F1 driver. If you make one mistake you’ll crash out.”

Bermuda is the home to the 35th America’s Cup, with the racing starting on 26 May and you can be sure that Ainslie and the team have their eyes firmly on the prize in one of sport’s oldest competitions.

Fitbit’s GPS smartwatch ‘Project Higgs’ fully revealed in photo leak

Fitbit is working on its first official GPS smartwatch – and it looks a lot like an existing Fitbit watch.

Fitbit, which dominates the activity tracker space and has been buying up smaller smartwatch firms in recent years, currently sells one connected fitness watch with a touchscreen display: the Fitbit Blaze. And new leaked photos of Fitbit’s GPS watch reveal that the upcoming device looks very similar to the Blaze. Yahoo Finance published the images, along with a leaked photo of a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

Yahoo Finance

The Blaze doesn’t have built-in GPS, nor a platform for apps, but Fitbit has said it plans to launch its own app store sometime in 2017. Also, in April, a report revealed that the company is indeed working on GPS smartwatch that uses apps, as well as a pair of Bluetooth headphones. Their release has been delayed, however, reportedly due to challenges related to the watch’s GPS antennae and waterproofing.

• Which Fitbit is right for me?
• Best fitness trackers 2017: The best activity bands to buy today

Fitbit hasn’t formally announced the smartwatch or headphones, but reports said the watch will feature GPS for tracking workouts, NFC for mobile payments (which will presumably hook into Fitbit’s purchase of Coin last year), a heart-rate monitor, and a four-day battery life. It should also work with music service Pandora; you’ll be able to store songs directly on it and listen to tunes without your phone.

Yahoo Finance

Fitbit is including swappable watch bands and its Bluetooth headphones with every purchase. And according to these new leaked photos, the watch will have a square face, physical buttons, and a flexible, elastomer wristband. The Verge said this will be the first Fitbit designed by Fitbit’s own in-house industrial design team, whereas the company had worked with an outside firm on its other fitness trackers.

We’ll keep you posted when we learn more about pricing and availability for the smartwatch, which has the codename Project Higgs.

Would you pay $1,600 to replace your sheet music with a tablet?

Last year, we told you about the Gvido, a lovely double-screened tablet designed to organize and display sheet music. Created by Japanese company Terrada Music, it allows musicians to turn pages with the tap of a finger. Now, it looks like the Gvido is finally getting ready to ship. It’ll be available on September 20th for a measly $1,600.

So, what are you getting for that $1,600? Two 13.3-inch E Ink displays, 8GB internal storage, a microSD card slot, PDF compatibility and a Wacom pen for annotations. If you’ll recall, Sony also has an E Ink device that’s expensive and serves a very specific purpose. The $1,100 Digital Paper is targeted at TV and movie studios’ HR departments and lets crew members easily read, fill out and submit paperwork. You know, without the hassle of using actual paper.

The Gvido is an interesting idea, and yes turning pages while playing is a hassle. But, that seems like an awful lot of money for a problem that can easily be solved with some Sortkwik and a little manual dexterity. If the tablet could actually listen to you while you play and turn the page for you automatically, that would be something!

Via: The Verge

Source: Gvido

Facebook tests in-app store loyalty programs

Facebook doesn’t just want you to tap on ads — it wants you to head to the store. TechCrunch has learned that the social network is testing a Facebook Rewards loyalty program that offers perks when you scan a personal QR code (tucked within the Facebook mobile app, naturally) at an eligible store. It’s just a “small test,” according to the company, and there’s no certainty that it’ll become widely available. However, there are more than a few incentives for Facebook to make Rewards widely available.

More than anything, this would encourage retailers to run ads. If you knew that an ad would eventually lead to a good discount or a free dessert, wouldn’t you be more likely to tap it? As with Swarm’s perks, stores might be happy to spend money if they know they’ll rake in more customers. Facebook might also get a wealth of data about both the effectiveness of its ads as well as shopping habits, since it would know right away whether or not you’d claimed an offer.

This isn’t Facebook’s first bid at in-store interaction. Facebook Offers launched back in 2012, and it too relies on code scanning (in this case, barcodes) to work. However, that code is attached the offer, not you. You’d never have to worry about forgetting an offer, and it would encourage repeat visits instead of one-off trips. That’s not good news for competing loyalty programs, but it would certainly be convenient for anyone who uses the Facebook on their phone… and that’s a lot of people.

Source: TechCrunch

LG’s latest 4K monitor puts four displays in one 42.5-inch panel

LG’s Apple-flagship 5K monitor may have stumbled on its release, but the company’s newest display looks like it’ll cover all the bases in terms of sheer flexibility and screen real estate. The LG 43UD79-B, as it’s cleverly called, is a 42.5-inch UHD panel with a 3840 × 2160 resolution, plus a nice range of gaming and productivity-focused features.

On it’s face, the 43UD79-B is an IPS panel with 1000:1 contrast ratio, wide 178-degree viewing angle and support for over 1.07 billion colors. Although its 60 Hz refresh rate won’t quite stack up against the latest gaming monitors, according to a press release from LG the 43UD79-B does boast a Game Mode, Black Stabilizer and Dynamic Action Sync mode. For gamers with Radeon GPUs, compatibility with AMD’s FreeSync dynamic refresh rate technology will also prevent screen tearing and visual stutters.

Around back, you’ll find two HDMI 2.0 inputs, two HDMI 1.4 inputs, one DisplayPort 1.2a port with FreeSync and a USC-C port that can also handle a DisplayPort signal. With all those ports, the monitor can act as a screen for up to four different devices simultaneously, using a variety of split-screen configurations and picture-in-picture support. Using the two standard USB 3.0 ports, the monitor can also control two computers from a single mouse and keyboard. Finally, with two built-in Harman Kardon speakers and an included remote control, the panel could easily double as a 42.5-inch 4K TV once all the spreadsheets are closed.

According to AnandTech, the 43UD79-B goes on sale in Japan on May 19th for about 83,000 Yen (or about $745 US), but pre-order pages have started showing up stateside for a hair under $700.

Twitter wants to be your home for watching live shows

Twitter’s livestreamed content has been mostly sports and politics over the last few years, with fans able to watch and tweet about the latest boxing match or presidential debate right on Twitter itself. The company is set to double down on the strategy with twelve new content deals for news, sports, and live entertainment. The deals were announced today at an event with CEO Jack Dorsey and a host of other Twitter executives who took the stage with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, various sports stars like NFL’s A.J. Green and even Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald.

Twitter is adding five new sports-centric streams, including a weekly WNBA stream, an added 3-hour weekly MLB analysis show, and a 24/7 fully programmed sports “channel” with “highlights, classic games and daily live studio programming” called STADIUM. We’ll get a show titled #Verified that will have athletes responding to fan questions and engaging in sports conversations as well as more than 70 hours of golf from the PGA Tour, which will feature streaming 360 video of the competition.

News will be covered on five new shows, including Bloomberg’s new 24/7 news network that will debut this fall. The Verge gets its own weekly bit, hosted by Nilay Patel, called Circuit Breaker: The Verge’s Gadget Show, which will focus on, well, gadgets. BuzzFeed offers MonringFeed, which sounds like a Today show for “an audience that wakes up hungry for the latest in ‘fire Tweets.” Cheddar brings an hour-long stream called Opening Bell to focus on the New York Stock Exchange. This last starts today and complements Cheddar’s existent Closing Bell show, which airs every day at 3PM Eastern.

If entertainment is more your thing, Twitter has three new deals to bring music, fashion and pop culture to your feed. Live Nation concerts start streaming on Saturday May 13th with the Zac Brown Band’s kickoff of its Welcome Home tour. IMG Fashion gets a regular show, too, with “exclusive runway shows and behind-the-scenes Fashion Week content,” while #WhatsHappening will stream live during primetime each day to cover pop culture, music, television and — of course — celebrity Tweets.

Google Maps, Amazon, and eBay Drop Apple Watch Support

Over the course of the last few months, several major companies have quietly removed support for the Apple Watch from their apps. As first noted by AppleInsider, Google Maps, Amazon, and eBay have pulled their Apple Watch apps from the App Store.

Google Maps, Amazon, and eBay were all early supporters of the Apple Watch, releasing apps within a few months of the device’s April 2015 debut.

Checking today, none of the three companies offer Apple Watch apps, having quietly removed Apple Watch functionality through App Store updates. It’s not entirely clear when each app was updated to remove Apple Watch support, with the feature elimination appearing to have largely gone under the radar.

That three major apps were able to remove Apple Watch support without much fanfare seems to explain the reasoning behind the decision to cease offering an Apple Watch app, as it suggests there weren’t many people using the apps in question. Whether the removal of the apps is permanent is unknown.

Google Maps was perhaps the only app that was useful on the wrist, with quick directions to places like home and work. Amazon’s Apple Watch app simply allowed for voice-based searches and one-tap purchases, something that’s easier to do on a phone or computer, while eBay’s offered notifications for auctions being tracked on the site, which also required the concurrent use of an iPhone or Mac to track content in the first place.

Target has also recently removed Apple Watch support from its Target app, but Apple Watch functionality remains available via the separate Cartwheel by Target app.

With the Apple Watch having celebrated its second birthday on April 24, the kinds of apps that work on the wrist-worn device are becoming more clear, allowing companies to stop using resources on content that’s not suitable for a wearable device.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

Alxum 96W 10-Port Charge Station (review)

More devices in homes means more batteries that need charging. More charging means more power ports being taken up which can make it difficult for smartphone and tablet users to find a reliable spot to power up when needed. Thankfully manufacturers now offer solutions to charge multiple devices at a time while only using one power plug off the wall. Alxum has jumped into the fray to offer a 96W power “station” to charge up to ten devices at a time with a UL certified 10 port charger.

Unpacking Versatility

Upon opening the package for the Alxum charging station you’ll find the base charging unit, a 12V/8000mA power brick, 11 plastic dividers, 22 divider labels and a welcome packet as well as a mini user guide. All components feel well designed and manufactured to an acceptable level. I was initially surprised at how light the main charging base was, but discovered no issues with the base slipping or shifting around once it was plugged in and on my desk. The divider fins, while fairly thin, feel strong enough to hold even a large sized tablet with no issues. I chose not to use the divider labels, as it’s very easy to see each device independently as it sits and charges in between the divider fins. Overall, Alxum did a fine job of packaging together a capable and easy to use charging unit.

Impressive Impression

Upon first glance at the Alxum 96W Power Station you may think the device is some other type of component–yet overall the look is formal and fitting enough to blend into a desk, office shelf or entertainment stand. Seeing all 10 ports available and ready for action is a little overwhelming at first, but I was glad to see Alxum kept them all in front, where they’re most accessible. The protruding fins on top can be adjusted to fit a multitude of devices and offer a unique look depending on what’s being charged. Likewise, Alxum has decided to create a slotted radiator design atop the device in order to help dissipate heat, and while I applaud the choice, it’s not necessarily sleek nor modern looking. Unfortunately, this specific charger is only available in white as of now but I would have loved to see a second or third color option available such as black or silver.

Make sure you keep Q-tips handy, as those slots on top may collect dust over time

Bells and Whistles

The Alxum 96W 10 port charging station features full 2.1 amp charging in all 10 ports, at the same time. This is quite impressive for such a small charging slate. I would have loved to see some type of cable management built in but don’t fault Alxum for not integrating one here. The only indicator light on the entire charging base is a power light on the front right of the unit. Individual charging lights for each port may have been beneficial here but could have added to the overall cost of the charger.

Practical Applications

I found that charging multiple devices at the same time caused no issues–not even the slightest heat concern. While users will most likely not be charging more than two or three devices at any time, it’s great to have the option. I found myself searching around the house looking for electronics to charge, just so I could use this charging base. This flexibility was wonderful and I’d imagine that if I was in a small office or business that dealt with a variety of rechargeable electronics, this unit would come in very handy.

Effective Power

Alxum delivers a solid and adaptable, smart charging station at a reasonable price with enough ports to recharge an entire family of devices quickly and safely. It’s evident that Alxum considered many factors when designing this charging station to be a space saver and overall powerhouse. While it’s easy to find charging solutions in almost any store today, few will offer this much versatility and power, perfect for a family or small business.

I was able to charge a Galaxy Tab S, an iPad, a Switch, a Sony Ultra, a battery pack, a few iPhones and an S7 edge… all at the same time!

Alxum is not a household name–at least not as of yet, but I was severely impressed with the capability and build quality of this charging station. With the number of rechargeable devices ever-increasing in households across the world, it makes sense to have a single station to charge all devices. I found that the Alxum 96W power station worked great for charging devices that I didn’t use every day, however it was difficult to use as a charger for my daily driver as I never really wanted to set my phone into the slot and just leave it.

With all things considered, Alxum has delivered a wonderful piece of hardware that has a unique case for use that could benefit families, businesses and multi-user offices. I can recommend this as a perfect solution for anyone that wishes to charge one to ten devices at any given time.  This charger perfectly accomplishes what it has set out to do by offering a quick and safe way to charge a multitude of devices.