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Alcatel Idol X+ battery test

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The Alcatel Idol X+ runs on a robust MT6592 octa-core processor, and is the first “true” octa-core smartphone we’ve reviewing toting a chip capable of throttling any number of the eight cores depending on how much power is required.

Alcatel has also thrown in a robust 2,500mAh battery into the mix, which leaves us curious to see how well the CPU is doing in terms of efficiency. Let’s dive in! Read more »

Photoshop Express for iOS gets UI overhaul

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The latest version of Adobe’s mobile version of Photoshop, Photoshop Express, has received an update for iOS. Thr new release refreshes the way the program works and how you interact with it.

The new “editing experience”, as Adobe likes to call it, is not restricted to just the design change and usual bug fixes and optimizations, but also adds quick sharing options. Read more »

Popcorn Time returns with series and movie torrent streaming for Android

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Popcorn Time, which debuted a few weeks ago as a service providing torrent streaming for movies and TV shows, was promptly taken down due to obvious legal issues.

Now, the service is back up with the promise that it will “never be taken down” again. Better yet, a new Android and updated desktop versions are just around the corner. Read more »

Android passes iOS in ad traffic, still behind in ad revenue

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The latest data from Opera’s Mediaworks ad tracking platform shows that Android has for the first time surpassed iOS in number of mobile ad impressions.

Apple’s iPhones and iPads still generate more ad revenue, however, receiving 52% of ad revenue, despite accounting for just 38.2% of all impressions. Read more »

Samsung explains the new tech behind the Galaxy S5 Super AMOLED display

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While much fuss has been made out of the Galaxy S5 display – the company’s 1080p Super AMOLED diamond matrix having been around since the Galaxy S4, after all – it turns out that Samsung has put quite a bit of work into making its latest panel the best ever.

The company has posted some interesting demos of the new capabilities baked into the Galaxy S5 display, including local contrast enhancement for bright conditions, Adapt Display tech for different lighting, and different color realization modes for display photos. Read more »

Lytro unveils second generation Illum light field camera

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Lytro unveiled its proprietary self-titled camera – the first of its kind – back in 2011, and now its decided to follow it up with a new light field camera called Illum.

The Illum sports a more conventional design compared to the original’s box-shaped configuration, as well as a revamped interface running on Android that lets you see your 3D scene while you frame it. Read more »

Samsung celebrates 45th anniversary by opening Innovation Museum in Korea

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Yesterday Samsung celebrated its 45th anniversary by unveiling a museum dedicated to the history of innovation in Suwon, South Korea.

The museum is dedicated to showing off Samsung products and inventions, as well as those from some of its competitors. Notably absent, however, are Apple and crosstown rival LG. Read more »

Alcatel Idol X+ hands-on

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Alcatel has slowly been building momentum in the midrange segment, and has accrued quite a following in emerging markets, particularly in South America.

Its latest Alcatel Idol X+ offering is an update to its flagship Idol smartphone, this time with a “true” octa-core processor from Mediatek that also comes with a boost to its battery, but still manages to retain the same slick design at a competitive price point. Read more »

Samsung stops making OLED TVs due to LG’s dominance

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Samsung and LG are used to trading blows when it comes to new display techs, and released products with curved display tech last year at roughly the same time.

Now, it seems, LG is getting the upper hand on its crosstown rival when it comes OLED displays in TVs, so much so that Samsung has reportedly pulled out of the OLED game altogether. Read more »

Samsung outs official promo video for its Gear Fit wearable

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The Samsung Gear Fit has been touted by Samsung as the perfect companion device to the Galaxy S5, especially if you’re looking to use the integrated S Health features.

The Gear Fit, introduced alongside the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo smartwatches at the Galaxy S5 launch, is shown off in a new video from Samsung that highlights its curved Super AMOLED display. Read more »

Alibaba to enable fingerprint purchases for the Galaxy S5

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The latest generation of devices reintroduced fingerprint recognition into mobiles, with online payment services like PayPal quickly jumping aboard to enable secure one-touch authorization for purchases.

Chinese ecommerce site Alibaba is allegedly also looking to enable mobile purchase verification using the Samsung Galaxy S5‘s fingerprint sensor, this time to the wider Asian market. Read more »

Samsung Galaxy S5 gets torn down by iFixit

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If you’re curious about the internals of Samsung’s latest flagship, the Galaxy S5, then the folks over at iFixit have exactly what you’re looking for.

As with all Galaxy devices, the battery is user-replaceable and easy to access by simply removing the back panel. But what about the other components? Let’s take a look at just how easy it is to gut a Galaxy S5. Read more »

Nikon introduces 1 J4 interchangeable lens camera with focus on speed

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Nikon unveiled a new addition to its interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras dubbed 1 J4. According to the company this is one of the fastest interchangeable lens compact cameras for continuous shooting with autofocus tracking currently on the market.

The compact shooter is said to come with many of the features recently introduced with the company’s more advanced 1 V3 model, except in a more affordable package. Read more »

Voice calls could be right around the corner for WhatsApp users

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WhatsApp’s highly anticipated voice calling capabilities, which were hinted at by WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum at MWC earlier this year, could be going live any day now.

The latest translation requests for Hindi volunteers on WhatsApp’s official Translation Portal show entries for Hang up, Incoming call, and Outgoing call – indicating that the Facebook-owned company is just about ready to make voice services a reality for its app. Read more »

Nokia 225 promo videos surface

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The just-announced Nokia 225 is the company’s latest budget offering, and the company has outed one of their trademark videos to highlight its release.

The 225 is targeted at emerging markets with its low price and flashy colors – shown off especially well in the video – that have become characteristic of non-Lumia Nokia mobiles of late. Read more »