Pinterest helps you keep tracks of things you’ve tried
You probably typically pin recipes and ideas you want to try or things you want to buy on Pinterest. Its new button, however, was designed to keep track of the things you’ve already bought or tested out. Now, when you want to share your feedback about a recipe or a DIY idea you found online, you can tap the new checkmark button on Pinterest’s menu to signify that you’ve already tried it. The app will then ask you how it went, and you can tap on either “Loved it” or “Not for me” and leave a note or tip for other users.
As TechCrunch noted, the new feature could lead to a collection of product reviews, which could benefit Pinterest’s Buyable Pins. These pins allow you to purchase products from within the website/app itself, turning Pinterest into a quasi-shopping portal instead of just a mood board. The company told TC that the new buttons will go live for the iOS and Android apps sometime this week and for the web in the coming weeks.
Via: UploadVR
Source: HTC
HTC Bolt specs: Snapdragon 810, 3GB RAM, 3200 mAh battery, IP57 resistance
HTC’s latest high-end phone is Sprint exclusive and has an interesting combination of specs.
The Bolt doesn’t necessarily swing for the fences with all of the top-end specs, but rather has a mixture of the latest line items along with some (somewhat puzzling) last-gen components. The biggest head scratcher is the older Snapdragon 810 processor and just 3GB of RAM, which both fall short of the modern standard for late 2016. On the other end you get a great, big, high-resolution display, high-end camera specs and IP57 water resistance, together with BoomSound speakers and extra audio tuning through the USB-C port.
Here’s the complete spec sheet for the HTC Bolt.
| Operating System | Android 7.0 Nougat |
| Display | 5.5-inch IPS Super LCD 32560×1440, 534 ppiGorilla Glass 5 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810Octa-core 2 Ghz |
| Storage | 32GB |
| Expandable | microSD card |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Rear Camera | 16MP, f/2.0, OISPDAF, dual LED flash4K video, 120fps slow-mo video |
| Front Camera | 8MP1080p video |
| Connectivity | 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, GPS, USB-C |
| Audio | USB-C audioBoomSound Adaptive Audio |
| Battery | 3200 mAhNon-removable |
| Charging | USB-CQuick Charge 2.0 |
| Water resistance | IP57 |
| Security | One-touch fingerprint sensor |
| Dimensions | 153.6 x 77.3 x 8.1 mm |
| Weight | 174 g |
Sprint-exclusive HTC Bolt unveiled: 5.5-inch screen, USB-C audio and the fastest LTE speeds
A bigger, lower-specced yet still intriguing version of the HTC 10 is coming exclusively to Sprint.
After a good amount of leaking, Sprint and HTC have unveiled the carrier-exclusive Bolt, a new phone that borrows much from the HTC 10 but ups the ante a bit with a larger screen, new software and deep integration with Sprint’s latest network technologies. Sprint is selling the Bolt based on a headline feature of its network capabilities, where it supports Sprint’s 3x CA (carrier aggregation) LTE for the highest possible speeds of any phone from the carrier.
Network speeds aren’t the only thing people consider when making a phone purchase, though — actually, that’s probably nowhere near the top of the must-have list. Thankfully the Bolt has other redeeming qualities. It starts with a full-metal build that’s perfectly sculpted just like the HTC 10, though slightly tweaked with a flat back and overall larger footprint. That hides a 3200 mAh battery, and includes a Super LCD 3 screen at 2560×1440 resolution with Gorilla Glass 5 covering it.
There are also two firsts here for HTC. The body is IP57 dust and water resistant meaning it can withstand 30 minutes in up to three feet of water, just like much of the competition. The Bolt is also shipping with Android 7.0 Nougat, along with some well-known HTC Sense customizations.
More: Complete HTC Bolt specs
There are just a couple of curious spec choices here.
The interesting and puzzling part of the HTC Bolt is its odd combination of specs. Though it has a nice display on front, the aforementioned metal body, waterproofing and the latest software, it’s using a decidedly last-generation Snapdragon 810 processor and just 3GB of RAM. It also has a standard camera setup without the extra UltraPixel features, and lacks a traditional 3.5 mm headphone jack in exchange for USB-C audio.
Sprint is offering the HTC Bolt for $599, though the big advertising push will be that it’ll set you back just $25 per month for two years. That’s definitely on the higher end of what most will be looking to pay for a phone that doesn’t have all of the latest specs inside, but it is a small step down from the likes of the Pixel XL, Galaxy S7 edge and even the HTC 10, which will remain on sale from Sprint. The Bolt is available right away at Sprint stores and online.
Press release:
Blazing Speed Meets Stunning Design With the New HTC Bolt™
Built for the Sprint LTE Plus Network, HTC Bolt is Sprint’s Fastest Smartphone Ever
SEATTLE – Nov. 11, 2016 – A blaze of lightning across the sky. A world-class sprinter dashing across the finish line. Stunning speed is thrilling, exhilarating and empowering – and like a lightning bolt or sprinter, speed was the inspiration for HTC, a leading innovator in mobile and virtual reality technology, to create HTC Bolt: the fastest Sprint smartphone. Built for the extraordinary Sprint LTE Plus network – with support for 3×20 MHz Carrier Aggregation1 thanks to the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X10 LTE modem – and available to purchase beginning today, HTC Bolt blazes with data speeds that leave the competition in the dust.
With HTC Bolt web browsing, file downloading, streaming video and music is smooth and vivid. Sharing photos and videos with friends seems to be almost instantaneous and online gaming races like never before.
Forged from glass and metal, HTC Bolt is a dramatic evolution of HTC’s “sculpted by light” design. It features a 5.5-inch Quad HD (2K) display and it is the first water-resistant aluminum unibody Android phone2, along with more precise contours and a flatter back for sharper contrast that catches light beautifully. Bold, chamfered edges are carved out of Gunmetal or Glacier Silver3 metal to make the 3.7mm side cut look and feel slimmer than ever in your hand. HTC Bolt also introduces HTC BoomSound® Adaptive Audio earphones that tailor sound to your ears’ unique structure for a truly personal audio experience.
“The HTC 10 released earlier this year was the most advanced smartphone we’ve ever built, so we knew we had to raise the bar even higher for Sprint’s most advanced ever network,” said André Lönne, president of HTC America. “For HTC Bolt, we took everything that was so great about the HTC 10 and made it even better. We took the award-winning design and made it water-resistant. We took the awesome audio and made it more personal. And, of course, we took the wireless speed and supercharged it with Sprint, turning HTC Bolt into a smartphone unlike any you’ve ever experienced.”
HTC BoomSound® Adaptive Audio tuned to you
HTC Bolt features HTC BoomSound Adaptive Audio, which scans your ears and the ambient noise around you to adjust audio output to suit your personal hearing capabilities. Just plug in the USB Type C headphones (included) and, almost instantly, you’ll experience music and movies with thundering bass and pitch-perfect treble that sound clearer than you believed possible. In addition, Hi-Res audio delivers 24-bit sounds as you would hear it in the movie theater, nightclub or concert hall.
Sharper shots in a snap
Whether you’re in town or out hiking, incredible moments can happen when you least expect them, so HTC Bolt’s 16MP camera, supported by the Snapdragon processor, has OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) to reduce camera shake and capture sharp photographs and 4K video even in low light. With a quick camera launch time and an ultra-fast autofocus of 0.3s with Phase Detection Auto Focus, you’ll be sure to capture the perfect shot every time.
Selfies are great, too, with HTC Bolt. An 8MP front camera with Auto HDR means vivid details will bring out your smile and the environment behind you. Super-wide panorama mode lets you capture your whole family and an expansive background, and an integrated screen flash ensures shots look great in low light.
Power, convenience and customization
Running the latest Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, HTC Bolt offers all the powerful features you would expect from the latest flagship smartphone, including split-screen view, quicker multitasking, free unlimited photo storage with Google Photos™, and Google Duo™ video calling preloaded.
HTC Bolt’s built-in fingerprint sensor lets you unlock your phone at the touch of your finger – in as little as 0.2 seconds and lets you lock and unlock apps using Boost+. Even better, Boost+ also keeps your phone in top condition by cleaning up junk files and dynamically allocating resources like phone memory as required, ensuring your phone runs smoothly and efficiently.
HTC Freestyle Layout frees you from an on-screen grid and lets you customize your home screen. Drag icons, stickers and widgets anywhere, layer them, overlap them, group them and more. You can even link stickers to apps, or just get rid of on-screen icons entirely.
Power users can rejoice that all these features are supported by a powerful 3,200mAh battery, enough for up to a day or more use on a single charge. If you need to recharge quickly, HTC Bolt features Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 2.0 technology for fast charging4. Load up on photos, videos, movies and games with the HTC Bolt’s 3GB RAM and 32GB storage space5, expandable with optional SD cards for up to 2TB of space so your storage needs are covered now and far into the future.
HTC Bolt hands-on preview: A solid phone that struggles to move the needle
The Bolt is a fine phone, but it isn’t going to move the needle for HTC or Sprint.
HTC has had a rough couple of years in terms of smartphone releases. Though it has put out a few compelling products, its high-end phones seem to come up just short while its mid-range phones are often too expensive for what they offer. Now with a partnership that tapped it to build the Pixel phones for Google, HTC is leaning back toward its roots as an ODM making phones in tight concert with other companies.
Just like the good old days, HTC has struck an exclusive deal with Sprint to make the Bolt — a one-off phone that has ties to the HTC 10, while differing in a few was and integrating tightly with Sprint’s network technology and software. Even though Sprint carries both the HTC 10 and One A9, the Bolt is the new top-end device for the carrier to be pushed through the holidays and hopefully give a little bump to the HTC brand. After a couple days with the phone, here’s an early look at what you can expect from the HTC Bolt.
Talking hardware
HTC continues to just nail the hardware on its phones, and even though the Bolt is definitely a derivative work of the HTC 10 it’s still impressive. The solid metal build is perfect, the buttons are clicky and the vibration for haptics and notifications is strong. The Bolt is big and a bit on the bulky side, particuarly in how wide it is for a 5.5-inch phone, but it looks handsome and feels great. In typical HTC fashion, I’m not worried about this phone being fragile. That continues onto the front where Gorilla Glass 5 covers the display.
HTC always nails the hardware and design.
The display itself is a 5.5-inch Super LCD 3 at 2560×1440 resolution. The screen is bright and super crisp with great viewing angles, though I have to note that it isn’t quite as saturated and striking as the AMOLED panels we’ve started to grow accustomed to. That could be a good thing for you, though, and if you like the more accurate colors the Bolt has you covered. Below the display you get a great one-touch fingerprint sensor that can wake the phone from sleep without turning the screen on first — and it’s flanked by capacitive navigation buttons, which always seems to be a divisive design decision.
Though it doesn’t have any advanced features or “UltraPixel” branding, the Bolt does have a pretty capable set of camera specs. The 16MP sensor pairs with an f/2.0 lens, OIS, phase-detect autofocus and dual-LED flash. It has an auto HDR mode, and shoots 4K and 120fps slow-mo video.
The Bolt is HTC’s first water resistant phone as well, with an IP57 rating. That may seem like it’s well behind the IP68 rating of other phones, but it really isn’t — IP57 means the Bolt is resistant to dust ingress, and can also survive 30 minutes in up to three feet of water. Nobody would ever purposefully leave their phone in liquid that long, and the Bolt will handle every splash and dunk you’re likely to put it through.
A couple decisions put dark marks on an otherwise interesting phone.
Though HTC wouldn’t draw a direct correlation between the two features, you’ll also have to note that the Bolt doens’t have a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Audio is handled by the USB-C port, and HTC includes a really nice pair of USB-C headphones in the box — but doesn’t go so far as to include a USB-C to headphone jack adapter. Because the headphones have a digital connection it lets the Bolt recognize them and offer automatic software tuning for better sound, including analyzing ambient noise to tweak levels. (Interestingly enough, though, the included headphones didn’t work on either my Pixel or LG V20.)
Everything up to this point sounds good, right? Now, let’s talk about the … odd decisions made in the HTC Bolt. HTC and Sprint decided to saddle this otherwise high-end phone with an old Snapdragon 810 processor and pair it up with just 3GB of RAM, falling well behind the current-level 821 or even the 820 found in the HTC 10 from April. The processor (mostly undeservedly) gets a bad rap for overheating and having other issues, but no matter your feelings on the chip itself, you’ll feel a bit hard done by spending $600 on a phone that doesn’t have anything near the latest processor inside and skimps a bit on the RAM.
And then software
So with that older chip inside, how is performance? Well, thanks to HTC’s great software tuning it’s actually pretty good. This is the first phone from the company running Android 7.0 Nougat, and HTC’s generally light Sense customizations feel just fine when incorporated with the latest Android software. Scrolling and opening apps is expectedly fast and smooth, but slightly more advanced things like launching Multi Window and switching between apps or using the camera heavily points out shortcomings in the hardware.
Sense works in concert with Nougat, and then Sprint gets involved.
Android 7.0 Nougat works here much like you’d find on other phones with the software, but with the addition of familiar HTC interface paradigms in the lock screen, launcher and keyboard. Outside of those areas the only changes are subtle ones to icons. HTC does a great job of sparing you from duplicate apps between its own offerings and Google’s, leaving you with a single app for each function. I appreciate that.
Because this is a Sprint-exclusive phone you’re going to be faced with some deeper-than-usual Sprint software customizations as well. The Bolt is pre-loaded with a Sprint-themed icon pack, a Sprint wallpaper and about 20 or so pre-installed apps. Thankfully the visual changes are all just part of the deep HTC Themes app and can be tweaked to your liking. Sprint continues to be pretty liberal when it comes to letting you uninstall about half of its pre-installed apps, but many — like the seven (7!) Amazon apps — can’t be removed.
More to come
The HTC Bolt is coming to Sprint for $599 — or, as will be heavily advertised, $25 per month. That slots it $50 under the HTC 10, and much further under the Galaxy S7 edge and Pixel XL. But the Bolt is very clearly a lesser phone in many ways as well. It gets so much right in the hardware and many of the specs and features, but misses the mark with a couple of odd internal spec decisions that don’t necessarily hurt the experience but will be considered before someone can drop $600 on a phone today.
Stay tuned to Android Central for a full review of the Bolt soon.
HTC Vive can do wireless VR with this $220 add-on
HTC is opening up pre-orders for a $220 add-on that cuts the Vive’s wires and transforms it into a wireless VR headset. The peripheral that clips onto the device was made by a company called TPCAST and was designed under the Vive X program. If you’ll recall, HTC launched the program to invest $100 million into startups looking to build accessories for the Vive. According to the company’s interview with UploadVR, there’ll be no “noticeable difference” when you use the device, implying that it won’t turn VR experiences into laggy nightmares. HTC even promises that it will “greatly improve” the overall Vive experience.
In the interview, China Regional President of Vive at HTC, Alvin W. Graylin, told the publication that the company will sell a bigger battery for the add-on in the future. At the moment, it will only come with a standard battery that lasts for an hour-and-a-half. The bigger power source will last longer, but you’ll have to carry it around in your pocket or in a bag.
HTC’s Chinese website will start accepting pre-orders on Friday, November 11th, 7AM Pacific/10AM Eastern — there are no plans to release the peripheral locally in the US and other countries yet. Graylin told UploadVR that anybody can buy one, though, so you can place an order if you’re willing to pay for shipping from Asia. That said, HTC is only selling a limited number of units, and you’ll have a bigger chance of securing one if you can provide a valid Vive serial number.
Via: UploadVR
Source: HTC
HTC’s high-end Bolt is a fast, fascinating Sprint exclusive
No one would fault you if you thought HTC was done making high-end smartphones for the year. It wasn’t perfect, but the HTC 10 was a highly respectable piece of kit. And HTC’s design and production fingerprints can be found all over both of Google’s new Pixel phones. That’s a decent string of smartphones for 2016, but HTC had to go and partner up with Sprint on the curious new Bolt, a device meant to highlight the carrier’s high-speed 3x20MHz carrier aggregation. Fair enough, but what makes the $599 Bolt so interesting is how it takes the 10’s formula and improves on it.
As you might’ve already been able to tell by the photos, the Bolt shares a lot of design language with the HTC 10. In fact, the easiest way to tell them apart is to turn them over: the Bolt lacks the telltale hump that helped the 10 settle so nicely into my hands. It’s definitely a slab of a phone, but that’s not to say it’s completely charmless. HTC’s first-rate build quality is on full display here, with a fully metal frame wrapped around a big, 5.5-inch, 2K LCD screen. That brings us to the Bolt’s first improvement: that body is rated IP57 water and dust resistant, a first for HTC’s unibody metal smartphones. There’s little point in griping about how long it took HTC to get here — I’m just glad they did.
There’s a powerful Snapdragon chipset inside, too, though not the one you’d probably expect. The Bolt rolls with an octa-core Snapdragon 810 plus 3GB of RAM, which makes for some very slick performance. Device makers seemed to shy away from the 810 for a while because of repeated concerns about overheating, but I haven’t noticed anything abnormal during the few days I’ve been playing with the Bolt. Long story short: there’s plenty of power in here for anyone who needs it, and the inclusion of Android 7.0 Nougat only helps. Speaking of software, don’t expect too many changes on that front — the lightly tweaked Sense interface works exactly how it did on the 10, from the inclusion of BlinkFeed (meh) to those curious Freestyle layouts to the deeper integration of Google apps. Stock is still the way to go as far as I’m concerned, but HTC’s approach is ultimately still one of the more palatable out there.
Another improvement for the list: HTC also worked with Sprint and Qualcomm to get everything in good shape for Sprint’s LTE Plus network. I just wish I could’ve tasted some of those speeds. Early tests point to potential data speeds up to 300Mb/s, but for now, you’ll have to live in (or move to) cities like Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis or Denver to take the network for a ride. I saw middling speeds when I ran tests in our NoHo office — on the order of 10Mb/s down, which paled in comparison to AT&T. Your mileage may vary, obviously.
Then there’s the camera. HTC has been pushing its UltraPixel cameras for years now, and they’re conspicuously absent in the Bolt. Instead, we got a more traditional 16-megapixel affair complete with optical image stabilization. I frankly haven’t spent a ton of time using the camera in the field, but the shots I did take came out rather well: they were chock-full of detail and accurately covered, even when the sun dipped behind some clouds. On the Bolt’s face is an 8-megapixel selfie camera, which indeed works well at feeding into your vanity.
The Bolt has the 10’s high-resolution audio chops too, if you’re a media buff. Perhaps more importantly, the earbuds that come in the box are surprisingly smart. Remember how the HTC 10 let you set up a personal audio profile based on how well you could hear certain tones? Well, these earbuds completely automate that process. The first time you plug them in, you’re prompted to create a profile — from there, you’ll hear a tone ringing through your ears, and that’s it. The Bolt interprets that sound resounds through your ear and create the profile automatically. It would’ve been nice if we could further tune that profile after it’s been made; alas, HTC doesn’t plan to make that happen.
So yeah, it’s not hard to think of the Bolt as a sort of HTC 10 Plus. On the one hand, Sprint has a pretty fascinating exclusive on their hands — shades of the EVO 4G, anyone? Still, I can’t help but wish HTC pushed some of these improvements into devices it already launched this year. An HTC 10 with a bigger screen and a water-resistant body might have helped the company pick up more ground early on. At the very least, you can bet some of these steps forward will wind up in the company’s 2017 flagship, and we’ll be better off for it. Until then, Sprint customers itching for some new premium hardware should get their wallets ready: the Bolt goes on sale right… now.
Russia is blocking LinkedIn
While LinkedIn is still waiting for the ink to dry on Microsoft’s $26.2 billion deal, the Russian government is gearing up to ban the professional networking site altogether. As the New York Times reports, a local court in Moscow has ruled that LinkedIn is not in compliance with with the country’s data protection rules. The company will be blocked from operating in Russia starting Thursday, but the company can still appeal the court’s decision.
The ban stems from a new set of rules passed by Russian legislators last year that requires any personal data collected on Russian citizens to be stored on servers inside the country itself. While the Russian government claimed the rules would protect the data in case of a hack like the LinkedIn breach in 2012, others have pointed out that it could give the government the ability to demand user data from international companies. As the Times also notes, Facebook and Twitter are currently in violation of those same data storage rules. While it is currently unclear why LinkedIn was called out over those larger social networks, the Russian government has also been trying to replace government software and demonize Microsoft for allegedly colluding with the US government.
Less than five million of LinkedIn’s 467 million users are in Russia and in a statement, LinkedIn said “the Russian court’s decision has the potential to deny access to LinkedIn for the millions of members we have in Russia and the companies that use LinkedIn to grow their businesses.” The company said it was interested in meeting with Roskomnadzor, the country’s telecom watchdog group, to discuss their request.
Source: New York Times
Citibank’s digital wallet works in apps, online and through NFC
Citibank is partnering with MasterCard and its digital payment service, Masterpass, to add online and in-app transactions to its customers’ accounts. Citi Pay users will be able to use their existing Citibank login details across online and app payments. Android users will be able to make NFC payments at wireless-enabled registers. There’s no mention of Apple Pay — and that’s because Apple doesn’t let its payment chip parlez with other platforms.
“We want Citi customers to have seamless, convenient and fast payment options wherever they go,” said Barry Rodrigues, Head of Global Digital Payments. Citi Pay will initially launch across Singapore, Australia and Mexico with tap-and-pay, while it’ll reach the US in early 2017.
Alexa isn’t talking to Citibank yet, however.
These crazy videos show recalled GoPro Karma drones crashing hard
GoPro won’t like these videos.
The camera maker recently recalled all 2,500 Karma drones it has sold since launching the device just two weeks ago. It’s investigating reports that a small number of them lost power during operation. If your Karma lost power mid-flight and fell out of the sky, what would you do?
You’d upload the footage online.
So, PetaPixel discovered that a YouTube search (of the keywords GoPro, Karma, and crash) reveals a bunch of videos where a Karma drone takes off, records for like a minute or two minutes, and then falls like a rock.
- GoPro recalls Karma drone due to loss of power
GoPro said it is coordinating with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to investigate the matter, but the CPSC has already confirmed it doesn’t regulate drones – the FAA does – and so it won’t be involved.
Still, if you own a Karma, you should return it. Check out GoPro’s website to handle refunds and learn about where you can return it. If you bought a Karma with a camera, GoPro said you must return the whole setup.
The company has not said when it will issue replacement units.
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