Surface Pro 3 battery issues disappear in today’s update
The Surface Pro 3 has been plagued with a software problem that causes some tablets to quickly lose power once unplugged from a charger, but a firmware update released today squashes the battery bug. Microsoft first acknowledged the problem in July and confirmed it was a software issue, rather than a flaw in the tablet’s hardware, earlier in August.
In an update FAQ, Microsoft explains that the battery levels in some Surface Pro 3s were being misreported to the operating system and firmware, meaning the tablets stopped charging well before they hit full capacity.
“Think of this like a fuel gauge in a car, where the car looks to the fuel gauge to determine how much to fill the tank,” Microsoft says. “In this case, if the fuel gauge isn’t working right, the car would also not be able to fill the tank — even though the tank is fine.”
After applying the update, the battery issues will self-correct over “the next several charge and discharge cycles,” Microsoft says, and any tablets that weren’t able to run on battery power will be able to do so.
Source: Microsoft
Instagram Stories fights Snapchat by recommending users to follow
Instagram Stories’ feature updates are no longer quite in lockstep with Snapchat’s. It’s gradually rolling out an update to the Explore section that displays a bar of Stories from people Instagram thinks you want to follow based on both your existing contacts and your favorite topics. The addition could give you extra Stories clips to watch even when your usual Instagram friends aren’t up to snuff. The concept isn’t entirely new (Snapchat’s featured Stories are slightly similar), but it’s uniquely tailored to you — you’re not just getting the same editor’s picks as everyone else.
The seemingly simple tweak could be important to keeping Instagram Stories in the limelight and reducing Snapchat’s first-mover advantage. Instagram tells our TechCrunch friends that 100 million people check out the Explore tab every day. When the social service has over 500 million people, that’s a large chunk of the audience seeing videos they’d otherwise have missed. Only a fraction of users are likely to follow others just for the sake of their Stories, of course, but that could be enough to keep you interested in the feature after the novelty wears off.
Source: TechCrunch
What to expect at this year’s IFA
IFA, one of the world’s largest consumer electronics trade shows, starts this week in Berlin. It’s not quite as big as CES, but it can be a good insight into what lies ahead in the holiday shopping season. IFA is often the place where companies announce washing machines and kitchen appliances, but there’s usually plenty of phones, wearables, PCs and TVs too. Here’s what we expect to see at IFA this year:
Smartphones and tablets
Samsung used to make IFA the home for its annual Note announcements, but that changed last year. 2016 marks the second year in a row the company opted to launch the newest Note, as well as the latest Gear VR, at their own Unpacked event. That doesn’t mean Samsung won’t have anything to show at IFA, but it likely won’t have any phones on the docket.
Still, IFA won’t be completely bereft of mobile news. Sony has made a habit of revising its Xperia lineup at IFA and we expect to see more of that this time around. We’ve heard tales of an Xperia X Compact, which appears to be a smaller version of the Xperia X Performance. Leaked specs have pointed to a 13-megapixel rear camera, 4GB of RAM, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor as well as 32GB of internal storage. Seeing as it’s a “Compact” model, we also expect a 4.7 inch display with full HD resolution.
Moving on to other mobile events, Huawei’s September 1st event invitation entices us to “Defy Expectations” with what looks like the curved edge of either a phone or a tablet. Though ASUS announced the ZenFone 3 series at Computex, it could unveil a mid-tier offering at IFA. ZTE, which already showed off the Axon 7 and the Zmax Pro earlier this year, could have more to say about Project CSX, its unique crowdsourced handset. Nubia, a ZTE sub-brand, is also holding an event of its very own, which likely means we’ll see one or two new phones there as well.
Plus, just because Samsung has already shown its hand as far as phones go, doesn’t mean that we won’t spy any new tablets. Rumors point to a possible Galaxy Tab S3, the successor to last year’s Galaxy Tab S2. There could also be a new tablet from Lenovo with a “new kind of intuitive keyboard,” if this brief peek at Lenovo’s IFA 2016 event is to be believed.
Wearables and other accessories
Much more than just phones and tablets, IFA is becoming a bit of a wearables show. Samsung already made a not-too-subtle hint that its first event in Berlin will focus on the Gear S3. The invitation has a watch face design on it as well as the words “Talk About 3” and “Gear.” There are also rumors that there’ll be three versions of the S3: The Classic, the Explorer and the Frontier. The latter two will supposedly focus on fitness, with various sensors like an altimeter and a barometer.
We could see other companies refresh their Android Wear offerings too. Huawei hasn’t updated its premium Watch wearable since last year and ASUS’ ZenWatch 2 could use a refresh as well. On the simpler side of the wearable spectrum, Fitbit has already announced the sequels to the Flex and the Charge, which we’ll see at IFA this week. It’ll also be interesting to see if Nokia-owned Withings will have anything to show — an update to the Activite is a long-time coming after all.
We could see other companies update their Android Wear offerings too. Huawei hasn’t updated its premium Watch wearable since last year and ASUS’ ZenWatch 2 could use a refresh as well. On the simpler side of the wearable spectrum, Fitbit has already announced the sequels to the Flex and the Charge, which we’ll see at IFA this week. It’ll also be interesting to see if Nokia-owned Withings will have anything to show — an update to the Activite is a long-time coming.
Aside from the Xperia phone, Sony will probably also give us a closer look at the Xperia Eye, a lifelogging camera you wear around your neck, plus the Xperia Ear, a Bluetooth headset that looks a lot like Moto’s Hint.
Everything else
Aside from the usual phones and wearables, we’ll also likely see a bevy of new 4K and 8K televisions from the likes of Samsung, Sony and LG. New laptops are also on the horizon; Acer’s press conference invitation shows what looks like a profile of an extremely thin notebook and Lenovo might surprise us with yet another Yoga laptop or two. As with so many trade shows this year, we also expect to see the odd robot or drone on the show floor.
Last but not least, we have to mention virtual reality. 2016 is said to be the year VR goes mainstream, and we could see more evidence of that at IFA. We’ve already seen a sneak peek at what looks like an ASUS VR headset and Huawei has promised that it would be making a Gear VR competitor too.
As always, there will probably be products at IFA that we don’t expect as well. We’ll be liveblogging the Samsung mobile event on August 31st at 12pm ET so stay tuned for that and keep your eyes glued to the site for more news out of Berlin.
The bottom line: Our quick verdict on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Samsung’s enormous, pen-toting Galaxy Note was something of a curiosity when the original came out five years ago — unwieldy and built for a niche audience. Since then, big phones have become the norm, and the Note line in particular has become ever more comfortable to hold. The new Note 7 is surprisingly easy to grasp one-handed, despite its 5.7-inch screen — not to mention well built and attractively designed with fast performance, long battery life and a top-notch camera.
Even if you choose to disregard the pen features, then, this is still a nearly perfect handset. In fact, one of our biggest complaints has little to do with the device itself: the steep $849 asking price. Other drawbacks include the not-always-accurate eye scanner and the fact that the updated S Pen feels a little flimsier than the last-gen version. Those few cons aside, this is the company’s best phone yet — of any screen size.
Blu’s Pure XR brings 3D Touch to Android for $299
Right on schedule, Blu has followed up last year’s Pure XL with its latest affordable, feature-heavy (and unlocked) Android phone: the $299 4G LTE Pure XR. On its face, the XR version sports a curved, 5.5-inch 1080p SuperAMOLED screen with a (possibly trademark infringing) “3D Touch” feature similar to the iPhone 6s, but at about half the unlocked price. Under the hood, the XR runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow driven by a 2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of memory (plus microSD expansion).
Blu doesn’t skimp on the rest of the features either: Although it’s a bit of a downgrade from the XL’s 24-megapixel sensor, the XR sports a 16-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter. Rounding out the specs are: a home button fingerprint sensor, dual SIM slots, USB Type-C port and a 3,000 mAh battery that just edges out the iPhone 6s Plus battery in terms of raw capacity. (According to Blu, the 2-amp quick charger can add an hour of talk time with a 10-minute charge.) The handset has a full metal, unibody design available in Grey and Gold and is on sale now from Amazon and Best Buy. Although the Pure XR is unlocked right out of the box, it’s still a GSM-only device, so users will be limited to AT&T, T-Mobile, metroPCS and other GSM networks.
Via: 9to5Google
Source: Blue Products
Skagen’s first smartwatches are decidedly analog
Fossil is gradually dragging its watch brands into the smartwatch era, and now it’s Skagen’s turn: the Danish company is introducing its first smartwatch, the Hagen Connected. The new wristwear is focused on a traditional look over pure tech, and competes more with Withings’ Activité watches than the likes of Apple, Google or Samsung. It tracks your fitness goals (that’s what the sub-dial is for), vibrates for email and text alerts, and offers customizable shortcuts for common tasks like taking a photo or pausing your music. Effectively, it’s a more refined version of the pseudo-analog watches you’ve seen before — your friends might never know that your timepiece is talking to your Android phone or iPhone.
The Hagen Connected arrives in September with a starting price of $195. Skagen hasn’t said what you’ll pay to get the style you want, but there will be models with black, “espresso” (brown) and tan leather straps as well as a Milanese steel mesh. The odds are that there will be at least one variant that matches your wardrobe.
Source: Skagen
The best tech for college athletes
Look, there’s clearly more to college life than studying and partying. There’s also sports! Before you hit the field, gym, rink or court it’s probably worth taking stock of how you can improve your game with a little help from modern technology. An Apple Watch or Vivosmart can count steps and track your gym sessions, while Polo makes a smart shirt that offers seriously in depth data about your body’s performance. There’s also sensors that can help you do things like improve your swing in golf or baseball. And, of course, after a long day of training, there’s nothing better than unwinding by watching your hometown team make a run at the World Series on MLB.tv. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the rest of Engadget’s back-to-school guide here.
Source: Engadget’s 2016 Back-to-School Guide
Apple sends out invitations for its September 7th iPhone event
The rumor was right on the money — Apple has sent out invitations for a media event on September 7th. The teaser is characteristically cryptic between its out-of-focus lights (which, naturally, form an Apple logo) and “see you on the 7th” slogan. However, you don’t have to read the tea leaves to have an idea of what to expect when Tim Cook and company take the stage. It’s very likely that you’ll see the next iPhone, which may ditch the conventional headphone jack, tout improved cameras and carry extra storage. There’s also a chance that you’ll see a new Apple Watch with GPS, a bigger battery and better water resistance. One thing’s for sure: we’ll be there to give you the full scoop.
Google announces 30 finalists for its first indie games festival
Google’s first indie gaming festival is less than a month away, and today the company is announcing the 30 games that made the cut for the competition. You can find the whole list here, but note that you won’t be able to try out all of them just yet — 20 of the 30 games haven’t been released in Google Play yet. Games that are out in the store now include Chetan Surpur’s Orbit, High Score Hero’s Hovercraft: Takedown, Double Coconut’s Parallyzed and Roofboot (both still in beta) and Worthing & Moncrieff’s A Matter of Murder. (The full list of games can be found here.)
Google judges have whittled down 200 submissions that came in over the last month down to these final 30, all of which will be on display and playable at the event. Fans will get a chance to vote on their favorites, and a combo of fan votes and judging will narrow things down to a field of 15 games, all of which will have a chance to present their creations to the judges and audience in an effort to win a prize.
If you haven’t heard of these games, well, that’s why Google is having its indie games festival in the first place: the whole goal is to expose small, lesser-known developers to a wider audience. The festival takes place in San Francisco on September 24th, and registration is now open to the public. If you’re an Android fan who wants to see creative games get more exposure on the platform, this event is worth keeping an eye on.
Source: Google
Verizon’s ‘LTE Advanced’ network promises 50 percent higher speed
Every wireless carrier has various tests that say its network is the best, but most still view Verizon as the best overall choice when looking for that all-important combo of speed and reliability. (That combo doesn’t come cheap, of course.) Today, the company is announcing a new focus on speed: with the rollout of “LTE Advanced,” Verizon claims that users will see “50 percent higher peak speeds.” The new speed bump is available to users in 461 cities across the country. Of course, it’s going to take significant testing to verify the veracity of Verizon’s claims.
Verizon says that LTE Advanced works by combining the multiple bandwidth channels your phone can use into what’s effectively one bigger, faster pipe to your phone. “Typical” download speed will stay around 5 to 12 Mbps, but combining two channels can net peak speeds up to 225 Mbps — that’s a lot faster than most home broadband, let alone what you’ll usually see on your smartphone. The carrier also says that it can combine three channels for speeds close to 300 Mbps.
Verizon’s estimates for “typical” speeds seem low to us, but there’s no question that two- or three-channel speeds are significantly faster than what the carrier currently offers. Even if Verizon only reaches half of what it promises for peak speeds, it’s a pretty significant boost over the status quo.
It’s not at all clear what circumstances will let your phone take advantage of these higher speeds, however. Verizon vaguely says that it’ll kick in “when you need it most,” typically under conditions with “big data use.” Still, the potential for faster download speeds can’t hurt.
To take advantage of LTE Advanced, you’ll need a relatively recent smartphone — Verizon says Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S7 are compatible with the service, as well as various Moto Droids and iPhone models. There’s a link in Verizon’s press release that claims to show all LTE Advanced phones, but the bizarre selection of devices there does not cover any recent devices, so we’re assuming that’s a mistake.
The full list of LTE Advanced cities can be found here.
Source: Verizon
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