Xiaomi’s cross-licensing deal with Nokia sees both brands collaborating on VR and AI

Xiaomi enters into a landmark cross-licensing deal with Nokia.

Xiaomi signed a broad cross-licensing deal with Microsoft last year, and the Chinese manufacturer is now inking a similar agreement with Nokia. The deal will see both companies cross-licensing each other’s cellular standard essential patents, with Xiaomi also picking up an unspecified number of patents from Nokia.

The deal will benefit Xiaomi’s burgeoning Mi Ecosystem platform, which has clocked sales in excess of 60 million devices and has 8 million daily active devices. Alongside the IoT segment, both brands have signified an interest in exploring augmented and virtual reality as well as artificial intelligence.

Xiaomi will also become a customer of Nokia’s network equipment:

Under the business cooperation agreement, Nokia will provide network infrastructure equipment designed to deliver the high capacity, low power requirements expected by large web providers and datacenter operators. Nokia and Xiaomi will work together on optical transport solutions for datacenter interconnect, IP Routing based on Nokia’s newly announced FP4 network processor, and a data center fabric solution.

Xiaomi CEO and chairman Lei Jun said that the collaboration will lead to “even more remarkable” products from the manufacturer:

As a company seeking to deliver more exciting technological innovations to the world, we are excited at the opportunity to work more closely with Nokia in future. Xiaomi is committed to building sustainable, long-term partnerships with global technology leaders.

Our collaboration with Nokia will enable us to tap on its leadership in building large, high performance networks and formidable strength in software and services, as we seek to create even more remarkable products and services that deliver the best user experience to our Mi fans worldwide.

The deal could also pave the way for HMD Global — the exclusive licensee to Nokia’s brand name — to leverage Xiaomi’s in-house Surge SoC in its upcoming devices. There’s no official confirmation of the same, but the deal will undoubtedly aid Xiaomi’s global expansion.

How to take, edit and share a screenshot on the OnePlus 5

Save and share with just a couple of steps.

Every company does its screenshot interface a little different, and this is one area where OnePlus deviates from the stock Android experience. Instead of simply giving you a screenshot that you can share, it now includes options to do a scrolling screenshot, edit your screenshot before sharing and more.

Here are all the tricks you need to know to take, edit and share screenshots on your OnePlus 5.

How to take a screenshot on the OnePlus 5

To take a screenshot, press and hold the volume down and power buttons at the same time.

• Alternatively, you can turn on “three-finger screenshot” in the Gestures settings of your phone.

When the screenshot is captured, you’ll see a toolbar at the bottom of the screen with additional options.
To instantly share the full screenshot, press the leftmost button that looks like three dots connected by two lines. Choose the app you want to share to, and it will be shared as an attachment.
To edit (crop, filter, draw) before sharing, tap the next button to the right that looks like a pencil.

• Make your crops or other edits, then tap save in the top-right corner of the screen.

How to take a scrolling screenshot on the OnePlus 5

The OnePlus 5 also offers a “scrolling” style screenshot that can capture one long, continuous screenshot that shows more content than can fit on the screen at one time. Here’s how to capture one.

To take a scrolling screenshot, press and hold the volume down and power buttons at the same time.

• You’ll then see a toolbar at the bottom of the screen with additional options.

Tap the rectangular button right of center that looks like a phone screen.

• This will only work if the app you’re screenshotting is capable of scrolling vertically.

Let the screen scroll vertically until it has captured as much as you want, then tap the screen to stop it.

• If you don’t stop it manually, the screenshot will eventually stop if it hits the “bottom” of the scrolling or hits a size limit.

Once captured, you can use the buttons at the bottom of the screen to share or edit the screenshot the same way as any other screenshot.

No matter how you do it or where you share it, screenshots are a super useful tool!

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You can now pick up the Orchid Grey Galaxy S8 and S8+ in India

You can now pick up the S8 or S8+ in Orchid Grey at the same price as the standard variant.

Samsung has launched the Orchid Grey color option of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ in India. The price is unchanged from the standard variant — you’ll have to shell out ₹57,900 for the S8, and ₹64,900 to get your hands on an Orchid Grey S8+.

Here’s a look at all the options available if you’re looking to pick up the S8 or S8+ in India:

• Galaxy S8 – Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Grey – ₹57,900
• Galaxy S8+ – Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Coral Blue, Orchid Grey – ₹64,900
• Galaxy S8+ (6GB RAM/128GB storage) – Midnight Black – ₹74,900

From Asim Warsi, senior vice president of Samsung India’s mobile unit:

To further fuel the unprecedented response to Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Samsung is pleased to introduce the all new Orchid Gray colour. Through this, our consumers would make a style statement that would set them above and apart from everyone else.

If you’re interested, you can pre-order the Orchid Grey S8 or S8+ direct from Samsung’s store. Those ordering either device will receive a wireless charger worth ₹4,499 as well as a ₹3,000 cashback from HDFC.

See at Samsung

Prime members can grab a certified refurbished Echo Dot for just $30

Team Thrifter is back again, this time bringing you the most affordable way to buy an Echo Dot.

If you’ve been eyeing the Echo Dot and haven’t taken the plunge already, today’s the day. Leading up to Prime Day, Amazon has dropped the price on a certified refurbished Echo Dot down to just $29.99 for today only, which is the lowest we’ve ever seen. What makes the timing of this deal even more important is that Amazon plans to offer voice exclusive discounts on Prime Day, meaning you’ll need an Alexa-enabled product to take advantage of them.

Amazon states the certified refurbished Echo Dots have been tested and will look and work like new. You can pick one up in your choice of black or white, and at this price, you won’t want to miss out. If you aren’t already a member of Amazon’s Prime service, now is also a great time to sign up for the free 30-day trial. This will not only allow you to grab a discounted Echo Dot today, but also take part in all the Prime Day fun that is right around the corner.

See at Amazon

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

How to keep your Android contacts current and duplicate-free

Any time is the perfect time to do a little phone book shuffling.

Although smartphones have progressed exponentially through the last decade, I’m still finding myself bumping up against remnants of the past.

Take my contacts list, for instance, or my “electronic Rolodex,” if you will. I’ve had these contacts since I held my first smartphone in 2010. But there were some strange happenings back then, including friends who were still tending separate numbers because of their former T-Mobile Sidekicks, and weirdly those memories linger on thanks to a snafu in my phone book.

I was reminded of Andy Rubin’s first major claim to fame.

I was reminded of Andy Rubin’s first major claim to fame just the other day, as I texted a multi-paragraph diatribe to my friend who I figured was avoiding me for whatever reason (it was probably my fault). It turns out that I’d simply been sending messages to the wrong number for the last three months! Somehow, I resurrected my friend’s phone number for his Sidekick from back in the day, and it turns out that I never deleted it from my Google account.

I eventually remedied the situation, but it got me thinking about contacts maintenance, and how summer is the right time to take some time to eliminate those extra numbers taking up space and maybe merging any duplicates you’ve collected over the past few months. After all, your digital phonebook can very easily become jumbled in the process, especially if you’re always switching phones.

It’s also surprisingly difficult to find a decent contacts manager in the Google Play store — at least at first search. Simpler Merge Duplicates and Merge+ seem to be the more popular titles available, but I didn’t like that the former requires you to log in with an external account. There are also apps like Contacts+ and Sync.Me, both of which offer caller ID and dialer functionality as well as a bevy of other features. However, I like to use something that’s a little less intrusive.

Contacts Optimizer is one of the best contacts management app I’ve used thus far, though there are plenty more to choose from.

I’ve always been partial to Contacts Optimizer because it works locally to find duplicates. It’s also very thorough at detecting blank entries, fixing country codes, and digitizing vanity numbers, not to mention it can locate contacts that you can’t even call because the number is altogether incorrect. There’s an easy-to-use wizard you can toggle on to fill in empty contacts, and you can check on which of your apps have inherited weird metadata as a result of jumping around platforms. There’s also a data backup ability, and MOBILedit offers a PC-compatible suite if you’re aching to take your contacts management to the extreme.

Of course, you don’t have to use a fancy third-party contacts app if you don’t want to. Instead, you can manage your contacts manually from the Google Contacts web app, which gives you access to all those years of data you didn’t even know you had. Google Contacts also has a duplicates locator, or you can use it to import and export your entire address book. Don’t expect turnkey automation here, though; if you want that, you’ll have to try one of the apps I mentioned above.

How do you manage?

With the massive number of contact apps available in the Play Store, and duplicates plaguing so many smartphones, we’re curious to hear what your phone book maintenance methodologies are. Do you practice a ritualistic cleanse session each season? Or have you simply given up keeping tabs on whether your cloud data is doing what it’s supposed to do?

Leave us a comment, especially if there’s a contacts management app you particularly like.

All Volvo cars will be electric or hybrid within two years

Volvo is best known for building cars that are safe and beloved by flower children, but it now has a new distinction. Every car it unveils by 2019 will have an electric motor, either as an all-electric EV, plug-in hybrid or hybrid, making it the first major automaker to stop selling cars with only gas or diesel engines. “This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car,” said Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson in a statement.

Just last week, Volvo rededicated its Polestar performance division to electric cars, but the news that all of its vehicles will be electrified in some way comes out of the blue. Volvo has been behind the curve in that area — so far, the it built a handful of hybrid cars, and not a single full-on EV. In 2015, it announced that its first series 40 electric cars would arrive in 2019.

The company is planning to launch five EVs between 2019 and 2021 — two will be rubber-burning Polestars, but three will be more sedate Volvo models. Those will be supplemented by gasoline and diesel plug-in hybrids that can run you to work or get groceries without using the gas engine. It’ll also unveil new “mild-hybrid” cars that run mostly on gas or diesel, using the electric motor to save energy via regenerative breaking and coasting.

Volvo isn’t the only European-based company that’s making a large bet on EVs. At last year’s Paris Auto Show, Volkswagen launched its I.D. electric car concept and said it plans to sell three million EVs by 2025. Mercedes also launched the EQ brand, promising to unveil its first crossover EV by 2019. However, both of those (much larger) companies will probably still sell be selling ICE-powered cars ten years from now and beyond.

Volvo had some tough times after Ford sold it to China’s Geely Holding in 2010. However, it reported an $880 million net profit in 2016, selling some 534,000 vehicles last year. The automaker is building its first manufacturing plant the US, employing 2,000 workers, and will start shipping cars from it by 2018.

Volvo said the news is part of its pact to minimize environmental impact and have climate-neutral manufacturing by the year 2025. “Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of one million electrified cars by 2025,” said Samuelsson. “When we said it, we meant it.”

Source: Volvo

Amazon’s Echo lets you sign up for Prime just by asking

As Amazon gears up for next week’s annual Prime Day sale, the online shopping behemoth has also opted to lower the barrier of entry for Prime subscriptions. With Prime members previously having to sign up for the service online, Amazon Echo owners can now opt in for a Prime Membership simply by saying “Alexa, sign me up for Prime”. Doing so will not only save users time but also money, netting Echo owners a year’s membership for $79 – $20 less than the usual price.

For those who already have Prime, Amazon is also offering a couple of incentives to invest in an Echo. People who use Alexa will get access to Prime Day deals two hours earlier than regular users and receive a range of Echo-exclusive offers. With the cost of an Echo likely outweighing the slight savings you’d make on Prime Day deals anyway, these features will probably only sway those who were already interested in buying one.

While voice-activated shopping isn’t exactly anything new, Amazon’s decision to let you sign up for an annual contract without having to read the terms (or even see the price) is definitely a first. By removing all the usual steps that come with registering for such a service, the company is clearly hoping that it’ll entice a few more impulse Prime signups.

Source: Business Wire

First Person Shooter ‘Shadow Warrior Classic’ is a Free Download for Mac

Classic first person shooter Shadow Warrior is available as a free download for Mac over on GOG and Steam this morning. The 1997 PC game garnered fans for its wacky humor, multi-function weaponry, and destructible environment, being based on the Build platform that powered Duke Nukem 3D.

Shadow Warrior was an ambitious game for its time, containing many features not seen until later first-person shooter games, such as drivable vehicles, climbable ladders, and multiple firing modes for various weapons. The game was rebuilt in 2014 with OS X support and published by 3D Realms.

The full game (including two expansion packs) is being offered on Steam as a free download, but picking it up from GOG also gets gamers the original soundtrack in MP3 and FLAC format as an additional freebie. The remastered “Redux” version of the game is also available on Steam for $0.99 as part of a 2017 Summer Sale.

Shadow Warrior Classic has the following minimum requirements: OS X 10.6.8 or later, an Intel Core Duo 2GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 64MB of video memory, and 1GB of hard disk space.

(Via MacObserver.)

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In-Cabin Laptop Ban Lifted on U.S.-Bound Flights From Dubai and Istanbul

The U.S. government has lifted the in-cabin ban on laptops and other large electronic devices on inbound flights from Dubai and Istanbul, according to Emirates and Turkish Airlines.

An Emirates spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday that the ban was lifted for flights out of Dubai after the airline adopted new security measures announced last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Turkish Airlines tweeted on Tuesday that the ban had been lifted, while CEO Bilal Eksi informed Reuters that he also expected restrictions to be lifted for U.K.-bound flights.

The original ban came into effect in March on flights originating at 10 airports in eight countries, including Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey. The ban was imposed after “evaluated intelligence” suggested a bomb threat that involved smaller bombs being concealed in electronic devices taken aboard aircraft.

The new enhanced security measures were announced on June 29 and require additional time to screen passengers. The new protocol takes effect within three weeks of the announcement and will affect around 325,000 daily passengers travelling on 180 airlines from 280 airports around the world, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Saudi Arabia Airlines (Saudia) expects the ban to lifted on flights from Jeddah and Riyadh by July 19, state news agency SPA reported on Tuesday.
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Three’s ‘Go Binge’ plans offer ‘free’ data for Netflix streaming

To better compete with EE, Vodafone and O2, Three is introducing a zero-rating scheme in the UK. The network operator has teamed up with Netflix, TVPlayer, Deezer and SoundCloud to offer inclusive streaming with select mobile contracts. So when you watch or listen to these services on the go, they won’t count towards your monthly data cap. The move, while contentious for net neutrality advocates, will no doubt be welcomed by customers. There is, however, a pretty big catch: to take advantage of the new perk, you’ll need to upgrade to a “Go Binge” plan, which Three admits will be slightly more expensive than your current, equivalent contract.