HTC’s Nexus phone efforts show up at the FCC
If there was any doubt that HTC is working on at least one Nexus phone this year, the FCC (and a handful of leaks) just erased it. The regulator has received an HTC filing for smartphones that will be explicitly branded as a Nexus — a letter says you’ll find the user manual on Google’s Nexus page. The entries don’t really show the devices or say exactly what they can do, but the hardware should have full network support for all major North American carriers and beyond. Not that there’s much mystery as to what one of those devices looks like, as you’ll soon see.
Leaks from both Android Police and @Usbfl on Twitter show photos of what’s believed to be the 5-inch Marlin, the smaller of two Nexus devices that HTC is reportedly making this year (the other is the 5.5-inch Sailfish). They line up with a previous render AP made based on a source’s description, and support earlier rumors that both HTC Nexus devices would have a metal-and-glass design, not just the larger one like last year.
Assuming the images are accurate, they also suggest that earlier spec leaks are on the mark. Whether you choose Marlin or Sailfish may depend entirely on your preferred screen size. Both would have a higher-end Snapdragon processor (most likely the 820 or 821), 4GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front shooter and at least 32GB of built-in storage. Logically, 2015-era perks like a rear fingerprint reader and USB-C would carry over. There’s still no definitive release window for either Nexus, but they won’t necessarily launch at the same time as the Android Nougat upgrade arrives. Most likely, you’ll have to wait until sometime after LG unveils the first Nougat phone on September 6th.
The 2016 HTC Nexus looks like a cross between the Nexus 4 & iPhone with glass and fingerprint scanner on the back. pic.twitter.com/7pm9fhszki
— nexus (@usbfl) August 14, 2016
Via: The Next Web
Source: FCCID.io, Android Police, Usbfl (Twitter)
Capcom plans harsher punishments for ‘Street Fighter’ quitters
Capcom has been combating quitters in Street Fighter V since the game’s debut. And tomorrow, the publisher/developer is apparently making the penalties for disconnecting before a match ends even more harsh. Like before, cowards will have League Points docked, and will also be locked out of matchmaking for an ambiguous period of time, according to a post on Capcom Unity. It sound exactly like what’s in place currently, but that’s supposedly working pretty well. There’s more comprehensive update coming, too.
“Since the initial Rage Quitting system rollout, we have seen a rapid decrease in quitting players and we believe that this new update will reduce that number even further,” the post reads. “That being said, we’re still working on implementing a new, more robust system that will address the issue more completely by early next year.”
Hopefully the current countermeasures are effective enough to keep existing players from abandoning the game wholesale before then.
Source: Capcom Unity
‘Battlefield 1’ open beta starts August 31st
Eager to play Battlefield 1 but can’t wait until the game’s October 21st release date? Well, good news. Electronic Arts has announced that a 64-player open beta for the first-person shooter will begin August 31st on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
The beta will feature one map called the Sinai Desert, which will include playable dogfights in the sky, and two modes that should be familiar to Battlefield fans: Conquest and Rush. You’ll be able to try three classes — Tank Hunter, Sentry, and Flame Trooper — ride war horses, and control a powerful armored train.
If you sign up for the Battlefield Insider program, which grants you in-game rewards and a sneak peek at news for the upcoming game, you can play the beta three days earlier. Just pick your preferred gaming platform before August 21st to be eligible. Developer DICE will also be hosting a Twitch livestream of Battlefield 1 that you can watch tomorrow at noon PT.
Source: Battlefield.com
Sketchy Rumor Suggests iPhone 7 Will Feature Faster Charging Speeds
Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus could feature improved charging speeds, according to information shared by Twitter user The Malignant, citing an unverified Chinese source.
Alongside an image of an iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 logic board comparison that does not seem to divulge any clear info to confirm the rumor, The Malignant says the iPhone 7 will feature “at least” five volt two amp charging.
#Apple according to the source (导航i世界) seems #iphone7 will support #fastcharge at least 5V2A pic.twitter.com/Lu0AqnVHud
— The Malignant (@the_malignant) August 14, 2016
Apple’s iPhone models currently ship with a 1A/5W charger, but are able to charge more quickly with a 2.1A/12W iPad adapter. With the rumored fast charging feature, charging speeds would presumably be even faster than using an iPad charging adapter with a current model iPhone.
Improved charging speed is not an iPhone 7 rumor that we’ve heard before, nor does it come from a reputable source, so this information should be viewed with some skepticism. Twitter user The Malignant appears to share a variety of rumors and information sourced from Chinese social networking sites, not all of which is reliable.
Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 7 at an event rumors suggest will be held on Wednesday, September 7. More reliable rumors about the device suggest it will feature a slightly redesigned body with relocated antenna bands, camera improvements, a faster processor, and no headphone jack.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
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Jony Ive’s Design Team Nixed Apple Watch Band With Sensors
In an interview with Fast Company, former Apple employee Bob Messerschmidt, who helped design the heart rate sensors in the Apple Watch, gave some insight into what it was like working with Jony Ive and Apple’s Industrial Design Group on the company’s first wearable device.
After a 2010 acquisition, Messerschmidt joined the Apple Watch team, where he was in charge of designing some of the sensors for the device. In an anecdote relayed to Fast Company, during one meeting, Messerschmidt proposed putting health sensors in the Apple Watch band, an idea that was quickly shot down by the Industrial Design Group because of a desire for interchangeable bands.
One great example is [when] I went to a meeting and said I’m going to put sensors in the watch but I’m going to put them down here (he points to the underside of the Apple Watch band he’s wearing) because I can get a more accurate reading on the bottom of the wrist than I can get on the top of the wrist. They (the Industrial Design group) said very quickly that “that’s not the design trend; that’s not the fashion trend. We want to have interchangeable bands so we don’t want to have any sensors in the band.”
Messerschmidt’s next proposal was for sensors at the top of an Apple Watch worn tightly against the wrist, which was also nixed because “that’s not how people wear watches.” According to Messerschmidt, it was difficult working within the design constraints at Apple, but it pushed him to figure out “new engineering solutions” and ultimately made for a product with a superior user experience.
Engineers left in a vacuum might say “well, that’s maybe not so important; we can get a better signal by doing it the other way so let’s do it that way.” So, left to their own devices, that would be the way the product would end up. So you have to have a really strong voice supporting the user. I think the idea of focusing on that is uniquely Apple
Messerschmidt goes on to explain other important lessons he learned from his time working at Apple and from Steve Jobs, including that user experience is “everything when it comes to consumer products,” that “good enough is not good enough,” and that it’s important to say no “until it’s just right.”
Following three years at Apple and integral work on the heart rate sensor in the Apple Watch, Messerschmidt left the company to found Cor, a startup producing a device that draws blood, analyzes it, and provides near-instant health-related information.
Messerschmidt’s full interview is worth checking out and can be read over at Fast Company.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
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Google Fuchsia OS: What is it and what does it power?
Google is developing an entirely new operating system.
But here’s the thing: it’s unclear at the moment what this operating system is for, including what devices it might power. Here’s everything we know so far about the project, which is currently going by the name Fuchsia. Keep checking back however, as we plan to update this piece over time with the latest reports, rumours, leaked information, and of course, any and all confirmations.
Google Fuchsia: What is it?
Fuchsia is an evolving pile of code. You can find it on the search giant’s code depository and on GitHub. The code is supposedly the early beginnings of an entirely new operating system, though Google has yet to confirm that news. Interestingly, it’s not based on Linux Kernel – the core underpinnings of both Android (Google’s mobile OS) and Chrome OS (Google’s desktop and laptop OS).
Google Fuchsia: What devices might it power?
The current school of thought is that Fuchsia is a new OS that could unify Chrome OS and Android into a single operating system (something that’s been heavily speculated since 2015. Reports have claimed that new OS will release in 2017. That’s said, Google’s documentation describes the software as targeting “modern phones and modern personal computers” with “fast processors” and “non-trivial amounts of RAM.”
With that in mind, if Fuchsia is not a unifying OS, it could be used to power Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as Google’s OnHub.
Google Fuchsia: Why could it be an IoT OS?
Fuchsia is built on Magenta. It’s a “medium-sized microkernel” based on a project called LittleKernel, which is meant for embedded systems, such as a device that has a specific purpose but doesn’t require a whole OS, like a router or watch. Also, the two developers listed on Fuchsia’s GitHub page – a senior software engineer at Google and a former engineer on Android TV and Nexus Q – are well-known experts in embedded systems.
Furthermore, Google’s documentation notes Magenta supports user modes, graphics rendering, and a “capability-based security model.” Although all this points to Fuchsia being an OS for Wi-Fi connected gadgets, it’s worth bringing up that Google already has an IoT platform called Brillo.
Google Fuchsia: What else could it be?
Hacker News users have suggested Fuchsia could be designed for augmented reality interfaces.
Google Fuchsia: Are there any other clues?
Nope. The top of Fuchsia’s GitHub page says “Pink + Purple == Fuchsia (a new Operating System).”
Google Fuchsia: Why is the code public?
As for why the project/code is out in the public and thus was able to be discovered in such a low-key manner, Brian Swetland, one of Fuchsia’s listed developers, reportedly explained: “The decision was made to build it open source, so might as well start there from the beginning.” Swetland also revealed Fuchsia is booting reasonably well on small-form factor Intel PCs and an Acer Switch Alpha 12 laptop.
Want to know more?
Check our Google hub for related news.
‘Hidden Figures’ celebrates black women who led the Space Race
Hidden Figures tells the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three black women who played crucial roles in one of NASA’s finest hours: launching an American into orbit for the first time. As the film’s first trailer shows, their story is not only important, it’s long overdue.
Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 for her accomplishments as one of NASA’s human computers in the 1960s, back before the organization could rely on machines and software for complex calculations. Vaughan was Johnson’s supervisor and Jackson was a fellow engineer. Hidden Figures is based on a book of the same name written by Margot Lee Shetterly, and its story addresses the racism and sexism that these women faced, both privately and professionally, even as they worked with NASA to send a man to space.
In the film, Johnson is portrayed by Taraji P. Henson; Vaughan is played by Octavia Spencer and Jackson is brought to life on-screen by Janelle Monáe. Monáe is a singer and songwriter (who happens to be featured on Engadget’s Spotify Gaming playlist) and Hidden Figures is her acting debut. Hidden Figures hits theaters on January 13th.
Source: 20th Century Fox
BlackBerry Priv and DTEK50 first to be fully patched against all QuadRooter vulnerabilities
BlackBerry is rolling out a patch against the QuadRooter exploit to the Priv and DTEK50 starting today.
BlackBerry has built a patch against the fourth and final vulnerability of the QuadRooter exploit.
As a refresher, QuadRooter was able to use vulnerabilities in Qualcomm’s firmware drivers to gain elevated permissions (read: root) on your phone or tablet. Zero cases have been reported in the wild, and the user would have to disable factory security settings and manually install an app using the QuadRooter code. In addition, all phones running Android 4.2 or higher and use Google Play have built-in protections that scan apps and warn the user before the installation. BlackBerry devices that run Android — the Priv and the DTEK50 — also have a secure boot process that verifies the system hasn’t been tampered with.
In other words, this wasn’t going to go far in the first place.
Nevertheless, it’s great to see BlackBerry’s active focus on security. Three of the four vulnerabilities were patched by Qualcomm and included in the August Android Security Patch, but the fourth was slated to come with the September patch.
Some critical Android vulnerabilities – for example, one that can be easily and remotely exploited with a publicly disclosed method to execute ‘root’ privileged malware – simply can’t wait for a monthly update cycle. — BlackBerry Chief Security Officer, David Kleidermacher
Kleidermacher is correct. BlackBerry stakes its reputation on security, and patching a new firmware bug should take top priority. Well done, BlackBerry.
The patch has been released and is available today for devices purchased from ShopBlackBerry.com. Partners are expected to begin the rollout this week.
MORE: Android Malware — should you be worried?
Go Time! Episode 5: Explain it to me like I’m Valor
Episode 5 of our Pokémon Go podcast is here!
We’re back for episode five with Valor, Mystic, and Instinct players. There was a lot to talk about this week. We covered the changes to the nearby and sightings systems from the app update, the return of battery saver for iOS. We also uncover the secrets behind the IV system for your Pokémon, and how to behave when playing around children.
We’ve been having a blast with Pokémon Go, and we hope you’ll join us!
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- Or add us to your podcatcher of choice!
You can also join our Facebook page to keep up on all things Pokémon Go. See you in the world!
Pokémon Go
- Join our Pokémon Go forums!
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Android 7.0: Data Saver will prevent overages on cheaper plans
Android 7.0 Nougat can help you use less data in an intelligent way.
We all like new features and a better way to do things, but when they can save us some money we might just like them a little more. That’s what Google is aiming for with the new Data Saver feature in Android 7.0 Nougat.
For many of us, especially if we bought a less expensive Android, the amount of money we spend on data will quickly become more than we paid for the phone that’s using it. When we use too much, especially when we didn’t realize it was happening, it becomes even worse because the companies who provide us with a connection like to charge plenty of money for going over your monthly allotment. Not paying attention to apps sucking up data behind the scenes is fairly common in today’s mobile landscape, and with Android 7.0 Google is looking to fix that.
More: The best cheap Android phones of 2016
Data Saver in Android 7.0 isn’t like the current data usage setting in Marshmallow, nor is it like Sony’s Stamina mode. Rather than just a cut off when a certain user-set amount is consumed, or stop all background usage completely on every connection, Data Saver kicks in anytime you’re on a metered (read: not unlimited) data connection. If you are, it limits apps and background process to a set amount of data, influencing how often they can dip into it. When you’re on an unmetered connection (no data cap) it allows apps to do everything they were programmed to do. Changes to the ConnectivityManager API in SDK version 24 (that’s Android 7.0) include a way to check if the device is on a metered connection, when anything about the connection changes and if Data Saver is enabled.
Data Saver works for any cellular data plan, including prepaid services
Data Saver works for any cellular data plan, including prepaid services. That means it will also work if you’re traveling abroad and buy a pre-paid local SIM card.
We may want to let certain apps do what they need even when the Data Saver setting is applied. Those apps can be put on a user-created whitelist. Apps on that list are allowed to freely use data when running in the background.
Also, some apps just won’t work if they can’t get connected. For the developers of this sort of app (think something like Facebook Messenger) they can request to be whitelisted by using a bit of code in their app. If Data Saver is enabled, the app will let the user know that it needs to be whitelisted (developers, make sure to include an explanation, please!) and direct the user to the whitelist settings. They can still say no, but they need to know that an app won’t work without a connection.
The whole system is opt-in through the network settings in Android 7.0 — and developers will have to enable the feature, too
This means developers will want to make some changes to how they run in the background. As users, we’ll be more willing to whitelist an app if it can limit background data usage to just essential services like direct messages. Developers can also shift to using Google Cloud Messaging (introduced in 2013) for easier-to-manage push notifications while having the rest of their app use the standard data connection.
The whole system is opt-in through the network settings in Android 7.0. If you have an unlimited plan from Sprint or T-Mobile or are holding on to a legacy plan from another provider, you can just ignore it. Likewise for things like a company phone where 24/7 connectivity is more important than the bill.
Data Saver is one of many new system-level features coming with Nougat. Together they make Android 7.0 one of the best updates we’ve seen in a while, and will be the groundwork for even more great features in the future.
Android Nougat
Android Nougat is the 12th nicknamed version of Android and will be released to the public in the fall of 2016. Here’s everything you need to know so far!
- What’s new in Android Nougat
- Will my phone get Android Nougat?
- All Android Nougat news
- Should you use the Android N Dev Preview?
- Join the Discussion
