VRS Design cases offer peek at Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge
With new devices just around the corner, case manufacturers once again help us get a peek at what smartphones may look like before their official announcements. We saw this happen recently with a manufacturer’s rendering of the LG G5 as well as some listings on Amazon for LG G5 cases. Now the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge get similar treatment thanks to VRS Design.
If you are not familiar with VRS Design, that is understandable. Until very recently, they were known as Verus, but now they have completed a rebranding of the company to VRS Design. In their old iteration of Verus, we recognized them as producing one of the best cases available for the Nexus 6P.
VRS Design has several models in the works for both the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge. The renders they have prepared do not reveal anything we have not already seen for Samsung’s newest flagship devices, but they are some of the cleanest images we have seen yet.
You can check out what VRS Design has in the works. The company indicates the cases should be ready and available when the new phones launch in March. They also have cases for the LG G5 in development, but no images of that device in the company’s cases have surfaced yet.
Come comment on this article: VRS Design cases offer peek at Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge
Samsung A9100 shows up in GFXBench, but is it the Galaxy A9 Pro?
This past month rumors started to surface that Samsung might be adding a new device to their A series of smartphones, a Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro. Sources spotted a Samsung device with model number A9100 and the suspicion was that Samsung may be planning to release an upgraded version of the Galaxy A9. A device with that same model number has surfaced on GFXBench, but we are no closer to knowing whether it is a Galaxy A9 Pro or some other model to be added to Samsung’s portfolio.
The big problem with trying to make the leap from the Galaxy A9 to this mystery device being the Galaxy A9 Pro is the display specifications listed on the GFXBench site. The Galaxy A9 has a 6-inch screen running at full HD resolution. The A9100 device is listed with only a 5.5-inch screen and full HD resolution. That would be a step back which leaves us wondering whether this device is destined to be some other model or whether a mistake was made in the GFXBench entry.
The other information available on GFXBench is consistent with this new device being a mildly upgraded version of the Galaxy A9, probably just enough to warrant the “Pro” moniker. The processor information appears to be consistent with the Snapdragon 652, the same as the Galaxy A9, so no bump there. However, the A9100 is listed with 4GB of RAM instead of 3GB of RAM which is the amount present in the Galaxy A9.
The other improvements appears to be with the rear-facing camera. The Galaxy A9 has a 13MP sensor while this new device is pushing on a 16MP resolution. For the front-facing camera, it looks like Samsung has packed in an 8MP unit.
For internal memory, the unit on GFXBench appears to have 32GB onboard. The other item noted in the GFXBench listing is the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system coming pre-installed.
source: GFXBench
via: GSMArena
Come comment on this article: Samsung A9100 shows up in GFXBench, but is it the Galaxy A9 Pro?
130+ HD minimalist wallpapers of colors, macro images and more
Your phone probably has a fantastic display and there is no better way to see the beauty of it than through a wallpaper. We’ve collected a huge library of over 130 wallpapers of macro images, color, water droplets, dandelions and flowers all to make your background pop. These are perfect to show off the pixels and color gamut on your Android, iOS or Windows smartphones. They’ll also look great on your tablets as well.
We’ve changed things up lately and will be sharing the entire collection through Google Photos rather than hosting them on our servers. There are thousands of you who love these wallpapers and rather than drain the speed on our server, we’re offloading that responsibility to Google. All you have to do is join the collection through this link and you’re free to download all of the wallpapers to your device.
We would also love it if you tweeted screenshots of your home screens to us at Twitter.com (@AndroidGuys). We might feature your background in an upcoming wallpapers collection!
See the entire collection by clicking on this LINK to Google Photos.
Here some of our favorites from the collection.
Dandelion seed with water drops
The post 130+ HD minimalist wallpapers of colors, macro images and more appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Deal: register for Samsung Pay, get a pair of Level U Wireless headphones free
In a deal that will only last until Valentine’s Day, Samsung is offering new adopters of their works-almost-anywhere mobile payment system a pair of Samsung Level U Wireless Headphones. It has to be the first card that you activate on Samsung Pay (so just adding a new card won’t let you game this deal), and of course it’s only available on Samsung devices like the Galaxy S6, Edge, Edge+ and Note 5. The carriers eligible for this offer include, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular.
Samsung has been pushing Pay pretty hard as of late. Although the payment method works almost everywhere you would use a credit card, mass adoption has been slow. The mobile company is expanding Pay to a wide array of new regions in 2016, so it looks like they hope that by sweetening the deal, they will increase their service’s userbase.
See also: Samsung Pay expanding to Australia, Singapore and Brazil after the UK, Spain and China
The Level U Wireless Headphones are perfect for commuters or fitness fanatics. Offering high quality sound without the hassle of wires, these headphones make the ideal companion for any smartphone or music-streaming smartwatch. To take advantage of this deal, you have to register a new, qualifying card – your first card on Samsung Pay – sometime between February 1, 2016 and February 14, 2016. You will receive a coupon code, but you have to redeem your headphones by March 15. To get started, grab the app by clicking the button below!
What do you think of Samsung Pay and this promotion? Worth picking up, or is it something you’re going to pass on? Let us know in the comments!
Get it in the Play Store!
Next: Best unlocked Android phones (January 2016)
The first Ultra HD Blu-ray players are already on sale
I wasn’t expecting to see Samsung’s UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player on sale until the end of the month, but it’s already available at a few stores. USA Today points out that Video and Audio Center in Santa Monica is kicking off sales today, and the store’s Facebook page indicates that there are already movies available as well.
SAMSUNG’S STREAMING UBD-K8500 4K BLU-RAY PLAYER & 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY DISKS DEBUTS TODAY AT VIDEO & AUDIO CENTER!You…
Posted by Video & Audio Center on Friday, February 5, 2016
Source: USA Today, Video and Audio Center (Facebook), AVS Forum
Apple tells Supreme Court not to hear Samsung’s patent trial appeals
We have more Apple and Samsung lawsuit news, and we all know what that means. After years of legal battling, the two companies have finally decided to compromise and stop the never-ending lawsuits and have agreed to just get along.
Actually, Apple told the Supreme Court that it shouldn’t hear Samsung’s appeal over their massive patent dispute after Samsung filed for the court to hear everything back in December. It’s not really a cheerful ending, but we can still hold out hope for that first thing.
After paying over half a billion to Apple, Samsung wants the Supreme Court to hear the case, specifically how it relates to Apple’s design patents. Google and Facebook have publicly sided with Samsung here to try and get a reasonable decision made about the validity of those design patents, but Apple says the trial has gone on long enough and there’s no reason to keep escalating things. Samsung (and many other companies) worry that if the verdict is upheld, it could set an awful precedent going forward for other companies trying to create innovative products.
Both companies have a point, and there’s two ways to look at things. The case has dragged on for years, so it makes sense to go ahead and wrap things up. On the other hand, though, when your legal battle takes multiple years to resolve, what’s another few months on top of things, especially if it makes sure to set the correct precedent for the market?
No word on how this will end up, but we’ll keep you updated after a decision has been made.
source: re/code
Come comment on this article: Apple tells Supreme Court not to hear Samsung’s patent trial appeals
Galaxy S2 gets a Marshmallow treat for its fifth birthday
It was 2011, and Samsung was taking over the world.
Once upon a time, when phones with 5-inch screens were huge, when dual-core processors were the bomb, the Galaxy S2 showed the world that Samsung was serious about this whole smartphone thing.
Released in February 2011, the Galaxy S2 was Samsung’s first real sales hit. It was one of the most iconic designs that Samsung ever put out, but the steady pace of tech evolution relegated it to the dustbin of the mobile industry.
Fortunately for the precious few users that still rock a Galaxy S2, the folks in the CyanogenMod community are not in the habit of giving up on capable phones, no matter how old and out of fashion they are.
CyanogenMod 13 nightlies are now available for download for the international Samsung Galaxy S2 (i9100), bringing users the option to try out Marshmallow on their venerable device.
How is it the five-year-old Galaxy S2 able to run Marshmallow, you ask? It’s thanks to its 1GB of RAM and dual-core processor, but of course don’t expect the smooth experience you would get from a modern device. Nightlies, by their nature, can contain bugs and inconsistencies, so be advised that putting Marshmallow-based CM13 on your Galaxy S2 may result in some issues.
CyanogenMod 13 offers a slew of customizations options and feature additions, on top of a very stock-like user experience. The custom ROM is perfect for stock Android fans that are looking for a little more power and variety. Among the biggest features are a powerful custom launcher, a customizable lock screen, extensive themes support, and a slew of personalization options.
See also: Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup – February 2, 2016
CyanogenMod 13 nightlies were first released on November 25, a little over a month from the release of Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Anyone here still hanging on to their trusty Galaxy S2?
Latest rumor suggests that the Galaxy S7 will have a two-day battery life
The rumor mill it still spinning at warp speed with hordes of speculation regarding Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphone of 2016, the Galaxy S7. The most reliable information so far has come from Russian Analyst Eldar Murtazin who is now back with another exposé this time claiming that the device’s 3,000mAh battery will be able to withstand 48-hours of regular use at 75% of brightness.
What’s rather interesting here is Murtazin’s use of the word regular. His screen-on time during the experiment exhibits just over 4 and a half hours, which no way equates to the amount of time I spend on my phone a day. Also, the SIM card inserted was running on 3G and not 4G, which would have a significant improvement on battery life.
I’m not complaining, though. I only seem to get around 8-hours worth of use out of my 10-month old Galaxy S6 Edge on 3G. Consequently, I have to plug it into the wall half way through the day to juice it up — so having a handset that could last for two-days straight would be a huge improvement on what I’m currently experiencing.
Just in case you’ve missed any of the Galaxy S7 gossip, it looks like the unit will pack a 5.1-inch qHD display, a Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 Octa chipset, an Adreno 530/Mali-T880 MP12 GPU, 4GB of RAM, 32/64/128GB of internal flash memory and a 2,550mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery.
Source: Eldar Murtazin (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Latest rumor suggests that the Galaxy S7 will have a two-day battery life
Apple wants Samsung’s appeal thrown out in Apple vs Samsung patent case
Cast your mind back to the prehistoric tech days of 2012, when Apple was awarded a significant victory over Samsung in a high-profile patent dispute. With a ruling of $1 billion in Apple’s favor, Samsung repeatedly appealed the decision and eventually whittled that figure down to the $548 million settlement it finally paid Apple in December 2015. But the story is not yet over, not by a long shot.
Even before the settlement payment, Samsung had filed papers to take the case to the Supreme Court under appeal, claiming the jury was ill-informed about the complexities of patent law. At the time, Samsung’s appeal was rejected, but no sooner had Samsung paid Apple than it filed a new appeal to the Supreme Court to have the verdict overturned and the money returned as part of a larger demand to have the patent law system reviewed and updated for modern times.
See also: Samsung demands patent law review, thinks the system is “antiquated”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Apple has now urged the Supreme Court to ignore Samsung’s latest appeal and let sleeping dogs lie, claiming Samsung has “had its day in court – many days, in fact”. Naturally, Apple wants this whole thing to be over; after all, it got its money and won a substantial victory over its arch-rival. But Samsung has some pretty high profile supporters.
While Apple might be against the appeal – which could potentially see its favorable 2012 verdict overturned – Google, Facebook, Dell, eBay and HP, among others, have all thrown their support behind Samsung’s request. The case is not so much about Samsung and Apple now than about how patent law is understood more than 120 years after its last revision and how damages are awarded in patent infringement cases.
The prime target of the dispute is the contentious “total profit” rule whereby all profits made by a product found to infringe on a patent can be awarded to the patent holder. That means if a smartphone with a quarter million patents involved in its production is found to infringe on even one of them, all of the money made from that device can go to the holder of that patent. As Samsung rightfully notes, when the patent law system was instituted, a product might only require one patent.
According to Samsung, the complexity of modern electronic products demands a review of patent law and the way that damages are awarded in patent cases. Samsung’s response to Apple’s rejection of its appeal states that “if the legal precedent in this case stands, innovation could be diminished, competition could be stifled, and opportunistic lawsuits could have negative effects throughout the U.S. economy.”
Who do you think will win? How do you think patents should be handled for modern devices?
Now you can make VR friends in AltspaceVR
There are so many reports out there talking about how kids these days are less social because of the internet and social media. That they never actually go out and meet people anymore. However, we now have the best of both worlds with AltspaceVR.
AltspaceVR plans to merge the gap between social media and real life. Their new app for the Samsung Gear VR aims to provide a place where users can “hang out together”, but in virtual reality. Users will be able to sit down and watch online videos, stream Netflix, play games, just talk, and more. All without actually going anywhere in real life.
AltspaceVR Founder & CEO Eric Romo said:
“Our focus at AltspaceVR is creating the most natural and fulfilling communication experience possible online, and we’re thrilled to bring it to Gear VR,”
AltspaceVR is also trying to be more than just a VR social network, but eventually turning into a new way to teleconference. Hopefully, one day being able to be used to work on team projects together without everyone actually being in the same room.
AltspaceVR was already out on the PC, but this is its first mobile app. Due to the lack of mobile controls compared to on the PC, AltspaceVR has to think of the best apps and games users can collaborate on. Feel free to suggest what you think would be awesome in the comments.
If you have a Gear VR and would like to try out AltspaceVR, head over to the Oculus Store now. Don’t forget to say “hello” if you see me there.
Source: AltspaceVR
Via: TechCrunch
Come comment on this article: Now you can make VR friends in AltspaceVR
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