Samsung looks to make good on Note 7 recycling promises

Samsung is making good on its promise to recycle some of the Galaxy Note 7’s unused and valuable metals.

Samsung said it would do everything it could to minimize the effect of its massive Galaxy Note 7 recall, and in two stages it is doing just that.

The first is by releasing a so-called Galaxy Note Fan Edition, which reworks the Note 7 into a limited-release handset with a smaller 3300mAh battery running Nougat.

The second, and perhaps most admirable, is the effort the company is taking to recycle 157 tons of rare metals such as gold, silver, copper, and cobalt. It is also going to reuse camera modules and displays, along with some internal system chips.

Much of the Note 7 clean-up effort has happened quietly, behind the scenes, as the company has focused on implementing its new eight-point battery test suite and marketing the Galaxy S8, which has gone on to sell better than its predecessor.

With the Galaxy Note 8 on the horizon, and plenty of speculation about the safety measures the company has put in place to prevent another battery recall, it’s good to see Samsung still working on minimizing the environmental impact of what turned out to be its biggest crisis in its history.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

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Nexus in 2017: How Google could revamp the brand for a new purpose

Strap in: It’s time for some wild speculation.

It’s been almost a year since we first learned that Google’s Nexus brand would be going away, replaced at the high end by Pixel, as the company ramped up its new hardware division.

But rumors continue to swirl around Google’s future plans for Project Fi and Android One. The former needs something to replace the aging Nexus 5X and 6P, and I’m not convinced a single Motorola phone is going to do the job. Meanwhile, the latter is reportedly due for a U.S. launch later this summer, as we approach Android O’s launch season.

Developments around Fi and Android One hint at the potential for Google-branded (or at least Google-adjacent) hardware outside of the Pixel line. So how might that play out? Could Nexus make a triumphant return, albeit in a slightly different form?

Google hasn’t completely ruled out a return for the Nexus brand, although the most recent information we have tells us that as of late 2016 there were no plans for any future Nexuses. However, plans can change. (The original Nexus 7 tablet was famously rushed to market in just 6 months, based on an existing ASUS design.) So for the sake of argument, let’s take a look at how Google might bring Nexus back in 2017, and how a brand name with significant recognition among enthusiasts might be adapted for a new line of affordable handsets.

Following a report by The Information in January of this year, we broke down how bringing Android One to the U.S. would require a unique approach, with carrier cooperation, and higher price points — perhaps between $250 and $450 — compared to the ultra-affordable One-branded handsets seen in emerging markets.

The unavoidable conclusion was that these phones would wind up being Nexuses in all but name, benefitting from greater carrier support and a Google-funded marketing push, but otherwise not dissimilar to popular phones like the Nexus 5 and its imperfect successor, the 5X. The three pillars: Good, cheap hardware. Clean, vanilla Android software. Fast updates.

And there’s never been a better time to make this kind of phone, with the arrival of capable new mid-tier chips from Qualcomm, like the Snapdragon 630 and 660.

Pixel needn’t prevent Google from partnering with manufacturers on other handsets.

On the hardware and branding side, co-branding opportunities could lure in names like Huawei and LG. (Huawei famously bailed on the Pixel project when it discovered there’d be no co-branding deal.) At the same time, Google could give manufacturers a freer hand in how the phones look and feel, as it did with many older Nexus devices, and as it has done with Android One phones in other markets.

Just as the “Chromebook” brand is worn by all manner of laptops, Google could push “Nexus” as its stamp of approval for mid-range hardware with U.S. carrier support and clean, bloat-free software straight from Mountain View. In branding terms, we were halfway there with the Galaxy Nexus in 2011. How about a Huawei Nova Nexus? Or Sony Xperia Nexus?

Sure, Google could use any name for this new line of mid-tier phones. But the Nexus brand still has cachet and is understood to stand for something distinct from Pixel. Pixel is for the super premium high-end — an iPhone competitor with an advantage in terms of Google services (for example, Assistant and free full-res photo backup), as well as some of the very best camera tech and leading internal hardware.

Nexus was always more of a lean and mean, barebones experience, even when it was masquerading as a consumer product line. And as such, it could easily be repurposed for a diverse new series of phones that would live below the very highest of the high end.

Not every developer wants to pay Pixel prices for the latest Android.

Nexus has also served an important role among developers. Handsets like the Nexus 5 and 5X served as great, low-cost developer phones running the latest version of Android the way Google intended. Pixel is some, but not all of those things. A revamped Nexus line with prices up to around $400 could serve a dual purpose. As well as direct sales to consumers through carriers, this type of phone would appeal to enthusiasts, tinkerers, and professional developers who want a good, cheap base to develop Android apps.

The meaning of “Nexus” has been in constant flux ever since the days of the Nexus One: part direct-to-consumer play, part carrier bet, part reference device, part nerd toy. Most of what I’m presenting here is just (somewhat informed) speculation, but if we are to see an eventual revival of the Nexus brand, this would certainly be an interesting way to go about it.

Google has learned some hard lessons around selling phones over the years. The Google Play editions program went nowhere. Android Silver — a planned line of higher-end stock Android phones from various phone makers — died on the vine due to lack of interest from OEMs and operators.

But the Google of 2017 is far better at navigating the minefield that is the U.S. carrier landscape, as well as dealing with manufacturer partners. And if it wants to, I think it could make a success of a revamped Nexus line in the coming years.

LastPass launching revamped family service with intuitive group features

Keep everything locked tight from the public but freely shareable in your family.

LastPass is set to seriously improve its “family” tier of service, adding tons of intuitive features that make it easy to manage family-focused data between multiple users. The new LastPass Families, which is coming later this summer, is a big improvement over its current “family” plan which is simply a cheap way to get multiple individual subscriptions for people in the same household and offering one shared family folder.

The new LastPass Families focuses on actually offering family-oriented features, and they all sound great. You get unlimited sharing within your family group with as many folders as you want, and each folder will have its own permissions for different members of the family. So you can share your Netflix login with your kids, but only share banking information with your spouse, for example.

This is all about the permission model.

The designation of information expands to the LastPass “backup plan,” where you can put critical information and designate which members can have access to it in an emergency. This keeps your data safe under normal circumstances, but gives you the ability to release it to your family members when necessary. The family manager will handle payment and be able to add or remove family members seamlessly.

When LastPass Families launches later this year, it will be available for a flat subscription fee for up to six family members. If you’re excited to try it as early as possible, LastPass has a sign-up page where you can get in line for early access.

More: Best password managers for Android

Mint SIM Deals & Promo Codes

Looking to save even more money on Mint SIM? Here are the current deals and promo codes to help!

There are quite a few options when it comes to carriers for your smartphone, and odds are you’re shopping around for the best deal. Postpaid plans are a good option for some, but prepaid plans get you the lowest price, as long as you’re willing to put your money down first.

Mint SIM is an alternative carrier that uses T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network to bring you great coverage at an even more affordable price. In the past, going prepaid with an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) often meant that you sacrificed a lot when it came to your plan, but that isn’t the case anymore. With Mint SIM you can pick data allotments of 2GB, 5GB, or even 10GB, depending on your usage habits, and all of the plans come with unlimited talk and text as well.

Using coupon code ACMINTSIM20 at checkout, you can save 20% off the already low prices the company offers!

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Mint SIM Coupon Codes

If you are looking to save on a longer-term plan, coupon codes are the way to go. Right now, you can save an additional 20% on the already-low pricing of the 6- and 12-month plans when you use our exclusive coupon code.

Click this link and use coupon code ACMINTSIM20 to save 20% on any MintSIM plan right now!

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Current Mint SIM offers

Normally, you pay for the next month of service when you sign up with an MVNO, but MintSIM does things a little differently to keep costs low. You can pay for a single month, or you can pay for three, six or 12 months to score some pretty crazy deals.

Right now, you can grab 3 months of service on the 2GB plan for just $35 total, the 5GB plan for $50, or jump up to the 10GB plan for $60. With other carriers, you’ll easily pay more than this for just a single month of service.

See at Mint SIM

Snapchat now lets you record 60-second Snaps … sort of

Nothing in Snapchat can ever just work as you expect.

Snapchat is known for arbitrary limitations throughout its interface, but in general that’s part of the fun. But one barrier is being lifted today with the announcement that you can now record 60-second long videos … well, sort of. Rather than limiting you to just 10 seconds of recording at a time, if you continue to hold the capture button you’ll now record six 10-second clips in a row continuously.

As you continue to hold for longer captures, the 10-second clips will line up in chronological order on the screen, giving you what is effectively a continuous 60-second clip but with the ability to selectively delete 10-second chunks. The clips you save will always be sent chronologically, but this at least gives you freedom to capture a longer video and select the portion you actually want, rather than being locked into timing it just right for a single 10-second video.

Of course the best way to handle the frustration of not being able to record longer would be to simply let people trim their video clips to any length … but then again this is Snapchat we’re talking about here. Today’s change to Multi-Snap recording is at least a step in the right direction. The latest update will be available on Android soon, though it’s launching for iOS users today.

Best Android Phone Under $700

• Best overall
• Best for updates
• Best for single hands
• Best for less

Best overall

HTC U11

See at Amazon
See at HTC
See at Sprint

This may come as a shock to you, but HTC is back, baby! In fact, the company never left, but its criminally underappreciated 2016 flagship, the HTC 10, has been replaced by a phone so good and so striking that it would be impossible not to consider it in 2017. That phone is the HTC U11.

It may lack the Stretch Armstrong screen dimensions of the Galaxy S8 and LG G6, but it makes up for it in admirable practicality. The phone is fast — like, crazy fast — and the rear camera is probably the best you’ll find on the market today. And despite the fingerprint magnetic glass back, when it’s clean it’s stunning, like a work of art.

Bottom line: The HTC U11 is an amazing phone that you should absolutely consider if you’re in the market for an under-$700 device.

One more thing: The phone is only available to purchase at Sprint in the U.S., so consider financing it from HTC directly if you want to use it elsewhere.

Why the HTC U11 is best

It all comes down to smoothness.

The HTC U11 isn’t necessarily the best phone out there right now — we still think the Galaxy S8 offers a bit more for the average user, especially if purchasing through a carrier — but it’s close. This phone is beautiful, and stupendously made, from the layered glass that refracts light in the most awe-inspiring ways to the incredibly consistent performance powered by a Snapdragon 835 and 4GB of RAM.

There’s also the excellent UltraPixel camera that, for once, lives up to expectations. Not only does DxOMark consider it the best camera out there, but we love it, too.

On top of that, the software is wonderfully minimal and gets out of your way if you want it to, while offering unique solutions to assistant problems like partnering with Amazon to integrate Alexa into U.S. units.

It’s a shame that HTC lacks the clout in the U.S. to partner with more than one — and especially this one — carrier, but them’s the breaks, I guess. At the very least, you can say that HTC makes it easy (and occasionally affordable) to buy the phone unlocked from its website.

Best for updates

Google Pixel

See at Verizon
See at Google Store

I have good news for those of you ruing the day that the first phablet was ever announced. Google’s Pixel smartphone is a mere 5 inches, so those of you with smaller hands and diminutive pockets can rest easy knowing that there is flagship-level, feature-packed Android phone out there that doesn’t take up so much room.

The Pixel is impressive on the inside, too. It’s got a Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB of RAM. You can purchase it with up to 128GB of storage, though if you decide to stick to the alternative 32GB option, Google will still offer unlimited photo uploads for your pictures. The Pixel also boasts impressive camera performance that nearly bests the Samsung Galaxy S8’s.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for the smartphone that best represents Google’s Android, go Pixel.

One more thing: You can purchase device protection insurance for your Pixel. It covers accidental damage from a drop or water ingress, as well as any general malfunctions for two years.

Best for single hands

LG G6

See at AT&T
See at Sprint
See at T-mobile
See at Verizon

The LG G6 is a great alternative for a sub-$700 smartphone, particularly if you aren’t too interested in buying one of last year’s Samsung devices as this year’s daily driver.

Sure, LG was known to be chasing gimmicks with its flagship releases the last few years, but it’s since changed its tune with the G6. This hand-friendly smartphone features an attractive design, great build quality, and a stunning, nearly bezel-less 5.7-inch display. It also features Qi wireless charging, water resistance, a rear-facing fingerprint sensor that doubles as a power button, and a bevy of fun, wide-angle camera features.

If you’re the kind of person who loves to go crazy with camera effects in your daily Instagram posts, then the G6 is a worthy buy. You can grab it unlocked in a variety of colors, including black, white, and platinum.

Bottom line: LG is back to making really solid smartphones and the G6 is a worthy buy if camera hardware is especially important to you.

One more thing: The LG G6 is only available in 32GB in the U.S. and Europe, so be sure to grab an additional microSD card for a bit of extra storage for your photos and such.

Best for less

OnePlus 5

See at OnePlus

If you’re looking for an amazing phone that goes for well below $700, you’ll be happy with the OnePlus 5. Starting at $479, it’s the least expensive pick in this list, but you can always spend an extra $60 to upgrade to the Midnight Black model with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

For your money, you get a nicely-designed, if perfunctory, Android phone, with a decent 1080p screen and a super-fast fingerprint sensor. Decent battery, too. But you also get a really interesting dual camera setup akin to the iPhone 7 Plus and one of the best versions of Android out right now in OxygenOS. Plus, the 8GB of RAM gives you plenty of headroom to multitask to your heart’s content.

Bottom line: The mid-range classic goes premium with a higher price tag and plenty of power. The OnePlus 5 is a great device.

One more thing: It’s not sold at carriers in the U.S., but the OnePlus 5 is optimized to work on T-Mobile’s and AT&T’s networks.

Conclusion

The Google Pixel is still a great buy, but it’s getting up there in age, and there’s a good argument to be made that the HTC U11 embodies the best of the Pixel with updated tech, a better camera, and a much nicer design.

Best overall

HTC U11

See at Amazon
See at HTC
See at Sprint

This may come as a shock to you, but HTC is back, baby! In fact, the company never left, but its criminally underappreciated 2016 flagship, the HTC 10, has been replaced by a phone so good and so striking that it would be impossible not to consider it in 2017.

It may lack the Stretch Armstrong screen dimensions of the Galaxy S8 and LG G6, but it makes up for it in admirable practicality. The phone is fast — like, crazy fast — and the rear camera is probably the best you’ll find on the market today. And despite the fingerprint magnetic glass back, when it’s clean it’s stunning, like a work of art.

Bottom line: The HTC U11 is an amazing phone that you should absolutely consider if you’re in the market for an under-$700 device.

One more thing: The phone is only available at Sprint in the U.S., so consider financing it from HTC directly if you want to use it elsewhere.

Updated July 2017: The HTC U11 claims the top spot in our updated list, with the Google Pixel moving down to second and the Moto Z and Galaxy S7 being knocked off in favor of the OnePlus 5.

OnePlus is looking into potential OnePlus 5 ‘911 reboot’ issue

The OnePlus 5 may have a pretty dangerous ‘911’ bug.

Over the last few days, a small but growing number of OnePlus 5 users have claimed that upon dialing ‘911’ or ‘999’ — numbers designated for emergency services in the U.S. and UK, respectively — their phones have rebooted prior to the call going through.

On Reddit, many people have speculated that it is a problem with the phone’s ability to find a reliable GPS signal, which is a necessary part of getting a phone certified for making emergency calls.

Comment from discussion [PSA] Dialling 911 may reboot your OnePlus 5 (x-post from /r/OnePlus).

Based on the information provided, Canadian OnePlus 5 users don’t seem to be affected — attempts to dial 911 go through every time. At the same time, not every American user has reported failure, either: some calls appear to go through the first time, while others take a few tries and eventually connect to the operator.

Of course, we don’t recommend testing out this particular bug without first informing your emergency department that you’re doing so.

A Facebook user provided video evidence of the problem after failing to connect to emergency services to report a building fire, which prompted a spokesperson for OnePlus to release this statement:

We have contacted the customer and are currently looking into the issue. We ask anyone experiencing a similar situation to contact us at support@oneplus.net.

While this is certainly a troubling issue, it is not completely unique to the OnePlus 5. Certain phones — even Nexus phones for a time — reportedly had issues connecting with emergency services, but the feature was quickly restored through a software update.

Have you experienced this unfortunate bug? Let us know in the comments!

OnePlus 5

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• The latest OnePlus 5 news
• Join the discussion in the forums

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Adobe Lightroom mobile goes ‘Android native’ with slightly refreshed interface

Just because an update looks small doesn’t mean it isn’t important.

Adobe has updated its Lightroom Mobile app for Android with an all-new “Android native” interface, though the changes aren’t as big as you’d think with such a proclamation. The main change to the experience is better labeling of buttons and simpler sliders that make sense on a (relatively) small screen that’s used exclusively with touch.

Lightroom Mobile continues to be extremely powerful, and even though the new update isn’t adding any big capabilities it is aimed at making all of the fine adjustments and tweaks easier to accomplish on the smaller screen. Being that the app has been “designed from the ground up” to the latest Android spec, you can expect an improvement in performance as well. It’s not that the old version of Lightroom was slow, but it did take a couple extra beats to perform some actions — hopefully that has smoothed out now.

The new version of Lightroom is available from the Play Store right now — it’ll be worth snagging the latest version.

Tinder’s app tweaks make profile stalking more intuitive

If you regularly use Tinder, you may notice that the app looks different than it used to. The online dating service is rolling out an updated interface that includes new navigation and larger photos.

With the new interface, you can simply tap the left or right edge of a profile photo to navigate through a person’s pictures. Hitting the bottom will open a complete profile. It’s aimed at making profile information easier to access and Tinder navigation more intuitive. The update also comes with larger photos that extend to the edges of the screen.

Engineers used Swift 3 and a new architecture called DISCOVER to build the new Tinder app from the ground up. The update will roll out worldwide starting today, so it should hit your devices in the coming days and weeks.

Source: Tinder (1), Tinder (2)

Former ‘Mass Effect’ creative director returns to the franchise

Strange things are afoot at Mass Effect and Dragon Age studio BioWare. Mass Effect’s former creative director, Casey Hudson, is leaving his spot at Microsoft and will return to Edmonton to lead the studio, as general manager Aaryn Flynn has announced he’s stepping down. “I have been contemplating changes in my own life for some time, but when I heard that Casey had confirmed he was up for the task, I realized the opportunities before us,” Flynn writes. “I will be working with him over the next couple of weeks to catch him up and do my part to set him up for success to be the best GM he can be.”

Considering Mass Effect: Andromeda’s tepid reception, critically, from fans and, surprisingly from with in publisher Electronic Arts, maybe this shouldn’t come as a surprise. When something like that happens it isn’t uncommon for the head of a studio to step down. After all, BioWare founders Drs. Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk retired from the game industry wholesale after fans’ vocal reaction Mass Effect 3’s ending.

“With Mass Effect, the game wasn’t maybe as finished as people wanted it to be,” EA’s vice president Patrick Soderlund told Engadget ahead of E3 this year. “Of course, we take that seriously. What we do is we look at that toward the Mass Effect team themselves, but we also look at what learnings we can apply to the rest of the organization so that this doesn’t get replicated in another place around EA.”

The interesting part here is Hudson’s return. The Mass Effect lead parted ways with BioWare in 2015 to work on HoloLens projects at Microsoft. Now, he’s heading back to old stomping grounds. Maybe bringing him back is an attempt to find Mass Effect’s magic once again.

There’s also the chance that he’ll be helping with EA’s Destiny-alike, Anthem, but given that that game has been in development for a few years at this point, maybe that isn’t the case. Regardless, perhaps this is the good news BioWare fans have been waiting for since March.

Source: BioWare