Monthly Archives: August 2015

Man has phone destroyed by chickens, wins gold iPhone

Wearables, ,
I actually spent last Friday judging the James Dyson Award 2015. But that’s nothing compared to the pride I feel in being able to say I “judged” the #brokemyphone competition. And this guy won!

Glenn Watson, as well as being a part-time hen owner and full-time Jimmy Sommerville lookalike, is now the winner of the second most prestigious prize in smartphones.

Basically, Glenn and 250 other people sent in photos of their broken mobiles with stories of how they’d come to be wrecked. Glenn’s was, in the highly expert opinion of the judges, including myself, the most knackered device, with the most amusing backstory: that it had literally been pecked to near-death by hens, then savaged by an unruly cock.
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https://www.t3.com/news/man-has-phone-destroyed-by-chicken-wins-gold-iphone

Stylish wireless charging phones could be on their way at last

Phones, , ,
Wireless charging is pretty awesome, as it means you can just place your compatible smartphone on a charging pad (basically a drinks coaster with a USB port) and the battery will start recharging – no more hunting around in the dark for a cable when you top up your phone at night.

There is a problem though, as smartphones with wireless charging need plastic backs to enable the charge to pass through – which meant those of us who could wirelessly charge would often look on in envy at the metal-clad slabs of gorgeousness others were toting.
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https://www.t3.com/news/stylish-wireless-charging-phones-could-be-on-their-way

Windows Phone has failed – but Acer thinks it will succeed with Windows 10 smartphones

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Acer has been knocking out PCs for as long as we can remember and now wants to become a big player in the smartphone space with as many as four new Windows 10 Mobile handsets.

The glut of Windows Phone devices are expected to be released at the upcoming IFA 2015 conference in September, according to Roland Quant from WinFuture, and will be some of the first to run on the new OS.
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https://www.t3.com/

There’s a chance your Nvidia Shield tablet may catch on fire

Tablets, , , , , , , ,
The Nvidia Shield tablet is a gaming powerhouse that might just be the hottest handheld games console on the market, literally speaking.

That’s because the Android gaming slate has a tendency to catch on fire. According to Nvidia, there’s a serious issue with a certain type of battery that means the gaming slate is a “fire hazard”.

Nvidia is recalling every Shield tablet sold between July 2014 and July 2015. Although because the tablet first launched on July 29, 2014, it’s very likely that a large number of are going to be affected.
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https://www.t3.com/news/there-s-a-chance-your-nvidia-shield-tablet-may-catch-on-fire

Apple reportedly wants to turn Siri into your receptionist

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Apple is testing a service that will let Siri take your calls, record them and transcribe them to text, according to Business Insider. The company is reportedly referring to it as iCloud Voicemail, and it’s similar to the existing visual voicemail service. However, instead of playing a pre-recorded message to your caller when you can’t pick up, Siri will take over the chore. It can then let certain contacts know where you are and why you can’t take the call, provided you give permission. The voice message will then be shunted over to Apple’s servers and transcribed into text.
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Read full post here:
https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/03/apple-icloud-voicemail-siri/

Samsung sensor puts 16-megapixel cameras into slim phones

Wearables, , , , , ,
Wondering how Samsung manages to cram a 16-megapixel camera into seemingly wafer-thin phones like the Galaxy A8? By developing a brand-spanking new sensor that fits, that’s how. The Korean company has built an ISOCELL-based CMOS imager that uses extremely tiny 1.0-micron pixels instead of the 1.12-micron units from the previous model. That may not sound like much of a difference, but it amounts to a sensor that’s 20 percent thinner, at a scant 5mm (0.2 inches) deep. In short, you won’t have to accept an unsightly camera hump just to get high-resolution shots.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/29/samsung-1-micron-camera-sensor/

Samsung Pay doesn’t work on rooted phones

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Bad news, power-users: if you habitually root every smartphone you put in your pocket, you won’t be able to use Samsung Pay. Users participating in the South Korean trialprogram have learned that devices with unrestricted access to the file system have been blocked from using the service. “Access denied,” reads the app’s error message. “Samsung Pay has been locked due to an unauthorized modification.”
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/24/samsung-pay-doesnt-work-on-rooted-phones/

Apple already took 75 percent of the smartwatch market

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The official numbers for Apple Watch sales are still a mystery. But, according to a report by research firm Strategy Analytics, the Cupertino company shipped an estimated 4 million units during the second quarter of 2015. As a result, Apple’s already captured 75 percent of the smartwatch marketshare across the world, despite only being availablesince late April. Strategy Analytics also points out that, thanks mostly to the Watch, global smartwatch shipments saw a remarkable 457 percent growth year-over-year. Meanwhile, Samsung was the big loser in Q2 2015, as it fell to second place and is said to have shipped a mere 0.4 million devices during that timeframe.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/22/apple-watch-shipments/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi

Fujifilm’s X-T1 flagship camera gets an infrared edition

Cameras, , , , ,

No, this isn’t the next flagship camera you’ve been waiting on from Fujifilm — but this doesn’t mean some of you won’t be interested in it. The company today announced the X-T1 IR, a new edition of its high-end shooter featuring infrared technology, which captures details that aren’t normally visible to the human eye. On the outside, Fujifilm’s new camera looks identical to the original X-T1, with the two main changes being internal. While the X-T1 IR also features a 16.3-megapixels APS-C X-Trans CMOS II unit, its sensor’s Standard IR cut filter was removed and an anti-reflective coating has been applied to it. Other than that, the remaing specs are the same: there’s an EXR Processor II, a max ISO range of 25,600 and a weather-resistant shell, to mention a few.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/03/fujifilm-x-t1-ir/

Samsung will discount Galaxy S6 phones after launch sales disappoint

Phones, , , , , , , ,
Samsung’s earlier prediction for the second quarter of 2015 was spot on: the company has failed to hit its goals when it comes to the sales of its flagship devices. Its operating profits fell four percent to 6.9 trillion won ($5.9 billion), and the mobile division’s, in particular, slid to 2.76 trillion won ($2.4 billion) from 4.42 trillion won ($3.8 billion) from the same quarter last year. While those profit numbers are still three percent higher than the last, it’s going to be tough to play catch up this second half of 2015, as Apple’s slated to reveal its new iPhones — its main rival in the world of high-end smartphones. In order to combat the expected sales drop, Samsung is “adjusting” (read: dropping) the prices of both the Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge. It’s already planning to introduce new premium smartphones: the company has already teased an event for August 13th, where it’s likely to introduce a new Galaxy Note and a larger S6 Edge.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/07/29/samsung-earnings-q2-2015/

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 should be an evolutionary upgrade

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Still wondering what Samsung is going to unveil at its August 13th event? Well-known tipster Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) might have just removed what few doubts are left. He not only posted official-looking snapshots of both the Galaxy Note 5 and its curvier S6 Edge+ sibling, but revealed purported specs for the Note 5. From all indications, at least the Note 5 is going to be more of a refinement (at least, in terms of hardware) of theNote 4 than a revolution. You’re still looking at a 5.7-inch quad HD display, a 16-megapixel rear camera and 32GB of built-in storage. The biggest changes are the Galaxy S6’s octa-core processor, a bump to 4GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel front cam… and, unfortunately for some, the removal of the microSD card slot.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/02/samsung-galaxy-note-5-pic-and-spec-leak/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACZtB52heAoCwXOSxRKblQYQViMq3c0D6mkpoivy_F2WXciXExcSCtKMXGQ93i4PpLt00TtKiprpqVI9sgR4qGvDJJnjA9OMsICiE8gEP_Tuea_MqMdQX6fyl2OPpVuEovxWceS4TKPGV1ANJ8pk0bpGCZHyOu46K25SKn5ceMmN

Samsung agrees to compensation for employees that contracted cancer

Wearables,

After admitting that it didn’t do enough to prevent illnesses and deaths of workers at its Korean semiconductor plants, Samsung has launched a new fund to put things right.Reuters reports that the company has set aside 100 billion won ($85.8 million) to compensate employees after it was revealed that hazardous working conditions had caused workers to contract leukemia and other incurable diseases.
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https://www.engadget.com/2015/08/03/samsung-compensate-workers-cancer/

Tiny Mazda CX-3 wows with big style, crisp handling

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If you were in the market for a subcompact crossover not long ago, your choices were limited. If a Buick Encore, Mini Countryman, Mitsubishi Outlander Sport or Nissan Juke didn’t strike your fancy, you were pretty well out of luck. Barely six months later, what was once a trickle of offerings has become a flood, including the Chevrolet Trax, Fiat 500X, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, and the Mazda CX-3 seen here.
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https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2016-mazda-cx-3-review/

Ford’s Shelby Mustang GT350 hits the track with a rebel yell

Cars, , , , ,

People do insane things in search of thrilling new heights. Some leap off mountainsides with kites strapped to their backs. Some take psychotropic drugs. Heck, someone obsessed with hitting the ultimate high even came up with the castrati.

Ford officials think they have a better way to reach new heights, and their efforts center on three words: Flat-plane crank. The 2016 Shelby Mustang GT350 has been fitted with just such a crankshaft with the goal of reaching stratospheric engine speeds and big horsepower. Job done: the crank enables the naturally aspirated, 5.2-liter V-8 in Ford’s muscle coupe to rev all the way out to 8,250rpm, churning out big numbers in the process. In fact, this is the highest-revving V-8 in Ford history, capable of more revolutions than nearly every engine on the market, regardless of size. As you might imagine, all of those whirling parts creates a deliciously unholy racket en route to realizing 526 horsepower at 7,500rpm and 429 pound-feet of torque at 4,750 rpm.
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https://www.slashgear.com/

New Audi TT keeps your hands on the wheel and a death grip on the road

Cars, , , , ,

The route I’m following in the 2016 Audi TT turns twisty, with hairpins tracking the mountain topography. As it turns out, it becomes perfect ground to test the little car’s handling. Try as I might, though, I can’t get the tires to squeal, as the TT’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system, corner braking and low center of gravity conspire to keep it firmly planted, refusing to give an inch of grip.

A glance at the instrument panel shows that I’m on Bible Creek Road, but the surrounding forest obscures any sign of water. Those trees are, however, shown in satellite view on the instrument panel, as the 2016 TT comes with Audi’s new Virtual Cockpit system. That means a full LCD panel in front of the driver combining virtual gauges and infotainment functions, including Audi’s Google Earth-connected navigation system, hence the satellite imagery.
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https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/reviews/2016-audi-tt-coupe-preview/

HoloLens release “within the next year” for devs

Wearables, , , , , ,

Microsoft’s HoloLens head-worn augmented reality computer is expected to begin shipping within the next year, though consumers will still be left waiting. The unusual headset, which overlays digital graphics on top of the real world, allowing them to be virtually manipulated as if sharing the space of the wearer, will initially be targeted at developers and enterprise users. According to comments by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, meanwhile, the consumer device journey may take considerably longer.
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https://www.slashgear.com/hololens-release-within-the-next-year-for-devs-02395222/

Facebook uses Lollapalooza to test its live event streaming

Wearables, , , , , , ,

These days, it seems that the trend with social networks is no longer about what you’re eating or how you’re feeling right now. It’s all about what’s happening as it’s happening, live and uncensored. With the likes of Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope getting all the attention, it’s not surprising that Facebook wants in as well, but in its own way. And it just so happens that the annual Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago is here, making it a perfect opportunity for Facebook to test out its still unnamed live event streaming feature.
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https://www.slashgear.com/

Sony Xperia M5, C5 Ultra puts the focus on photos

Phones, , , , , ,

True enough, Sony did have something in store today, but sadly, it’s not a better Xperia flagship. Then again, for some people, these two smartphones might very well be, especially since the OEM doesn’t seem to budge away from 1080p screens anyway. But what really makes the Xperia C5 Ultra phablet and the somewhat higher end Xperia M5 special is their cameras. Or, as you might have guessed it, their front cameras, with both smartphones sporting 13 megapixel front facing shooters for the ultimate selfie.
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https://www.slashgear.com/sony-xperia-m5-c5-ultra-puts-the-focus-on-photos-03395273/

AT&T’s first DIRECTV move: all in one plan for TV and data

Wearables, , , , ,

No surprises here. Hot on the heels of the FCC approving AT&T’s takeover of DIRECTV, the US carrier announces its first ever subscription plans that combines the wealth of content from broadcast television with the wealth of content from the Internet. Yes, a bundle that combines and TV and wireless, all under one provider, all with one bill. This “first-ever nationwide” bundle practically makes AT&T not world’s largest Internet service provider but the world’s largest pay TV operator, which is to sure to send some rivals and regulators trembling.
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https://www.slashgear.com/atts-first-directv-move-all-in-one-plan-for-tv-and-data-03395270/

iPhone 6s CAD renders reveal thicker anti-bendgate frames

Wearables, , , , ,

It seems that Apple really took the recent bendgate scandal that rocked its iPhone 6 to heart. A new batch of images, actually more CAD design renders than marketing material, detail both the overall design and dimensions of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus due next month. Though not exactly new information, it confirms something we’ve expected and might have even dreaded. The smartphones will indeed come in slightly thicker shells. But worry not. It’s all for the sake of withstanding the mass of your posterior.
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https://www.slashgear.com/iphone-6s-cad-renders-reveal-thicker-anti-bendgate-frames-03395251/

Sony’s US online store closing up shop August 28

Wearables,

Perhaps omens and portents of things to come, Sony has just announced that its online store in the US will be practically closing on the 28th of August. In its stead, Sony will be putting up a website that will still have products on display but will also just redirect to authorized resellers for the actual purchase. Without much explanation as to the why, the move will most likely be seen as a tightening of Sony’s belt, offloading the responsibility, and expenses, of sales to dealers.
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https://www.slashgear.com/sonys-us-online-store-closing-up-shop-august-28-03395241/

Helvetica 1 smartwatch hits pre-order, only 1,957 made

Wearables, , , , , , ,

There are lots of smartwatches on the market today from Apple, Motorola, and many other makers. Another smartwatch was unveiled back in March at Baselworld by a Swiss watchmaker called Mondaine. That smartwatch was called the Helvetica 1 and it is now up for pre-order. The manufacturer will make 1,957 units in honor of the year the Helvetica font was introduced.

This watch isn’t as smart as some of the others on the market today. It doesn’t offer notifications from your smartphone, which is the only thing that some folks find useful about a smartwatch. The Helvetica is designed to monitor your sleep quality and track your fitness activities.
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https://www.slashgear.com/helvetica-1-smartwatch-hits-pre-order-only-1957-made-03395304/

EnLighten app from BMW shows you how long the light will stay red

Cars, , ,

All drivers can relate to the annoyance of a stop light that stays red way longer than you feel like it should. We naturally progress from annoyance at when the light will change to some level of being convinced that the light has stopped working correctly and we will never get to go. BMW has created an app that works in a few cities and will display on the infotainment screen in its cars.

The app is called EnLighten and its sole purpose is to show you when a light is going to change. The idea is that if you know how long the light will remain red, you can turn the car off to save fuel and reduce emissions. BMW also figures that if you know how long the light will be green you can avoid accelerating hard in an attempt to avoid stopping.
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https://www.slashgear.com/enlighten-app-from-bmw-shows-you-how-long-the-light-will-stay-red-03395309/

Super-Sedan Showdown: Cadillac CTS-V, M5, Tesla, or something else? [Poll]

Cars, , , , , , , , ,

The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V has landed with a 200 mph splash among today’s super-sedans. As decisions go, it would be a nice problem to have: which of the current breed of high-performance four-doors would be sitting in your garage, were you to have a roughly $100k budget and a taste for motoring? Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz deliver the obvious options, into which the newest V Series car wades, but the Caddy isn’t the only wildcard. Head on past the jump to place your vote!
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https://www.slashgear.com/super-sedan-showdown-cadillac-cts-v-m5-tesla-or-something-else-poll-02395230/

Ford Focus RS pricing tipped to start at $36k

Cars, , , ,

For a long time the only cool car Ford offered that tickled my fancy was the Mustang. Ford then rolled out the Fiesta ST and the Focus ST, and both of those cars were performance bargains. Then Ford announced its slick Focus RS was coming to the US for the first time. At this point, we know everything there is to know about the Ford Focus RS, but the official pricing.

Late last week someone working on the Ford website made a mistake and sent the configurator for the Focus RS live for a brief time. During that time, we were able to glean the pricing of the car and some of the cool options that will be available.
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https://www.slashgear.com/ford-focus-rs-pricing-tipped-to-start-at-36k-03395322/

IndyCar begins using LED panels to show race positions

Cars, , , ,

The IndyCar league has debuted a small but important new feature to its race cars that’s designed to improve viewers’ experience: LED number panels. They’re placed on each side of a car, just behind the driver’s head, and display that vehicle’s race position in real-time. The panels debuted over the weekend at an Ohio race, and are designed to let both viewers at home and at the race keep track of the blazing fast activities rushing past them.
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https://www.slashgear.com/indycar-begins-using-led-panels-to-show-race-positions-03395327/

Tactical Assault Commander 4 adds keyboard and mouse control for PS4 gaming

Wearables, , , , , ,

Anyone who prefers the mouse and keyboard controls of a PC for some game types has found a game they like on a game console and wished it had mouse and keyboard controls. I always felt that way before Halo landed on the PC. If there are games on the PS4 that you think would be much better if you had a mouse and keyboard, Hori has the controller for you called the Tactical Assault Commander 4.
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https://www.slashgear.com/tactical-assault-commander-4-adds-keyboard-and-mouse-control-for-ps4-gaming-03395316/

Apple may soon have Siri transcribe voicemail messages

Wearables, , , , , , ,

According to a new report, Apple is said to be working on integrating voicemail into iCloud, bringing about some of the biggest advancements since visual voicemail on the first iPhone. This information comes from Business Insider, which says the primary feature will be Siri’s ability to transcribe voicemails into text, letting users read their messages instead of listen to the audio. Even more interesting, this iCloud Voicemail will deliver custom messages to select callers, and even let them know the user’s location.
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https://www.slashgear.com/apple-may-soon-have-siri-transcribe-voicemail-messages-03395331/

Galaxy Note 5, S6 edge+ gets an early hands-on leak

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From time to time, Samsung lets a few retailers get a privileged preview of upcoming devices, which then become fountains of leaks and rumors. Sounds almost counterproductive if you’re trying to keep a lid on things. That’s exactly what a certain retail shop owner is claiming on Reddit, having gotten some very early hands on time with Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge+, expected to arrive next week. Fortunately, he was generous enough to share perhaps what shouldn’t be shared, though do always take leaks with a grain of salt.
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https://www.slashgear.com/galaxy-note-5-s6-edge-gets-an-early-hands-on-leak-03395287/

Lenovo Flex 3 11 highlights: three things to know

Computers & IT, , , ,

When it comes to budget laptops, you usually have two choices: cheesy design or inadequate features. Lenovo challenges both of those issues with its new Flex 3 11, a small laptop that starts at $299 and looks like it was designed for grown ups. We recently reviewed the laptop, and per usual we’re back with a few highlights that’ll jump start your knowledge about the machine. For all of the details and more pictures, be sure to check out the full review!
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https://www.slashgear.com/three-things-to-know-about-the-lenovo-flex-3-11-30394344/