Google updated the Play Services quietly to add a couple of new security options. Smart Lock got new Trusted Places along with the existing Trusted Faces. To take the Smart Lock further, Google is now rolling out an “on-body detection” feature in the Smart Lock mode.
The idea is to let your phone detect its proximity to you in order to save itself and your data from being stolen. The new on-body protection feature uses the accelerometer to estimate whether you’re holding the device or it is in your pocket. Read more »
Being first in something, especially in the tech world, does bring about a certain level of attention. And coming up with new innovations and pushing the boundaries on the mobile tech scene has become increasingly harder. So when somebody claims to have created the World’s first bezeless phone, we, only naturally, give the company it’s much deserved two minutes of fame.
And before you ask “Why the bitter sarcasm?”, consider the following news – Subor, a virtually unknown Chinese manufacturer has constructed an odd, proof of concept device, which really sounds more like a bad idea than anything else. The company claims that its latest S3 model has no side bezels around the display whatsoever, which definitely sounds cool and looks nice, but is surely accident prone. Read more »
Google has finally released the Android Auto app that will let you use Android Auto in your car. The head units with Android Auto started shipping in the US a while ago but couldn’t be used because there was no app on the phone to interface with them, but that shouldn’t be a problem anymore.
Android Auto is Google’s take on integrating smartphone functionality into your car’s entertainment system. It allows you to not just make and receive calls, which you can already even with some of the basic head units, but also voice to set reminders, use navigation, play music, listen to messages. and a lot more. Apple has something similar for iOS devices in the form of CarPlay. Read more »
The phone was successfully brought to pieces resulting in some interesting finds. As you know, the Galaxy S6 sports a dual-glass design on front and back and the battery isn’t removable. To remove the back glass cover, you have to heat up the edges of the phone.
Google has rolled out a nifty update for its Docs app for Android devices. The new version brings the capability to review a document in full screen mode.
At times, one just has to read an entire document before editing the text and saving the changes. Read more »
The euro’s current instability when it comes to exchange rates against the US dollar has forced OnePlus to take some drastic measures. Starting next week, the Chinese company’s One (and only) smartphone will become more expensive to buy in Europe.
Right now, the 16GB model is priced at €269, while the 64GB version goes for €299. But from March 25 onwards you’ll need to pay €299 for the 16GB variant and €349 for the one with 64GB of storage. Read more »
HTC Dot View case for One M8 became the best-selling accessory HTC has ever released. It was made available for other smartphones following the M8 success – Desire 510 and Desire Eye. Quite naturally HTC will be launching a One M9-copmatible Dot View case in time for the flagship’s official release.
As a preparation for the upcoming One M9 and One M9 Dot View case, HTC updated the Dot View app with new features. Those should be compatible with all existing Dot View cases and devices, of course. Read more »
Facebook has just announced the latest feature addition for its Messenger app – support for quickly sending money to your contacts. The company hopes you’ll use its solution for this purpose instead of other options like PayPal.
The unique differentiating factor here seems to be how easy it is to send money to someone. It’s done right inside the chat view with a contact, and after you’ve added your card once, it’s basically all a matter of choosing a sum. Read more »
The deal of the day (and possibly even the week) comes from Motorola. The company is offering you a free 3G Moto E (2nd generation). All you have to do to get it for nothing is buy a Moto X (2014) Pure Edition straight from its maker.
So you first design your Moto X the way you like it, and when you’re finished with that just add the Moto E to your cart. At this point the savings should automatically appear, transforming the Moto E’s price into $0. The only (pretty huge) caveat is that the Moto X you purchase will have to be off-contract. Read more »
Google Now, or to be specific, the Google Search app on your Android phone will now let you send messages over Hangouts simply using your voice.
In the latest feature to be enabled server side, Google Search app now includes Hangouts integration. So now you can just say “Okay Google” followed by “Send a Hangouts message” and then your message. It will then ask you whom you want to send the message to followed by your message before you can send it. Read more »
Samsung Galaxy S6 is the company’s first flagship not to offer microSD expansion. Until the S6 and S6 edge duo all Galaxy Note and Galaxy S smartphones had memory expansion, and, in fact, it was one of the highlights of both series.
Samsung even supported moving App to SD card even when Google disabled the feature – a rarity these days. So, what happened with Samsung’s love of external storage?
Well, the company came up with its own UFS 2.0 storage, which uses “Command Queue” tech (as seen in Solid State Drives) for accelerating the speed of command execution. The new technology promises 2.7x faster performance than the eMMC 5.0 memory found in the previous crop of flagships and yes, the Galaxy S6 has one.
There lies to the key to the lack of a microSD slot. If you were to put an SD card on your Galaxy S6, you’d have compromised this blazing-fast performance. This is actually true for all 2014 high-end phones, but it seems Samsung wanted users to truly feel the difference this time around and has decided on not including the storage expansion on the feature list even if it made a lot of users sad.
Borderlands is a series of first person shooters with a role playing element for consoles and PC. The original game spawned a sequel and then a pre-sequel, that fit between the first two games.
Tales from the Borderlands is nothing like those games. It is made by Telltale Games, the same studio that made games like The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and most recently, the Game of Thrones. Tales from the Borderlands uses characters from the Borderlands universe but places them in a new setting. Let’s take a closer look at it. Read more »
You may be excused for not being familiar with Archos but the French phone maker has made itself relevant in the markets it operates on with tablets that offer great hardware at very low price points. The company makes more than tablets though – there are also a lot of phones, and the Archos 50 Diamond is their best.
The 50 Diamond is a minimalist smartphone with clean design and a flamboyant lime paint job. It offers a balanced set of abilities that will ensure a reasonable price point and more than reasonable performance. Read more »
The Xperia E4 is Sony’s latest entry in the low-end market. The budget smartphone boats a very economic price tag of about EUR 130, but it does come with a twist. The Japanese tech giant has definitely achieved a lot with the E4, considering budget restrictions, but, naturally, a lot of corners have been cut to keep the cost down.
The phone is crafted entirely out of plastic and is available in two classic colors – black and white. While the material is definitely not premium, Sony has done a relay nice job with the finish and phone feels comfy and quite nice to the touch.
Design-wise there are some rough edges, and I mean that quite literally. The E4 comes with a removable back cover which surrounds the whole back side of the phone and makes for a quite bulky appearance. Still, it lacks a replaceable battery. Read more »
Users in the United Kingdom will be able to try out Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge from tomorrow onwards. The smartphone power couple will be available to purchase on April 10.
The hot flagship smartphones will be on display in Samsung Experience Stores throughout the UK. Read more »
Samsung Galaxy S6 updated to Android 5.1.1: exploring the differences on video
Hot or Not: Android M, iOS 9 and Watch OS 2.0
Xiaomi Mi 4i battery life test
Your verdict on Android M, iOS 9 and Watch OS 2.0
Oppo R1x battery life test