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Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet delayed yet again, now expected to ship starting June 29

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Just days after Sony pushed back the shipping date for its Xperia Z4 Tablet from June 5 to June 17, it looks like the device’s launch has been delayed yet again.

A quick look at the tablet’s product page now reveals that the WiFi variant of the device – which was not listed earlier – will begin shipping on June 29. Interestingly, the listing of the LTE model appears to have been taken down now. Read more »

Trade-in a working iPhone 5 and get an iPhone 6 for $1 on contract (Verizon and Sprint)

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Best Buy is currently running a trade-in promotion where you can trade in a working iPhone 5 for a gift card which can be used to purchase an iPhone 6 for just $1.

It’s worth mentioning that the offer only applies to the 16GB version of the Apple device, and is for a limited time only – valid till June 20. Also, you need to sign a 2-year agreement with Verizon Wireless or Sprint to take advantage of it. Read more »

Next Samsung smartwatch to reportedly include NFC mobile payments

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Samsung’s next smartwatch, which is codenamed Orbis and will be sold as the Gear A, will allow you to make NFC-based mobile payments, according to a Reuters report which cited a South Korean newspaper.

The report also said that the South Korean company’s mobile payments service Samsung Pay, which supports NFC, will be available with “select partners” next month. Read more »

Sony pushes back shipping date for its Xperia Z4 Tablet in UK

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Sony has pushed back the UK shipping date for its Xperia Z4 Tablet, which was announced by the company back in March at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.

While the tablet was supposed to begin shipping today, the official listing of the LTE variant of the tablet – which carries a price tag of £579 ($884) and comes with a keyboard — now clearly says that deliveries will start on June 17. Read more »

Job listing suggests new version of Google Glass nearing production

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Over a month after CEO of Italian eyewear manufacturer Luxottica said that Google Glass version 2.0 is coming out soon, a recent job listing posted by the search giant has revealed the new version of the high-tech eyewear might actually be nearing production.

First spotted by Business Insider, the listing seeks an Advanced Manufacturing Engineer (Final Assembly, Test & Pack) whose responsibilities include designing, developing, testing, and qualifying “solutions in a manufacturing environment, including Design for Manufacturing (DFM),” influencing “product design to improve manufacturability for yield and reliability,” as well as working “with the Quality and Reliability team to define requirements for shipment.” Read more »

Google rolling out a new Touch to Search feature for Chrome on Android

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Google has started rolling out a new feature for Chrome on Android that allows you to search from any web page with just a tap. Dubbed Touch to Search, the feature is similar to the Google Now on Tap feature that the company announced at its I/O developers’ conference last week.

“Since Chrome can see the page you’re searching from, it can give you more accurate search results. For example, just tapping on America on the page below shows a search about the movie Captain America: Civil War, not the country. Just slide up to see more information—news, cast, images and more,” the search giant said in a blog post. Read more »

Massive hack compromises data of millions of US federal workers

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Hackers infiltrated the computers of the US Office of Personnel Management – which handles government security clearances and federal employee records – and compromised personal data (like Social Security numbers) of at least 4 million current and former federal employees, the Obama administration revealed yesterday.

The hack – which is said to have started late last year – was first spotted a couple of months back, and was confirmed in the beginning of May. It is believed to have originated from China, although it isn’t yet clear if it was state sponsored. Read more »

HTC offering $50 off RE Camera, 50% discount on accessories

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HTC is celebrating this year’s Father’s day by offering discounts on some of the products available on its website. For example, you can grab the RE Camera for $149, which is $50 less than its usual price.

In addition, the company is also offering a 50% discount on accessories (provided that you purchase three or more), as well as 50% off card packs that are made with the company’s Print Studio app – don’t forget to use the code Dad at checkout. Read more »

Chrome update brings automatic pausing for unnecessary Flash content

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Google has announced that it has worked with Adobe to introduce a new feature in its Chrome web browser that automatically pauses unnecessary Flash content running on the web page being viewed.

“When you’re on a webpage that runs Flash, we’ll intelligently pause content (like Flash animations) that aren’t central to the webpage, while keeping central content (like a video) playing without interruption,” the company said in a blog post, adding that the update significantly reduces power consumption. Read more »

Tado claims its new Smart AC Control makes any remote-controlled air conditioner smart

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Smart thermostat company Tado has launched a new device that it claims makes any remote-controlled air conditioner smart. Dubbed Smart AC Control, the device carries a price tag of $199, and is currently available directly from the company’s official website (click the Source 2 link below).

The device connects with any remote-controlled in-room AC via infrared, and works in conjunction with a companion app which senses your location to decide whether to turn the AC off or on. You can also use the app to easily change the AC settings. Read more »

Facebook Messenger update brings the ability to send locations as messages

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Facebook has started rolling out a new feature that allows you to send locations as messages using the company’s Messenger app. “Now you can choose to explicitly send a map of your location or another particular place as a separate message,” the company said.

To use the feature, just tap the More icon or the location pin present the bottom of the app’s window, and you can share your (or any) location with the one you’re chatting with. Read more »

Samsung Pay to launch in US and South Korea in September this year

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Over a month after announcing that its mobile payments service will be launched in the second half of 2015, Samsung has confirmed that Samsung Pay will debut this September in the United States and South Korea.

The confirmation came from the company’s Executive Vice President Rhee In Jong, who also revealed that the service will be launched in conjunction with Samsung’s next high-end mobile device, which – given the time frame – could well be the Galaxy Note 5. Read more »

Pebble blames Apple for unavailability of its Pebble Time iOS app

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While the initial batch of the Pebble Time started shipping last week, those hoping to use the smartwatch with their iPhones will have to wait as its companion iOS app, which allows users of the wearable to install software updates, new apps, and watch faces, isn’t yet available for download on the Apple App Store.

Pebble is blaming Apple for the situation, saying that the Cupertino-based company’s App Store review process is responsible for the delay – the smartwatch maker had requested an “expedited” review of the app, which was last submitted on May 22. Read more »

IDC: Xiaomi was world’s second-biggest wearable vendor in Q1, 2015

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Xiaomi, which currently has only one wearable tech product on the market – the Mi Band, was the second-largest wearable vendor in the first quarter of the ongoing year, according to a latest report by market research firm IDC.

The Chinese company shipped a total of 2.8 million units of the wearable in the quarter, capturing a 24.6% market share. Read more »

Job listing suggests Apple planning to make Apple Maps available on other platforms as well

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Apple is planning to make its mapping service – which is currently exclusive to iOS and OS X – available on all platforms via the Web, according to a job listing posted by the company last month.

First spotted by tech analyst Benedict Evans and titled Maps JavaScript Engineer, the listing seeks a web technology expert to help make maps work seamlessly on the web. “This role requires a deep knowledge of the JavaScript language, plus a solid understanding of the performance and compatibility issues that arise when delivering a cross-platform web solution,” its description said. Read more »