Googler says you shouldn’t buy OnePlus USB Type-C accessories
OnePlus has been a huge supporter of the new USB Type-C standard. Their latest smartphone (OnePlus 2) is one of the few devices touting the new port, and their cables seem to be very well made, as well as affordable. Should you go with these nifty accessories, though? At first sight it would seem OnePlus has the best options for USB-C accessories, but Google employee Benson Leung claims that is not always the case.
In fact, depending on your device, OnePlus’ USB-Type C adapter and charging cable may damage the charger, hub or PC USB port. Up to Benson’s knowledge, owners of the Chromebook Pixel, Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X should be the ones worried. Keep in mind other devices might also be affected, but Bendon Leung can only speak for Google’s. We are sure these will work well with your OnePlus smartphone, though.
The reason behind this issue is that these cables don’t seem to be spec compliant. Leung states the Chinese startup is using the wrong identifier resistor; these cables utilize a 3A identifier resistor instead of the “Default USB Power” one. This discrepancy may prove to be damaging, and very expensive to the consumer.
While not many of us have heard of Benson Leung, he has been really busy trying to make USB Type-C accessory manufacturers stay true to the standard. In fact, he warned us about cheap USB Type-C cables recently, and he has been called the “USB Vigilante” by PC Mag. What some of these cable makers are doing won’t only make your device act weird, it could be downright dangerous!
In addition to telling us about these bad cables through his Google+ account, he has been reviewing other cables on Amazon and is even contemplating starting a blog where he can document all his tests. What do you guys say? I would definitely follow his website!
Android Wear version 1.4 adds call support and more
Google has updated Android Wear yet again. However, this one doesn’t just bring performance tweaks and minor improvements. Version 1.4 is a significant upgrade over the last version because of its ability to pick up calls.
That’s right! Android Wear has finally added support to take advantage of your watch’s speakerphone. With the new update, users can play music directly out of the loudspeaker on their smartwatch. In addition, select smartwatch owners will be able to answer incoming calls directly on their watch. But hang on, there’s only a select few who will get this functionality due to the required hardware speaker. These include the LG Watch Urbane 2, Huawei Watch and Asus Zenwatch 2. One can expect a whole new lineup of Android Wear powered smartwatches with built-in speakers to hit the market soon to take advantage of these new enhancements.
Version 1.4 will also bring some significant battery improvements along with support for additional languages such as Polish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Dutch, Indonesian, and Thai. Lastly, the update brings a new way of flicking through your cards. Instead of the wrist flick, users can now tilt their wrist away to view a new card and tilt the watch towards oneself to go back to the prior card. The same tilt gesture can be used on the watch face (main screen) to open up the apps menu, another great shortcut. However, enabling these gestures will come with the cost of precious battery life due to the tracking of movements.
Google says the update will be rolling out over-the-air very shortly. In the meantime, if you’re still hesitant on buying a smartwatch, check out our latest guide on the best smartwatches right now.
Source: Google
Via: 9to5Google
Come comment on this article: Android Wear version 1.4 adds call support and more
I let Google’s Autoreply feature answer my emails for a week
Google’s Inbox is like an experimental Gmail, offering a more active (or laborious) way of tackling your inbox bloat, delaying and reminding you to respond at a later time. Its latest trick involves harnessing deep neural networks to offer a trio of (short!) auto-responses to your emails — no typing necessary. Does it do the trick? Can a robot truly express what I need it to, or at least a close enough approximation that I’m satisfied with? I tried it this week to find out.
The After Math: On the road again
Forget robot chauffeurs, our future ground transports won’t even need drivers to start with. Between their LIDAR arrays and digital mapping technology, autonomous vehicles are getting safer, more capable and — dare we say it — more attractive by the day.
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Android Authority this week – November 15, 2015
Android fans, this week brought us the first luxury Android smartwatch, from Tag Heuer; Google is reportedly discussing making its own phone; Xiaomi launched new affordable devices; Samsung and Qualcomm launched their powerful new processors; Google open sourced its AI software, released a new version of Android Wear, and launched the YouTube Music app; Cyanogen hinted at its plans for 2016; and we got our first glimpse at the Android-powered BlackBerry Vienna.
Inside AA HQ
Can you feel it in the air? Holidays are around the corner, and that – along some other, actually meaningful things – means buying the right gifts for friends and family. If you’re looking to start Christmas shopping early, we’ve already compiled all the info we have on the best Black Friday deals. Check out our Black Friday guide for deals on mobile, electronics, and IT, and come back for updates through the end of November. And, if you just need a little inspiration, our year-end gift guides for all budgets are coming soon.
This week we’re giving away three smartphones in our Sunday Giveaway. Want to win a Blu Pure XL? Head over here!
The stuff you shouldn’t miss
- Unboxing: Fresh out of the box, the beautiful OnePlus X
- Review: With the V10, LG managed to thoroughly impress Lanh
- Opinion: The Nexus 5X is a great phone, but it’s not perfect – Matt weighs in
- Review: Bailey reviews the affordable Zenfone 2 Laser
- Opinion: Rooting and Roming: are you still into it?
- Opinion: In his first feature piece, John asks: should Google make Android more like iOS
Top news of the week
Google’s phone
Xiaomi news
- Xiaomi just released a 20,000 mAh Mi power bank with Quick Charge 2.0 for $24… AND a fitness band for $15
- ‘Enhanced’ Xiaomi Redmi 2A boasts double RAM and ROM
- Xiaomi absolutely killed it on Singles Day
- Metal Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro spotted at TENAA
Android Wear, with a Swiss touch
- The TAG Heuer Connected is the first luxury Android Wear smartwatch
- Android Wear no longer limited to Bluetooth and WiFi; cellular support on board
Snapdragon 820 vs Exynos 8890
- Qualcomm officially unveils the Snapdragon 820
- http://www.androidauthority.com/exynos-8-octa-8890-655143/
- Snapdragon 820 vs Exynos 8890: the 2016 mobile SoC battle begins
Google giving away its AI brain
Google apps updates
- Google Maps adds offline turn-by-turn navigation, search, and more
- Google rolling out an update that simplifies Hangouts video calls on the web
- YouTube Music finally launches on Android, 14-day free trial available as well
- Google Wallpaper Art extension will make your Chromebook look gorgeous
- Google Play Books updated with better comics support, free issues up for grabs
Cyanogen in 2016
- Official Cyanogen apps now available for CyanogenMod users with the C-Apps package
- Cyanogen teases multiple cheap devices for next year, CM13, and maybe a flagship
BlackBerry Vienna: second Android phone
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Android Wear can do a whole lot more using your wrist
That big Android Wear update isn’t just about allowing cellular data on smartwatches — it’s also really helpful if you don’t have a hand free. Google has quietly revealed that Android Wear 1.4 has a ton of new wrist gestures beyond the usual flicks to navigate cards. You can take action on a card by pushing your arm down, for instance, or go back to your watch face by wriggling your wrist. You’re probably going to look silly if you use nothing but wrist gestures, but this beats dropping a bag (or freezing your hands) just to touch your watch for a brief moment.
Via: 9to5Google
Source: Google
LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition first look: This is the best Android Wear watch of 2015
The LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition was announced just over a week ago, and what makes this watch unique is, it is the first Android Wear device to get LTE support. I haven’t always been a fan of smartwatches mainly because I always have my phone with me, and I don’t find it difficult to pull out my smartphone when I need it.
LG G watch
But as I am increasingly becoming aware of the sometimes inconsiderateness of pulling out my large and bright Nexus 6P in places like church, movie theaters, in meetings, or at dinner, I am finding the need for a smartwatch more and more. Last year I gave the LG G Watch, Moto 360 and Samsung Galaxy Gear watch all a shot, but the first generation devices just didn’t appeal to me. The LG G Watch was unbearably ugly to me, the Moto 360 was uncomfortable and had that flat tire that disturbed me, and as much as I love Samsung, I absolutely hated the Tizen software that drove the Samsung Galaxy Gear watch.
Being a fan of tech, I still have been waiting on the perfect smartwatch. Google sent me an ASUS Zenwatch 2 a few weeks ago, and it was the first Android Wear device I actually liked. The price of $150 was appealing, as most other smartwatches like the Huawei Watch and the Moto 360 2nd gen. both cost over $300 and run as high as $450. The ASUS Zenwatch 2 actually looks great, although it is a rectangle which isn’t super appealing to me. It runs Android software which makes it super useful and means there are many compatible apps. I find it hard to justify $350 for a smartwatch that just looks good while still performing the same as the Zenwatch 2. Although that’s a weak argument for not spending money on a watch, because watches have been fashion statement pieces for a couple of centuries now.
When LG announced the LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition I became super excited because it was the first Android Wear watch to have LTE support. That means I could text, make phone calls, and have updates all without carrying my large phone with me. I’m usually pretty active on the weekends – I love to hike, take my dog to the beach, go on bike rides and so on. My dog and I always walk for a couple of miles before bed, so having a watch that could replace my phone is something that has always appealed to me.
The LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition became my first actual purchase of an Android device, with my own money, in over a year. The images of it looked stunning as it actually looked like a real watch, and it had a rubberized band that could keep up with my lifestyle.
Display in full San Diego sunlight.
Pricing
So I stopped by the AT&T store last night as they have begun receiving in actual shipments of the LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition. The three stores I called only got in two of the black models each, so I made an effort to get to the AT&T store as soon as I could. I bought mine outright for $299, which is $200 cheaper than the identical Verizon model. There hasn’t been an explanation as to why Verizon charges a full $200 more, but at $299 from AT&T I had nothing to complain about. In order to use LTE on my 2nd generation Urbane, I needed to add a smartwatch to my mobile share plan at $10 dollars a month which can be cancelled at anytime. If you want to save $100 upfront you can sign up at AT&T for a 2-year contract, or you could pay $15 per month for 20 months on AT&T Next as well.
If you do happen to sign up for a 2-year contract, you are obligated to pay $10 per month for 24 months. And if you sign up for the Next financing plan, you are obligated to pay $10 for a connection to a Share plan as long as you still owe payments.
Display
When I opened the box and turned on the Urbane, I could instantly tell how gorgeous the 480×480 P-OLED display was. At 348ppi the Urbane LTE is super clear and reminds me of why I love OLED displays. The rich colors and true blacks in combination with the high resolution display actually make this look like it is an actual watch with the display always on. LG supplies quite a few well designed watch faces, and my personal favorites are the “Hiking” and “Sports” watch faces. The “hiking” watch face has a functioning compass and altimeter and it looks great. When the watch face goes into the always on mode, when it is sitting on your wrist at your side, the compass and altimeter disappear only to reappear when you bring your watch up to look at it.
This feature not only saves battery, but it also gives the watch a classic watch look and I love it. LCD displays simply don’t have the viewing angles that OLED displays have and if you have a Samsung Galaxy device or Nexus 6 or 6P, you know what I am talking about. This is the best display you can get on an Android Wear device today.
Hiking watch face in active mode.
Hiking watch face in passive mode.
Performance
It’s hard to truly test the performance of any device in 24-hours, but so far everything has been great. There hasn’t been any odd stutters and Android performs brilliantly on this watch. I streamed music to by Jabra Sport Pace wireless earbuds last night and this morning for my workouts.
I called my mom last night from my watch and it gets really loud. She also had no issues hearing me loud and clear, although I did find it awkward holding my watch up to my mouth to talk. That was a first for me, and it made me feel a little like Dick Tracy, but after a few minutes the weird feeling wore off. I grew up watching old Dick Tracy cartoons, and it is kind of mind boggling that watches can now serve as phones. That was always a fantasy to me as a kid.
Feel and comfort
My only hesitation when I read a bit about the 2nd gen. Urbane was that it was going to be really big. To my pleasant surprise it is no bigger than the Moto 360, but with the rubberized watch band it is really comfortable. I definitely like decent sized watches though, as I have a Rolex Submariner which is pretty weighty and a couple other watches with watch faces over 44mm. The Urbane watch face measures at 45.5mm which is a normal size for a men’s sports watch these days. It really does feel like a real watch which is very important to me.
Real watches feel comfortable as you wear them all day. If you’ve ever worn a G-Shock, the Urbane LTE feels very similar to that. It might look big but it is definitely comfortable.
Moto 360 on the left and LG Urbane 2nd gen. on the right. Almost identical size.
Summary
It’s been less than 24 hours that I have been using the LG Urbane 2nd Edition watch, but I am already head over heels for it. First and foremost it is super comfortable to wear. Second it looks absolutely stunning. Third, for $300 it is cheaper than other Android wear watches without LTE support. Fourth, it runs Android Marshmallow and can make phone calls, stream Bluetooth music to my Jabra earbuds, send text messages and can give me directions via Google Maps.Fifth, the 2nd generation Urbane can look classy or sporty. If I want a classy look I just have to switch the watch face to the Classic look, and if I want something sporty I just have to change the face to the Sports look.
What was once a fantasy with Dick Tracy is now a reality and I love it. If you’re on T-Mobile you are out of luck, but if you’re a Verizon customer you can click here to learn more. If you’re an AT&T customer, click here. If you want to check out the official website at LG, click here.
Specs
| OS | Android Wear |
|---|---|
| Case | Stainless Steel 316L, Brushed Metal Finish 45.5 mm Diameter; 14.2 mm Thickness |
| Chipset | 1.2 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400 |
| Display | 1.38″ Full Circle P-OLED (480×480, 348 ppi) |
| Memory | 768 MB / 4 GB eMMC |
| Battery | 570 mAh |
| Connectivity | LTE / 3G, Bluetooth® Version 4.1; Wi-Fi® Connectivity and Offline Music Play |
| Sensor | 9-Axis (Gyro/Accelerometer/Compass) / Barometer / PPG (Heart Rate Sensor) |
| Protection | IP67 Certified; Waterproof for up to 1 meter for 30 minutes |
The post LG Urbane Watch 2nd Edition first look: This is the best Android Wear watch of 2015 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google, Verizon and Sprint offering free calls to France after attacks in Paris
The world is in solidarity with France this weekend, after 6 orchestrated attacks in Paris occurred this Friday. The unfortunate event left 129 people dead and a devastated country, so most of the world wants to show its support in every way possible. Even the tech universe is not keeping its arms crossed.
Communication is key, especially for those of us who happen to know people in France and are worried about their well-being. Calls to Europe are usually not cheap, but it’s a dire situation and some communication giants are helping out. Google, Verizon and Sprint are stepping up to the plate and offering free calls to France!
They all bring slightly different options to the table, so let’s go over them one by one and see which would be a better option for you.
Google was among the first to offer help by making calls to France free via Hangouts. It’s simple, just dial the number and make your Hangouts call. But there is a very convenient part to going with Google – you can use it with any Android/iOS device, on any network.
Because Hangouts works online, all you would use is data, which wouldn’t really be a problem if you have extra megabytes laying around… or a WiFi connection. We are not sure about a couple details, though. For starters, Google didn’t really tell us until when this offer would stand. Additionally, there were no countries specified. Does that mean this will be the case when calling France from whichever country the service is available in?
Download Hangouts Dialer for Android
Download Hangouts for iOS
Verizon
Verizon’s new fees may not be very nice, but at least their heart is in the right place when it comes to helping out the French. Big Red is also offering free calls or texts from the USA to France this weekend (November 13 – November 15). And this does apply to both wireless and home telephone users.
Sprint
I would have to say Sprint is the one with the better deal here. The carrier is waving international long distance, SMS and even roaming charges to France. And because Sprint is not alone, they are extending the offer to Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile customers.
Unlike Verizon, Sprint is not yet sure when this offer will end. Free communications with France is effective starting November 13, but the concluding date is “yet to be determined”. This likely means the offer stands until the situation is appeased.
Conclusion
Do there you have it, guys. If you have any loved ones in France, go ahead and take advantage of the help these big tech companies and carriers are offering. Hopefully staying in touch can ease things for you, even if just a little.
Major firms show support after Friday’s attacks in Paris
Shortly after news broke of the attacks in Paris on Friday, major technology companies stepped up to show support.
https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js
Google acted quickly in supplying free calls to France using Hangouts. Through the rest of the weekend, anyone can use Hangouts in order to contact friends and family currently located in the country. The company will likely extend this for a few more days.
Immediately, Facebook activated the Safety Check feature to allow users nearby the attacks the ensure others that they are safe.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, commented:
“My thoughts are with everyone in Paris tonight. Violence like this has no place in any city or country around the world. We’ve activated Safety Check, so if you’re in Paris you can mark yourself safe or check on your friends and family.”
Facebook is also offering a special filter for profile pictures to show their support. Users can place the country’s flag over their own profile pictures temporarily or permanently. Facebook allowed the same thing earlier this year when the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the ban on gay marriage.
Amazon
Amazon quietly modified its homepage to show the flag of France raised above the French word for “solidarity.” The site also shows the Eiffel Tower next to the word on its banner, visible on every page.
While Twitter did not explicitly make a move, its users took on a huge social responsibility, offering care for those in the city of Paris. The hashtag #PorteOuverte, which means “open door,” was used by Twitter users throughout the city in an effort to provide shelter for those loose on the streets and unable to get to a safe location.
Twitter’s Moments feature, in addition to the straightforward timeline, became a way for people around the world to follow the sights and sounds of what went on in Paris on Friday. Moments is still updating as news follows the aftermath.
As stated last night, the thoughts of everyone at Talk Android are with the people of Paris.
Come comment on this article: Major firms show support after Friday’s attacks in Paris
Grab a refurb Nexus 5 for only $150 this weekend only
This weekend only, Daily Steals is offering refurbished Nexus 5s, typically $300, for the record-low price of $150.
The LG smartphone runs Android Marshmallow and sports 2 gigs of RAM, 16GB of storage, an 8MP camera, and a Snapdragon 800 chip. These unlocked, refurb Nexus 5 D820 devices don’t appear to have any warranty information, but Daily Steals has a standing policy to accept any returns within a month of purchase.
Although it’s now two years old, the Nexus 5 remains an excellent balance of cost and performance. At this reduced price, the bang-per-buck ratio is staggering. On release, the device was praised for its high-quality 5-inch screen and minimalist appearance. The Nexus 5 originally had a $400 price tag, but was compared favorably to devices costing $650 or more. Google’s no-frills approach to designing the Nexus 5 was thought to be an object lesson by the company that high-quality Android devices could be created without costing a fortune.
The Daily Steals’ offer for this smartphone expires on Monday, so if you’re in the market for an unlocked Android device on a budget, now is your time to act.
Head on over to Daily Steals to order your Nexus 5 for $150
What do you think? Going to pick one up? I’m almost tempted to grab one for resale at this price. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
AIVAnet 