Xiaomi’s latest phone is cheap, metal and has a fingerprint sensor
Just three months after launching the Redmi Note 2, Xiaomi is back with its successor. The Redmi Note 3 is, unsurprisingly, another mid-range handset with decent specs and a staggeringly low base price: $141, or more importantly RMB 899, given that it’s only headed to China at the moment. For the money you’re getting a full metal body and a 5.5-inch, 1080p display. Underneath is the same MTK Helio X10 processor found on the Redmi Note 2, along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. If you’re willing to pay a little extra, however (RMB 1,099, or $172) you can upgrade to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage instead.
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Via: Xiaomi (Twitter)
Black Friday deals: Unlocked Huawei phone, watch and a variety of Bluetooth speakers
With more Americans set to shop from the comfort of their own home this year on Black Friday, online retailers are ratcheting up the deals for 2015. Shoppers are also planning on spending an average of $369 dollars over the upcoming holiday weekend, an increase of 25% over last year according to a Deloitte survey. And the online deals just keeping getting better and better this week.
With that being said, Lugulake Direct(99% positive feedback rating at Amazon.com) has some fantastic deals lined up and are available early. All deals are ready to be used now so you don’t have to wait for Black Friday to roll around.
Huawei Deals
Huawei Talk Band B2 – $159.99(final price) – LINK
Apply discount code at checkout – 6ZYTGEID to save $10 with free shipping. Deal is available now.
- TalkBand B2 is a powerful next-generation wearable device that gives you everything you need for smart living, including automatic activity tracking, sleep monitoring, and crystal-clear hands-free calling
- The Next-Generation Wearable: It gives you everything you need for smart living
- Perfect for your busy lifestyle: TalkBand B2 is multi-functional to help keep you updated and in control whatever you are doing
- More than a pedometer: Thanks to its innovative 6-axis motion sensor, the TalkBand B2 is more than a pedometer but an activity tracker
- A perfect choice to wear it anywhere and everywhere without worry about dirt, sweat or splashes
Huawei Ascend Mate2 16GB factory unlocked Android smartphone LTE – $209.99(final price) – LINK
Apply discount code at checkout – 6ZYTGEID to save $10 with free shipping. Deal is available now.
Huawei made a name for themselves this year in the U.S. with the Nexus 6P and the Huawei Android Wear smartwatch. But before those two devices, Huawei was already making spectacular unlocked smartphones like the Ascend Mate2.
Speaker deals up to 50% off
LuguLake Slim Extremely Portable Pocket Size Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – LINK
Save $10 using code XEJHZQTL at checkout
- Design – Sporting a slim and lightweight design, the Bluetooth 4.0 speaker is designed with buttons that you can use to control the volume, Bluetooth, calls and more. The portable speaker also features an LED indicator.
- Awesome sound quality – Powered by Cambridge Silicon Radio Chipset, this device is designed to produce excellent sound at all times. The speaker also comes with a 1.5 inch full range neodymium driver microphone for excellent sound pick-up.
- Connectivity – Connect the speaker to a variety of devices using different methods. The speaker comes with Bluetooth v4.0 connectivity option along with NFC and a 3.5mm aux input. It can also directly access files from a microSD card.
- ortable – It’s almost the same size as your Nexus 5, just a bit thicker. Built-in 1000mAh lithium polymer battery, recharged via USB port.
LuguLake Swan Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker- LINK
$10 off Swan speaker via code OMJRJWKG
We recently reviewed the Swan speaker and thoroughly enjoyed it. It packs big sound in a small package.
- Advanced Bluetooth 4.0 technology. Home-developed module and high transfer speed. It offers HiFi audio quality and has two full range Neodymium drivers offering a rich and clear sound quality.
- Zinc alloy built body for a sturdy solid construction. Easy to use touch sense control panel. Long lasting internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery.
- The Swan Wireless Bluetooth speaker comes with a hands free voice calling prompt feature which enables you receive calls on the go. With a simple touch of the Bluetooth lights it transforms into a speaker phone.
- Elegant design and perfect as a portable speaker. It masterfully pairs with various devices, and can even pair with two different gadgets at once.
Full Androiduys.com review here.
LuguLake II Charge 10Watt Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – LINK
$7 off LuguLake II Charge Speaker via code KT4EYA96
- Huge 10-watt driver output: LuguLake offers a wide range of highly sensitive speakers that can make a big sound with 2 x 5-watt amplified speakers. The advanced equalization technique allows the stereo audio system to deliver high fidelity sound without any distortion at all.
- 3 in 1: Built-in 4000mAh Li-ion battery allows you to power your smartphones or tablets even if you are listening to music; built-in cradle, the solid and durable cradle firmly holds your tablet or smartphone at a comfortable viewing angle.
- Latest Bluetooth 4.0 allows you to connect wirelessly to the LuguLake II Charge from up to 33 feet away. 3.5mm audio port for non-Bluetooth devices. Seamlessly stream and share music, movies and games anywhere. Easy to pair – No code/pin needed.
- Aluminum material: An aluminum shell gives a premium look and feel to your premium portable speaker.
Full review here.
LuguLake 40watt TV Soundbar – LINK
No discount code required. %50 off MSRP now.
- 2.0-Channel Soundbar: 40W (20W*2) ultra-strong power output brings you a luxurious and grand acoustic feast for your favorite movies, shows, games and music.
- Virtual 3D Surround Sound: Digital signal processing (DSP) system provides high-fidelity sound to give you a truly realistic sound experience.
- Wireless Remote Control: Including a small IR remote control to enable easy operations from a distance, up to 33FT/10M range.
- Various Connection: Latest Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology. Optional RCA and 3.5mm audio jack inputs, RCA audio output. Easily works with any devices you want, such as smart phone, iPad, HD LCD TV and DVD player etc .
- Wall-mounting Design: The soundbar can be placed on a table top or easily hang beneath your wall-mounted flat-panel
Check out these deals and beat the crowds and winter weather.
The post Black Friday deals: Unlocked Huawei phone, watch and a variety of Bluetooth speakers appeared first on AndroidGuys.
New York’s anti-terror reporting app could easily cause problems
New York state is understandably more anxious than ever about terrorist threats, and it’s hoping that some mobile technology will bolster its defenses. Governor Cuomo has launched a campaign that encourages New Yorkers to use See Something, Send Something, a smartphone app that helps you report suspicious activity to officials. While the software is already in use in five states, this promises to be its biggest test yet. It’s coming to one of the most populous parts of the country, and one where terrorist attacks have been all too real.
Via: New York Daily News
Source: Governor Cuomo, App Store, Google Play
ZTE releases the ZMAX 2 and has some great Cyber Week deals
ZTE has just released its follow up to the ZMAX, the ZMAX 2 unlocked Android smartphone. ZTE is a Chinese company who has been making waves in the U.S. unlocked smartphone market and our own Scott Webster just reviewed the ZTE Boost Max+.
The ZTE ZMAX 2 is a premium 5.5” HD large screen device at a budget price. It comes with an 8MP rear shooter with 16Gb of on-board storage. It also has Dolby Digital Plus, giving you a richer audio experience for your movies, music, and games. The ZTE ZMAX 2 comes unlocked giving you the freedom to decide what carrier is best for you. Running on 4G LTE, Android 5.1, you get exceptional value at an affordable price.
Specs
| Height | 6.06″ |
| Width | 2.99″ |
| Depth | 0.37″ |
| Weight | 6 oz. |
| Color | Titanium |
| Physical Size | 5.5″ |
| Resolution: Width | 720 |
| Resolution: Height | 1280 |
| Technology | TFT |
| Features | Gorilla Glass |
| OS | Android 5.1 (Lollipop) |
| Main Resolution | 8MP |
| Features | Auto Focus + LED Flash |
| Video Capture | 1080p |
| Front-Facing Resolution | 2MP |
| CPU | Quad-Core 1.2GHz MSM8916 Snapdragon®400 |
| Capacity | 3000 mAh |
| Talk Time* | Up to 17 hours |
| Standby Time* | Up to 16 days |
| Wireless Charging | No |
| Internal | 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM |
| Expandable | Up to 64GB microSD™ card |
| Frequencies | GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz – UMTS 850/1900/AWS – LTE Bands 2/4/5/17 |
Cyber Week deals, Nov. 23-30
· Axon $279 ($50 off)
· Axon Pro 32GB $329 ($70 off)
· Axon Pro 64GB $349 ($100 off)
· ZMAX 2 Unlocked $129 ($50 off)
· Spro 2 WiFi $449 ($100 off)
Check out the ZTE ZMAX 2 at www.zteusa.com and save yourself money during cyber week.
The post ZTE releases the ZMAX 2 and has some great Cyber Week deals appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Hidden data sent by many popular Android apps isn’t necessary, MIT says
It’s not shocking to hear that Android applications consume a lot of data, but you might be surprised to hear that much of that data isn’t necessary. A group of MIT researchers have revealed that a large amount of the hidden data found in the 500 most popular Android apps isn’t necessary to the applications overall functionality.
In their report, MIT researchers use the Walmart Android app as an example. The application allows the user to scan bar codes of products at Walmart to get pricing info, but in the process of that, the application also sends information to a server associated with eBay. MIT says this isn’t a necessary connection, and severing it has no effect on the functionality of the Walmart application.
MIT modified 47 apps to see if they were all indistinguishable, and as it turns out, only 30 of the 47 were. Still, the remaining 17 didn’t lose any core functionality either, as the only real noticeable difference was missing ads.
There isn’t any misconduct on this hidden data. On the contrary, much of it is analytical data that provides developers with crash and performance reports. Not only that, but much of this data is also to add a layer of optimization, helping the application work when you don’t have access to a connection. However, the concern is that all of this extra hidden data could be privy to a malicious breach, putting the user at risk.
source: MIT News
via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: Hidden data sent by many popular Android apps isn’t necessary, MIT says
Opera Max saves data while you stream music
The data savings of Opera Max for Android may make the most sense when you’re watching cat videos, but music matters, too — listen to a few albums and you’ll easily burn through several hundred megabytes. Thankfully, Opera might just have you covered. It just trotted out an update to Opera Max that can optimize your music streaming data by as much as 50 percent in apps like Pandora, Slacker or YouTube Music. The trick is on-the-spot conversion of audio from MP3 or MP4 to the more data-efficient AAC+ format. Yes, that transcoding theoretically affects quality ever so slightly, but it might be worthwhile if you can listen to a few more tunes during your commute.
Via: Android Central
Source: Google Play, Opera
Amazon Prime Now. Skip the trip, one hour delivery. (app and service review)
Amazon.com recently became the world’s largest retailer in 2015, surpassing the mighty Walmart and has established themselves by offering great prices, quick and reliable shipping, with other free services as well.
Amazon also recently made its Prime Now service(requires an Amazon Prime membership) available in San Diego, and being a HUGE fan of Amazon, I had to give it a try.
What is Amazon Prime Now?
Prime Now is a new same-day delivery service from Amazon.com, local grocery stores and merchants. In San Diego, Northgate market, Sprouts grocery, Sprinkles Cupcakes and Amazon.com are the five retailers that will deliver to my zip code. The nearest Northgate market is a 30 minute drive for me, and I like to shop there as it isa specialty Hispanic foods store. There’s nothing like authentic food, and I can’t find many of those foods in my local Ralph’s or Whole Foods.
http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=androidguysco-20&o=1&p=12&l=ur1&category=primemain&banner=1N7QZYHSKNC8P06S6QG2&f=ifr&linkID=CRNBNTBLCSPQJPAE
Prime Now connects local businesses to Prime customers and can deliver frozen and refrigerated foods, fresh baked goods, laundry detergent, or almost any other need you might have around the house.
Two-hour delivery is FREE and one-hour delivery is available in most areas for just $7.99. Prime Now is available from early morning to late night, seven days a week. Currently available in select areas including:
Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles & Orange County, Miami, Minneapolis & St. Paul, New York City, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle & Eastside
• Shop for groceries, gifts, goodies and more from your favorite local stores:
– Los Angeles: Sprouts, Bristol Farms, and Sprinkles Cupcakes
– New York City: Westside Market, D’Agostinos, Gourmet Garage, and Billy’s Bakery
– Portland: New Seasons Market, World Foods, Uwajimaya, and Cupcake Jones
– San Diego: Sprouts, Bristol Farms, Northgate Market, and Sprinkles Cupcakes
• Seattle: Get delivery from your favorite restaurants
– Cactus, Skillet, Wild Ginger, Marination Station, Mamnoon, and many more.
My experience with Prime Now
Prime Now offers free same day delivery, Sundays included, and charges $7.99 if you want it within the next hour.
Since I am cooking dinner for my sister and brother-in-law for Thanksgiving, I remembered I needed to go grocery shopping last night while I was laying in bed. Luckily Amazon is running a special GETITNOW promotion where you can save $20 off your first $50 dollar order. All you have to do is enter the promotional code at checkout to save $20.
I downloaded the Prime Now app from the Google Play store, signed in with my account and saw the five merchants available to my zip code. I first went shopping at Sprouts, which is a local grocery store chain that offers really fresh produce and meats at a fraction of the cost of Whole Foods.
I ordered a fresh 12-14 pound turkey, celery, carrots, fresh french bread, oranges, sweet potatoes, yams, white potatoes, onions, green beans and more. There was a $50 dollar minimum order, but with delivery being free I didn’t mind at all as I really needed to stock up and prepare for Thanksgiving. The nearest Sprouts to me is five miles away, and for many of you that isn’t far, but for me this is more about convenience. I do live a block away from a Ralph’s grocery store, but it is expensive and I also hate grocery shopping. Being single, I prefer to just get food from the many restaurants around me.
Once I was done with my Sprouts order, rather than driving 20 miles to the nearest Northgate market, I simply tapped back to the main menu and clicked on Northgate market. Magically I appeared in the Northgate store without even moving from my bed! I ordered beans, local tortillas, marinated meats, and I ordered a ton of Monster Energy drinks. I ordered Monster energy drinks, because Northgate is having a sale on them for 52 cents, which is far cheaper than the stores around me at $1.99 each and I drink them on a daily basis. So not only did I get my local ethnic foods, but I also got a great price on energy drinks. Fresh coconuts were also on sale and if you like coconut water, there’s nothing better than an actual young coconut.
After about 30 minutes of shopping through the categories of interest and picking out what I needed, I placed my order through the Prime Now app and scheduled a delivery time from 10am-12pm the next morning. I placed two orders, one for Sprouts and one for Northgate market.
A tip was also suggested for my drivers, and Amazon suggested $5 which worked out to be $10 since there were two delivers. I’ve read reviews on the Google Play store and the Amazon Underground app store, and many people complain about having to pay for a tip. Amazon doesn’t force you to add a tip, so don’t tip if you don’t want to tip. In my case, I don’t mind tipping because these drivers work hard and are providing a service for you. They aren’t UPS or FedEx drivers, they are local employees who have their own needs as well. The drive alone to and from Northgate market would have cost me ten dollars in gasoline(CA residents pay a lot for gas and I have a truck), but more importantly the Prime Now service saved me a whole three hours of shopping. Sometimes the complaining about paying for convenience really gets annoying.
Summary
My fresh produce, bread, and other items all arrived in fantastic condition. As soon as the first order arrived, I opened up a young coconut and enjoyed my juice while browsing the web. Both of my drivers were highly professional and friendly. They brought all 15 of my bags to my doorstep, and the cold items arrived cold and intact. We even chatted about what other items the stores will be offering within the next three months too. I hope to see both of them again in the near future.
Prime Now is a free service as long as you’re a member of Amazon Prime which costs $99 per year. Amazon Prime offers free two-day shipping on most items bought from Amazon.com on top of free movies, TV shows, music and now free local same day delivery from some of your favorite merchants.
If you have Amazon Prime already, check to see if Prime Now is available in your area by downloading the app at the Google Play store. If you have an Amazon device like a Kindle Fire you can click here to access the Prime now app through the Underground app store.
If you have yet to give Amazon Prime a shot, you can try it free for 30-days with no strings attached, and you will have the same access to all benefits that paying members have. If you don’t like grocery shopping, don’t like waiting in lines, Prime Now is definitely worth trying out as you might find it adds more time back into your life, for no additional cost. In my case it saved me several hours of shopping and driving, savings on gas and wear and tear on my truck. I now look forward to grocery shopping while I am sitting on the couch, lying in bed, hanging out at the dog park or doing cardio at the gym.
I have to try those Sprinkles cupcakes and give Bristol Farms a try next. I even was invited to a get together tonight where my friend has a toddler. I think I will order a little gift from Amazon.com and have it delivered within two hours before I head over to their house.
Give Prime Now a try. It’s worth it.
The post Amazon Prime Now. Skip the trip, one hour delivery. (app and service review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Microsoft app tries to lure you from Android to a Windows phone
It’s true that Windows Phone (and now Windows 10 Mobile) doesn’t have as many apps as Android or iOS. However, the perception of that app deficit may be just as problematic — why would you switch to a Lumia 950 if you assumed that none of your favorite apps had Windows equivalents? Microsoft clearly isn’t happy with this state of affairs, as it just released AppComparison for Android to help set the record straight. The app (a spiritual sequel to the old Switch to Windows Phone) tries to match the Android apps on your phone with their mobile Windows counterparts, either giving you an exact parallel or the next best thing.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Google Play
20 majestic HD wallpapers of the beautiful night light
Just because the sun goes down doesn’t mean beauty stops. It make take a different eye to catch where the beauty may lie at night, but I assure you it is there. Check out the 20 HD wallpapers of the night we curated for you and please enjoy. My personal favorite is the Milky Way in the night sky. And if you have an OLED display you can find on devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note5, S6, S6 edge, Nexus 6P and the like you will absolutely love the deep blacks your display will put out with these wallpapers.
The wallpapers are all in the scrolling images above, and if you want to save them, follow these instructions:
- Click the left/right arrows to scroll through the images
- Maximize the image you like by clicking on it
- Long press or hold down on the image and click “save”
- Go to your gallery or Google Photos and find your image
- Click “use as” and then click wallpaper
If you see a wallpaper that belongs to you and you would like to receive credit, I would love to give it to you! Just drop a comment in the section provided below with some proof (You know, just so we don’t have people claiming things that are not theirs…) So, please choose those that you like and enjoy!
The post 20 majestic HD wallpapers of the beautiful night light appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Many of your Android apps send unnecessary hidden data
It won’t shock you to hear that Android apps send a lot of data, but you may be surprised at how much of it isn’t really necessary… or public, for that matter. MIT researchers have determined that “much” of the hidden data sent and received by the 500 most popular Android apps isn’t necessary to the functionality. For example, a Walmart app talks to eBay whenever you scan a barcode — there’s no practical difference when you sever that connection. Out of the 47 apps that MIT modified to prove its case, 30 were virtually indistinguishable from the official versions. The rest only had minor issues, like missing ads.
Source: MIT News
AIVAnet 