2016 Nexus: First live photos leak as Nougat release approaches

First live photos of smaller 5-inch Nexus reveal metal design with large glass section on the back.

This year’s Google-designed (and likely HTC-built) Nexus phones might not be arriving alongside Android 7.0 Nougat, but it’s looking like we won’t have to wait too much longer to wait for the new handsets to arrive. Shots surfacing on Android Police today claim to reveal (in heavily cropped form) the smaller of the two phones, known by its codename “Sailfish.”

The 5-inch model (as opposed to the larger 5.5-inch “Marlin”) sports an angular, chamfered metal design with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a large glass section on the back. As expected, there’s virtually no branding around the front, and the unit shown in these pictures — presumably a testing device — lacks any visible branding on the back as well. (Android Police reports that the final hardware will be branded with Google’s “G” logo, fuelling recent speculation around the future of the Nexus brand.)

Aside from being an eye-catching design feature, the glass window on the back could serve as a larger target area for NFC — making Android Pay payments easier, among other things.

The images are broadly in line with shots that surfaced on Twitter recently showing a similar glass-backed design amid copious amounts of digital zoom.

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

That same account also claims there’s a plastic Nexus on the way, however AC understands that both models on the cards this year are metal, and that any plastic model doing the rounds is likely some kind of dummy chassis.

Aside from shots of what appears to be a relatively standard smartphone chassis — aside from that big glass window on the back — the most interesting nugget to come from this spate of Nexus rumors has to do with the Nexus monicker itself, and how this year’s “Google” phones will differ from previous Nexuses in terms of design and branding.

Will this year’s ‘Nexus’ phones actually be Nexus phones?

The source of this most recent leak has already shown images of a redesigned Settings app, with updated colors and a new “Support” tab. Weeks earlier, a redesigned “Nexus Launcher” believed to be from one of the new Google phones, also leaked out. Add that to reports that Google is redesigning Android’s soft keys again, with colorful accents which animate to reveal Now on Tap, and you’ve got a highly differentiated UI that’s a far cry from the “stock” Nougat we currently know.

AC understands that these images are indeed an accurate representation of the UI that’ll appear on the upcoming HTC-built, Google-branded handsets. That being the case, perhaps it makes sense that the LG V20, not any new Nexus device, will be the first phone with Android 7.0. Just because Nougat is done, doesn’t necessarily mean the extra Google software on these “Nexus” phones is complete.

Android 7.0 Nougat is expected to arrive later this month. Given that the LG V20 will launch as the “first” Nougat phone on Sept 6, we’re probably looking at mid-to-late September before any new Google phones hit store shelves.

MORE: What LG having the first new phone with Nougat means for the Nexus program

Final Fantasy fans look away, FF15 delayed

You’ve been waiting for 10 years for Final Fantasy XV (FF15) but we’re afraid you’ll have to wait a little longer as the game has been put back in order to “deliver the iconic Final Fantasy experience”.

Expected to release in around six week’s time, on 30 September, the RPG will now not arrive until 29 November.

That will be massively disappointing to franchise fans and gamers who have been awaiting it with baited breath, although it can also be seen as a positive indication of its size and depth.

Square Enix claims that the delay allows the development team more time to conduct quality testing and add further polish. It could mean the game is so huge the in-house testing period has taken longer than expected.

• Final Fantasy XV: Everything you need to know
• This is what it would look like if Star Wars and Final Fantasy collided

Game director Hajime Tabata apologised for the delay but revealed that a strive for perfection was behind the move: ““From the moment we joined this project, our vision was to create a level of freedom and realism previously unseen in the series. Regrettably, we need a little bit more time to deliver on this vision,” he said.

“I wish to personally apologise for the additional wait. As a team, we want Final Fantasy XV to achieve a level of perfection that our fans deserve. We kindly ask for your understanding.”

Huawei Mate 9 tipped for IFA 2016 after pics and specs leak

There have been a couple of Huawei Mate 9 rumours floating around in the last few months, but nothing as significant as the latest.

A couple of pics have been posted on Chinese forum site Weibo that are of the alleged casing for the forthcoming flagship smartphone. In addition, some of the specifications were listed alongside them.

If true, the Huawei Mate 9 will have a 5.9-inch screen with a Full HD resolution. It is again said to have the Kirin 960 processor, something touted since April and the launch of the firm’s P9 series of phones. And there will be options for 4GB and 6GB of RAM, much like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 which is likely to feature the latter in China.

• Huawei Mate 9 could have a 20MP dual camera and blow P9 out of the water

The only newly leaked specification that doesn’t resonate so well is that it will come with a 16-megapixel camera on the rear. All previous leaks claim it will either have a 12-megapixel snapper or a mammoth 20-megapixel sensor, topping the dual cameras on the P9.

Still, the casing looks nice and consistent with the company’s design trend, so could well be the real deal.

There is no word of a release date but with IFA 2016 only a few weeks away, we have a good feeling it could make an appearance there, in Berlin.

Air Force boosts drone pilot bonuses to keep up with demand

It’s no secret that the US Air Force is doing everything it can to recruit and keep drone pilots, and now it’s resorting to a very direct solution: cold, hard cash. The military branch is offering $10,000 more per year in bonuses to those pilots who renew their active duty commitment for 5 years. They were already getting a hefty $25,000 extra per year, but this is a huge incentive — if a pilot is active for the full term, that’s a total of $175,000 above and beyond their usual pay.

It’s a lot to offer, but it may be necessary. The USAF is increasingly relying on drones as part of its operations, and its training has suffered in recent years due to stretched resources. While the Air Force is doubling the number of pilots it produces between its 2015 and 2017 fiscal years, it’s not going to take any chances with losing those crews that are already here. That’s especially true when airlines are aggressively luring pilots with the promises of greater pay. It’s too soon to say if larger bonuses will work, but the odds are that there will be at least some drone operators who’ll stay on when they would have otherwise bowed out.

Via: Defense One

Source: Department of Defense

Apple Maps Expands Transit Data to San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth

Apple continues to build upon the transit coverage of Apple Maps, today adding the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and the City of San Antonio to supported areas in Texas. The support marks the first expansion of transit coverage beyond the state’s capital of Austin.

In Dallas-Fort Worth, Apple will now offer up routes that include transportation by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail commuter service and streetcar line, as well as the Skylink at DFW Airport.

In San Antonio, coverage is concentrated within the Connolly Loop (Interstate 410), and takes in the city’s VIA Metropolitan Transit system.

Transit directions were first added to Apple Maps in 2015 as part of iOS 9. At launch, transit information was only available in a handful of cities, but Apple has been working hard to expand the feature to additional locations.

Transit data is now available in more than 20 cities around the world, along with dozens of cities in China.

(Thanks, Ram!)

Tags: Apple Maps, transit
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Ultrasound can levitate large objects

Scientists have long dreamed of using acoustic levitation to float objects, but there has been one big catch: you couldn’t lift an object larger than the wavelength without being picky about what you’re lifting. However, it might not be a problem going forward. Researchers in Brazil and the UK have successfully levitated a polystyrene ball 3.6 times larger than the ultrasonic waves holding it up. The trick was to create a standing wave in the gap between the transducers and the object, instead of the usual pressure node between the transducer and a reflector. You can change the angle and number of transducers without messing with the effect, and it finally creates both horizontal and vertical lift — you don’t need physical support to prevent the object from drifting sideways.

The technology only works with stationary objects at the moment. Sorry, folks, you won’t see ultrasonic hovercars any time soon. Levitation that can manipulate large objects is on the cards, though, and it shouldn’t be limited to specific shapes or sizes. You could eventually see this used to hold on to liquid in space, or to study very hot objects (say, molten metal) that you wouldn’t dare touch.

Via: Phys.org

Source: Applied Physics Letters