Daily Roundup: Microsoft predicts (most) Oscar winners, Google Wallet and more!
From Oscar winners to gadget leaks and a robot that feeds you tomatoes while you run, we’ve got plenty of stories to get you talking in today’s Daily Roundup. Won’t you join us past the break?
Microsoft came remarkably close to predicting all 24 Oscar winners
It turns out Cortana isn’t the only fortune teller Microsoft has on hand. Economist David Rothschild works at the company’s New York lab and correctly predicted 20 out of 24 Oscar winners for last night’s Academy Awards.
HTC One M9 store images hint at an evolutionary phone design
MobileGeeks has spotted German store listings that suggest most rumors about the new HTC One M9 are true, with a few bonus features to boot. It looks like the phone will be getting a software upgrade, as well as boost its size to store bigger and better hardware.
The top 11 tablets you can buy today
Want to buy a tablet without breaking your budget? We rounded up 11 of our favorites with wide price ranges for you to browse.
Piggybacking robot feeds you tomatoes while you run
The odd contraption you see above is an actual, functioning robot that feeds you tomatoes, which are apparently chock full of antioxidants, while you run. However, don’t expect to see it on the streets anytime soon — it was created as a promotion for last weekend’s Tokyo Marathon.
Microsoft Band update lets you type replies and track your cycling
Microsoft’s Band just got a lot more useful. With the latest update, you can type replies on the activity tracker using a predictive keyboard, as well as track your bike workouts in the new cycling mode.
Pebble inadvertently teases its first color smartwatch
As Pebble prepares for a big announcement tomorrow, fans of the device think they’ve already discovered a new feature — a color watch face. As to what’s on the inside, 9to5Mac suggests the wearable is getting a new processor, better motion detection and a revamped interface.
Google Wallet to come pre-installed on phones for major carriers
Google is stepping up its mobile payment game — thanks to a new partnership with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, Google Wallet will come pre-installed on their Android phones running KitKat or higher starting later this year.
Seventh and eighth wallpapers for HTC One (M9) surface online
New wallpapers for the upcoming HTC One (M9) surfaced online as they have since early last week. On Twitter, LlabTooFeR provided the seventh and eighth wallpapers to be featured on the handset. Many of the wallpapers release prior to today have been blurred landscapes with defined horizons. These wallpapers stay true to that visual.
Hit the break to see the two wallpapers.
Here are the previous wallpapers:
Come comment on this article: Seventh and eighth wallpapers for HTC One (M9) surface online
HTC One M9′s color variations leak
If you’re a big follower of the infamous tech leaker, @upleaks, and you’re all hyped up about HTC‘s upcoming flagship, the One M9, then you might enjoy this bit of news.
@Upleaks has tweeted a possible set of color variations for the One M9.
According to the leaker, we can expect to see the follow options for the newest One smartphone:
- Front: Dark Gunmetal / Back: Dark Gunmetal
- Front: Gold / Back: Silver
- Front: Gold / Back: Gold
To view the tweet and its ensuing comments, click the source link below.
Source: @upleaks
Come comment on this article: HTC One M9′s color variations leak
It’s time again: HTC One M9 wallpapers number 6 and 7 are now available
Over the past week, HTC leaker, LlabTooFeR has been leaking out one of the HTC One M9 wallpapers every single day, so of course we have to take a look at the latest wallpapers available. Number 6 and 7 have now been posted, and while the first couple looked relatively similar thematically, it’s clear HTC (assuming […]
The post It’s time again: HTC One M9 wallpapers number 6 and 7 are now available appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Android Authority this week
Hello fans, here are the biggest news in the world of Android this week. In typical Samsung fashion, we’ve been treated with a slew of mouthwatering teasers for the upcoming Galaxy S6 – Samsung is strongly hinting to a metal and glass design, and the company also alluded to built-in wireless charging. HTC went easier on the teasers, but the surprise may be spoiled anyway by a listing of the M9 on a German’s retailer website. In non-flagship news, the Pebble team announced a major update, new chips were unveiled by Samsung and Qualcomm, and LG introduced the elegant Watch Urbane.
Inside AA HQ
Our Friday Debate podcast is at its fifth installment, and we think we’re finally starting to hit our groove with it. And by “we” I mean Josh, Joe, Andrew and Jon, who all agree that edition #5 (listen to it below) was the nicest and funnest yet. Apparently, at least some of you guys agree, since our little podcast made it to the Trending 100 of Pocket Casts. We thank you and we hope that’s just the beginning.
This Tuesday we finally released Ash’s magnificent History of Nexus video. A production of epic proportions and quality, as well as one of the longest videos we ever put out, the video walks your through all the key moments of the glorious Nexus series. Check it out.
brightcove.createExperiences();
Next week, we’re heading out to MWC, the biggest mobile event in the world. Josh and Lanh will be on video duty, Darcy will be leading us fearlessly, while yours truly will try not to get into anyone’s way. Technically, MWC starts next Monday, but all the really good stuff (M9, S6, mmm!) will be out on Sunday. We can’t wait to be there and share it with you!
Real phones have curves, thinks LG, and we agree. That’s why we’re giving away a curvaceous G Flex 2 in our beloved Sunday Giveaway. Head over here to get your raffle tickets, and good luck!
The Friday Debate Podcast
The stuff you shouldn’t miss
Here are some interesting posts for your Sunday reading:
- Epic: Check out this awesome video on the history of Nexus from our very own Ash Tailor
- Feature: Andrew looks at some of the nicest smartphones you probably never heard of
- Versus: Josh finds out how the bendy G Flex 2 stands up against the LG G3
- Feature: Despite the appearance, Xiaomi isn’t unstoppable – here’s what could throw it off tracks
- Editorial: Mark delves into the paradox of Android – most OEMs don’t make any money
- Review: The new Raspberry Pi is here – Gary takes a look
- Tech talk: From Tegra to MediaTek, and everything in between – check out our latest SoC guide
Top news of the week
And here are the top news in the Android world this week:
Pebble is back in the news
- Pebble updated to support Android Wear apps
- New Pebble watch will reportedly feature a thinner design and a colored e-paper display
New chips
- Samsung announces Exynos 7 Octa SoC based on 14nm FinFET process
- Qualcomm announces four new mid-tier SoCs with high-end performance and features
- Samsung announces faster eMMC 5.1 flash memory chips
LG: G4 and Urbane
- LG is bringing a stylish new smartwatch to MWC, the LG G Watch Urbane
- LG G4 will launch around mid-April – sources
Galaxy S6 teaser bonanza
- Samsung releases second Galaxy S6 teaser video
- Samsung hints that Galaxy S6 could support multiple wireless charging standards
- Another clue that the Galaxy S6 will feature a 2,600-mAh battery
- New Galaxy S6 teaser alludes to curves, metal, and glass
- Here are the first brief glimpses of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy S6 will reportedly feature Sony’s IMX240 camera sensor
One M9: getting closer
- HTC begins teasing the ‘new HTC One’
- One M9 won’t be Quad HD, but the HTC Butterfly 3 probably will
- Something “HUGE” is coming, says HTC
- Seemingly official One M9 press shots and specs found on German retailer site
Sound off
We always want to hear your feedback. Whether it’s criticism or praise, feel free to tell us what you think about Android Authority’s content, design, and community. Comment here or get in touch with us on our social channels:
Happy Sunday!
Seemingly official One M9 press shots and specs found on German retailer site
Samsung is doing a good job hyping us up, but HTC has a harder time keeping things under wraps. Yesterday, German retailer Cyberport put up product pages showing what appear to be press shots and complete specifications of the HTC One M9.
The pages have been removed, but Mobile Geeks preserved the good stuff for posterity. This close to the March 1 official debut of the M9, the listings could be very well accurate, and the fact that Cyberport took them down adds further credibility to that. With that said, a bit of caution is advised – retailers often put up product pages in advance, and sometimes they do it based on rumors floating around. So take this with salt.
Specs
First up, the specs shared by Cyberport match everything we’ve been hearing through the grapevine about the HTC One M9. The device will feature a 5-inch Full HD screen, a Snapdragon 810 processor clocked at 2 GHz, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage (expandable), a 2,900-mAh battery, a 20MP rear camera, and a 4MP UltraPixel front shooter. The device will be slightly thicker and larger than the One M8, at 144.6 x 69.7 x 9.61 millimeters, though HTC managed to reduce the M9’s weight to 157.5 grams (One M8 was 160 grams). Dolby sound, LTE-A (300Mbps), Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, and GPS complete the picture of HTC’s new flagship.
Design
The alleged press renders show two versions of the M9 – gunmetal and silver-golden. The latter features an interesting combination of silver on the back and golden on the front and sides. Incidentally or not, @upleaks recently tweeted that the M9 would come in three versions at launch – gunmetal, silver-golden, and golden.
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The shots differ from the render shared by @evleaks a few weeks ago; the speaker grilles and the infamous black bar hosting the HTC logo are still present, while @evleaks’ image had concealed speakers and no black bar. We can tell for sure, but Cyberport’s shots seem more “official” than @evleaks’ low quality render, which looks like was made based on a rough description of the device. We’ll need to wait for confirmation.
Render shared by @evleaks
On the back, we see the same squarish camera module found in almost every single image of the M9 that leaked so far. The camera is protruding by a millimeter or so, which seems to be a common place in smartphone design these days. Other than that, the device is very similar to the One M8 and to the M7 before it.
There’s nothing interesting to discern from the screen images, other than to confirm that BlinkFeed will remain a key part of Sense 7. The date in the render, March 1, matches that of HTC’s upcoming event.
Price
Cyberport listed the One M9 for €750 for the 32GB model, which is fairly typical for a 32GB flagship in Europe.
Wrap up
I would say that this “leak,” if we can call it that, looks fairly solid, even if the images contradict what we heard from @evleaks. The shots do match other leaked images, as well as solid reports claiming the M9 will be visually similar to its predecessor.
What do you think of these shots? Do you prefer this design to the @evleaks render?
Sixth wallpaper for HTC One (M9) available for download
Another day, another HTC One (M9) wallpaper, right? Right. On Twitter, LlabTooFeR shared a sixth wallpaper from the 2015 HTC flagship. This one, seen above, shows what seems to be a beach with dark sand and skies with water on the horizon.
Here are the previous wallpapers:
To download any of the wallpapers, open the image to its full size and then select the save location.
Click here to see the most recent One (M9) leak.
Source: @LlabTooFeR
Come comment on this article: Sixth wallpaper for HTC One (M9) available for download
HTC One M9 press images leak out, showing its sleek design and glimpses of Sense 7
We have no shortage of leaks surrounding the HTC‘s latest flagship device, particularly in the wallpapers department, but today is pretty much the holy grail. HTC One M9 press images and what appears to be a complete list of specs has hit the Internet, and though we can’t say that we’re particularly surprised with any of […]
The post HTC One M9 press images leak out, showing its sleek design and glimpses of Sense 7 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
HTC One (M9) press render leaks, all angles and specs exposed
In two weeks, all eyes will be on MWC 2015 as companies unveil the products to carry them through the year. Being that we are so close to the start of the trade show, leaks are almost guaranteed to happen. Today, the HTC One (M9) is the victim of a sizable leak that shows quality shots of the device and gives away its specifications.
The overall design of the One (M9) does not seem to have changed much from last year’s One (M8) to the point where is looks like a revised version of its predecessor. The front-facing speakers, camera, and black bar below the display are all in the exact same places. If anything, the black bar has been thinned a tiny bit and it still looks completely unnecessary. The top features the plastic strip for the IR blaster and the bottom has the charging and audio ports. Nothing has changed with those areas.
Hit the break to see what has changed as well as specifications.
The power button has seemingly been relocated to the side of the One (M9) just below the volume rocker. Reaching to the top of a rather tall device is difficult and HTC has realized having the power button by the volume rocker makes sense because a users fingers are naturally nearby there. Above all of this is the microSD card slot that allows for 128GB of storage. Otherwise, 32GB and perhaps 16GB are what users have to work with.
The most noticeable change with this year’s HTC flagship is the camera. The Duo Camera setup has officially been nixed and the company will go with a larger lens. The 20MP rear camera has a BSI sensor and optical image stabilization. The camera will indeed be paired with dual-LED flash, that feature does remain from last year.
In the images above and below, you will notice that the HTC One (M9) has two color options. The top of this post shows what is being referred to as “Gold on Silver.” It resembles the Glacial Silver color from the One (M8) on its rear; however, both the trim and the front are gold. The color option seen below is, like last year, Gunmetal Grey.
Now let’s talk about specifications. The 5-inch display does keep the same 1920x1080p resolution. If you were hoping for 2560×1440, you will have to either look elsewhere or keep your fingers crossed. Unlike Samsung and a few other companies, HTC uses LCD panels. Expect sharp and accurate images with spotty performance in direct sunlight unless, of course, the display can get really bright. Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM to keep everything running smoothly. The Snapdragon 810 is an octa-core processor and here it is clocked at 2.0GHz. As for audio, HTC has partnered with Dolby Labratories for the front-facing speakers. And, when capturing video, HTC has included three microphones.
The software changes that HTC makes with its devices are not particularly overwhelming. HTC Sense is actually one of the more visually pleasing experiences out there. Shipping with Android 5.0 Lollipop, the One (M9) will have HTC Sense 7. The images shown above already show the return of BlinkFeed, but the company will introduce HTC Sense Home and Themes. Users select their design (through themes) and then the experience will adapt based on behavior.
The slogan for the HTC One (M9) will be the following:
“You only have one life. Show off your style. #onenlife”
A release in early to mid-April is expected.
Source: Mobilegeeks.de, Cyberport
Come comment on this article: HTC One (M9) press render leaks, all angles and specs exposed
Fifth HTC One (M9) wallpaper posted on Twitter
Twitter poster @LlabTooFeR is giving us yet another HTC One (M9) wallpaper. This brings the total amount of leaked M9 wallpapers to five.
You can see the new wallpaper after the break. I’ll also include the links to the other four at the bottom.
To check out the other four wallpapers, click the following links: Wallpaper 1, Wallpaper 2, Wallpaper 3, Wallpaper 4.
My favorite thus far is definitely wallpaper 2. What about you? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: @LlabTooFeR
Come comment on this article: Fifth HTC One (M9) wallpaper posted on Twitter
AIVAnet 