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Amazon is introducing a new feature called 'Alexa Cast' which will let users control the songs or media that is playing on Alexa-enabled devices from their phone. However, it only works with Amazon Music app to control music playback at the moment. It might eventually bring the ability to control playback of music, movies, podcasts, and more.
As you would expect, Alexa Cast only works with Alexa-enabled devices like Echo speakers, third-party Alexa products, and some of Amazon’s Fire devices. Once you are done updating, Amazon Music app on iOS and Android will include an icon for Alexa Cast on the Now Playing screen.
Once you tap on it, you will get a list of all Alexa-enabled devices that you use and select which one to start playing music on. Interestingly, the app will stay in sync with what’s playing on the speakers, so you can continue the playback on your phone even if you leave home. While the feature is nothing revolutionary, it brings convenience and adds a lot of sense. You can control music playback on an Alexa device by voice, or through a traditional Bluetooth setup.
Sahas Malhotra, Director, Amazon Prime Music India said:
Alexa Cast is set to make the music streaming experience for Prime members even simpler with its integration ...
HTC is seemingly working on a mid-range smartphone codenamed "Imagine Life,” according to the marketing material. Though we don't know for sure but based on the specs and the codename, the new handset could be the HTC U12 Life and it is said to sport a 6-inch FHD+ display and Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset.
The U12 Life is said to pack a 6-inch FHD+ (2160 x 1080) display and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Octa-Core processor, coupled with 4GB RAM. 64GB internal storage, though we can't completely rule out the possibility of the bigger variant with more storage and RAM, at this point, we don't have information regarding it. In terms of optics, the phone is said to pack a dual-rear camera setup with 16+5MP shooters with phase detection autofocus, and 4K video.
On the front, is a 13MP front-facing camera with flash and beauty mode. The HTC's upcoming phone will pack a 3,600mAh battery and a fingerprint sensor. Connectivity features include Dual SIM, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC and we're not sure about the Android version it will run on. The HTC U11 Life was introduced back in November last year running Oreo, so we wouldn't surprised if we see the launch of the successor coming ...
LG Electronics has reported revenues of 15.02 trillion won (US$ 13.9 billion) for the second quarter that ended June 30, 2018, which is up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. It posted profits of 771 bilion won (US$ 715.1 million), up 16.1% YoY, while net profit was down to 326.5 billion won (US$ 291.6 million) from 514.9 billion won, down 36.5% YoY. First-half 2018 sales and operating profits were at all-time record highs. Revenues increased 3.2% from the 2017 first half to 30.14 trillion won (US$ 28 billion) and operating income rose 18.5% to 1.88 trillion won (US$ 1.7 billion).
"Strong profitability from home appliances and air solutions and premium home entertainment products offset second-quarter operating losses from vehicle components and mobile communications," said LG.
Mobile Communications sector reported a quarterly revenue of 2.07 trillion won (US$ 1.92 billion), down 4.1% QoQ and 19% YoY due to stagnating smartphone market and decreasing sales of mid to low-end smartphones in North and Latin America.
The Mobile sector posted a operating loss of 185.4 billion won (US$ 165.6 million), compared to loss of 139.7 billion won a year ago, which is down 24.6%. LG said that profitability decreased QoQ and YoY due to smartphone sales decline and ...
Samsung today launched the new Gear IconX wireless earbuds in India, almost a year after it was introduced. It has a lightweight, ergonomic design, offers comfortable yet secure fit to last through the most intense activity. It features Bixby voice command support which can be enabled by tapping and holding the earbud to use your voice to control your music or your phone as well.
The new version comes with a case that has its 340mAh battery. It has 4GB internal storage to store music and weigh 8 grams It keeps track on your running activities and also features standalone coach that can be enabled by tapping the earbud and it will provide you with exercise status updates without having to use your phone. It has fast charge support, and now it can give up to five hours of music streaming or seven hours of standalone music playback.
Samsung Gear IconX 2018
5.8pi Dynamic Driver
Standalone music player (4GB storage / up to 1,000 songs)
Voice guide in English (U.S.), Chinese (China), German (Germany), French (France), Spanish (U.S.), Korean (South Korea), Italian (Italy), Russian (Russia), Japanese (Japan)
Bluetooth v4.2
Compatible with phones running Android 4.4 or later with 1.5GB RAM or more, iOS supports music ...
Samsung today announced that it has started mass production of world's first 2nd-generation of 10-nanometer-class* (1y-nm), LPDDR4X (Low Power, Double Data Rate, 4X) DRAM for smartphones. Compared to the mobile DRAM memory chips most used in current flagship mobile devices (1x-nm 16Gb LPDDR4X), the 2nd– generation LPDDR4X DRAM promises up to a 10% power reduction while maintaining the same data rate of 4,266 megabits per second (Mb/s).
Samsung said that it has created an 8GB LPDDR4X mobile DRAM package by combining four of the 10nm-class 16Gb LPDDR4X DRAM chips (16Gb=2GB). This four-channel package can realize a data rate of 34.1GB per second and its thickness has been reduced more than 20% from the 1st-gen package, enabling OEMs to design slimmer yet more effective mobile devices.
The company also said that it will be expanding its premium DRAM lineup that is based on the 1y-nm process by more than 70%. It will offers 4GB, 6GB and 8GB LPDDR4X packages. It has started operating a new DRAM production line in Pyeongtaek, Korea, to assure a stable supply of all mobile DRAM chips to meet the demand. The upcoming Galaxy Note9 is expected to come with 8GB of RAM, making it the first Samsung flagship with 8GB ...
Apart from confirming the launch date, Samsung hasn't talked much about the upcoming Galaxy Note 9. However, everything changes, well, today as the company officially teased the Note 9's massive battery capabilities. It is already known that the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is said to pack a massive 4000mAh battery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-37lkw_uaQ
The teaser video as expected mocks the battery life of what appears to be an iPhone which is seen running out of charge as the video proceeds. At the end of the small 30-second clip, Samsung says "A lot can change in a day" and restates the August 9th date for the Note 9 launch. As for the specs, the Galaxy Note 9 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 and another version with Exynos chipset, a version with 8GB RAM, 512GB is also rumored to be unveiled.
It will have dual-rear cameras with the same optics as the Galaxy S9. Since there is a 512GB variant, Samsung is upping the base model to 128GB from 64GB. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will also introduce an improved S-pen in various colors. The S-Pen might be able to control music playback, long-range self-timer. This rumor falls in line with the reports of S ...
Motorola might be planning an entire Motorola One line-up that might replace the Moto X series that got cancelled recently. Motorola One Power Android One smartphone surfaced in press shot back in May, and the phone surfaced in live images last month, now the phone has been certified by TENAA in China revealing the complete specifications of the smartphone.
[caption id="attachment_259398" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Image AH[/caption]
This reveals a 6.18-inch FHD+ 19:9 aspect ratio screen with a notch, 1.8GHz Octa-Core SoC which could be Snapdragon 636, up to 6GB RAM, 16MP + 5MP dual rear cameras and a 4850mAh battery.
Motorola One Power (XT1942) rumored specifications
6.18-inch (2246 × 1080 pixels) Full HD+ display with 19:9 aspect ratio
1.8GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 636 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 509 GPU
6GB / 4GB / 3GB RAM with 32GB / 64GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD
Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)
Android 8.1 (Oreo)
16MP rear camera with LED flash, 5MP secondary rear camera
8MP front-facing camera
Fingerprint sensor
Dimensions: 155.8×75.9×9.98mm; Weight: 170g
4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS
4850mAh battery with fast charging
The Motorola One Power is expected to come in Black, White, Gold and Silver ...
Google today announced that in the next few days it will be adding new features in Search to make it easier to find events. These new features will give you personal recommendations, along with more information about events that interest you.
Once the features are rolled out, when you search on your phone for things like “events near me” or “free concert” in the U.S., you’ll not only find a list of events from a variety of sites but also key information about the event in the Search.
Tapping on the event will reveal an overview of things like time, location, ticketing providers and other information. This will help you decide whether to attend. It will also allow you to save events and share with others. There will be a new "For You" tab to get personalized ideas for things to do near you. You’ll also see trending and popular events in your area to keep you in the loop on the hottest happenings.
It will surface events from across the web, right from meetup to concert sites to individual event listings from organizations and brands.
Source
Meizu has sent out invites for the launch of Meizu 16 and 16 Plus smartphones on July 30th as the successors of 15 and 15 Plus that were introduced back in April. Now a new report has revealed that the Meizu 16 will have 91.18% screen-body ratio. Both the smartphones have also been certified by TENAA, revealing complete specifications. These phone will have an in-display fingerprint sensor.
Meizu 16 rumored specifications
6-inch ( 1080 × 2160 pixels) Full HD+ Super AMOLED display
Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with Adreno 630 GPU
6GB RAM, 128GB internal memory
Dual SIM
Android 8.1 (Oreo) with Flyme OS
12MP rear camera, secondary 20MP camera, ring LED flash
20MP front-facing camera
In-display fingerprint sensor
Dimensions: 150.5×73.2×7.3mm ; Weight: 156g
4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS + GLONASS, USB Type-C
2950mAh battery with mCharge fast charging
Meizu 16 Plus rumored specifications
6.5-inch ( 1080 × 2160 pixels) Full HD+ Super AMOLED display
Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with Adreno 630 GPU
6GB RAM, 128GB internal memory
Dual SIM
Android 8.1 (Oreo) with Flyme OS
12MP rear camera, secondary 20MP camera, ring LED flash
20MP front-facing camera
In-display fingerprint sensor
Dimensions: 160.4×78.2×7.3mm; Weight: 180g
4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac ...
Just as expected, more information about the upcoming Galaxy Note9 starting flowing in and latest we hear is that the Galaxy Note9 will allow you to use DeX mode without the DexPad, instead, you can use it just by connecting a USB-C monitor or HDMI.
The Galaxy Note9 will allow you to use DeX mode without a dock/pad. Just connect a USB-C monitor or HDMI single and you're good to go. Also in this post - availability info: https://t.co/fMtz5HYfqQ
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) July 26, 2018
Furthermore, the Galaxy Note 9 and Tab S4 are expected to pack a feature called Dual Mode and this will allow you to simultaneously use an external screen and your smartphone or tablet screen. The screen of the mobile/tablet display can be used as an extension of the main one that can perform different operations like Chatting on a phone while watching a movie on the monitor.
The next version of the Samsung DeX will also support the S-Pen for the first time both as a mouse to point the position on the screen and drag elements, both to draw or write in certain applications. Back in November 2017, Samsung described that it is working on Linux On DeX that will let you one or even more Linux distributions in DeX ...
Google today has yet again updated its Play Store developer policies and first among them is the "appeal to children but contain adult themes" are no longer allowed. In the same regards, apps that include content that adult content will be immediately banned from the Store.
Moving along, Google also said that it will not allow apps that promote violence or incite hatred against individuals or groups based on race or any other characteristic that is associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization. An interesting announcement among the newly updated policies is that Google will no longer allow cryptocurrency miners on the Play Store.
If you look closely, PlayStore currently has tons of miner apps including MinerGate, Crypto Miner, and NeoNeonMiner. Google banned Crypto mining extensions from Chrome Web Store earlier this year. Google now banned applications that "facilitate the sale of explosives, firearms, ammunition, or certain firearms accessories." Google finally is banning apps that are repetitive in nature, meaning "multiple apps with highly similar content and user experience," or "apps that are created by an automated tool, wizard service, or based on templates and submitted to Google Play by the operator of that service on behalf of other persons."
Google is banning apps whose primary focus is to serve ads and ...
ASUS launched its flagship Zenfone 5Z smartphone in India at an event in Delhi earlier this month starting at ₹ 29,999. The 6GB RAM with 64GB storage and 128GB storage versions went on sale on July 9th, today the company announced that the 8GB RAM with 256GB storage version will go on sale exclusively on Flipkart from July 30th. Check out our ASUS Zenfone 5Z review, if you are planning to get the phone.
Launch offers
Flat ₹ 2000 off on Axis Bank Credit and Debit Cards
Flat ₹2000 off on Credit, Debit & EMI; in the first 20 days after launch of this offer
Flat ₹2000 off only on EMI, post 20 days after launch of the above offer, and valid for 15 days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeGfcXLv594&t=31s
ASUS Zenfone 5Z (Z5620KL) specifications
6.2-inch (2246 × 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 19:9 2.5D curved glass Super IPS display with 500 nits Brightness, 95.4% NTSC color gamut, DCI-P3, 1500: 1 Contrast Ratio, Glove Touch support, Corning Gorilla Glass protection
Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform with Adreno 630 GPU
6GB LPDDR4x RAM with 64GB / 128GB storage, 8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 256GB storage, expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD
Android 8.0 (Oreo) with ZenUI 5.0, upgradable to Android P
Hybrid Dual SIM (nano ...
Xiaomi launched the new 10000mAh and 20000mAh Mi Power Bank 2i as ‘Made in India’ power banks back in November last year for Rs. 799 and the 20000mAh Mi Powerbank 2i is priced at Rs. 1499, however the company increased the price of the power banks by Rs. 100 in April this year without giving a proper reason for the hike.
After the GST rate cut from 28% to 18% on Lithium-ion batteries used in power banks that came into effect from today, July 27th, Xiaomi has reduced the price of the power banks, that are now back to original launch price. This is definitely a welcome move.
Other than the name, the design and specifications of the new Mi Power Bank 2i are similar to the old ones, but the dimensions are slightly different. Both these come with two-way fast charging and low-power mode that can be activated by pressing the power button twice, to charge devices like Mi Band and Mi Bluetooth headset. The 10000mAh Mi Powerbank 2i has a metal design and the 20000mAh Mi Powerbank 2i comes with ABS plastic body for a better grip.
Mi.com is selling the power banks at new price.
Source
At the Google for Nigeria' event, the company announced that it will soon bring 'Google Station' for Nigeria in partnership with 21st Century which is one of the largest fiber network providers in Nigeria. It also announced a new feature within Google Go; it can now read web pages out loud and highlights each word so you can follow along.
The Google Station will be rolling out in 200 locations in five cities across Nigeria by the end of 2019. Major sites where Google Station will be present include markets, transport hubs, shopping malls, universities and more. Nigeria becomes the fifth country where the company is launching Google Station, after India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Mexico.
The Google Go feature can now read pages in 28 languages and supports billions of web pages; this feature will be available in the coming weeks. That's not it, Google is also expanding Job Search experiences in 32 new countries in Africa. In Nigeria, it is also launching a new Search experience that allows you to explore health conditions based on symptoms.
As for Google Maps Go, it is launching a new navigation feature so that users with low memory phones or unstable network connections can use turn-by-turn directions whether you’re travelling by ...
Amazon is introducing a new feature called 'Alexa Cast' which will let users control the songs or media that is playing on Alexa-enabled devices from their phone. However, it only works with Amazon Music app to control music playback at the moment. It might eventually bring the ability to control playback of music, movies, podcasts, and more.
As you would expect, Alexa Cast only works with Alexa-enabled devices like Echo speakers, third-party Alexa products, and some of Amazon’s Fire devices. Once you are done updating, Amazon Music app on iOS and Android will include an icon for Alexa Cast on the Now Playing screen.
Once you tap on it, you will get a list of all Alexa-enabled devices that you use and select which one to start playing music on. Interestingly, the app will stay in sync with what’s playing on the speakers, so you can continue the playback on your phone even if you leave home. While the feature is nothing revolutionary, it brings convenience and adds a lot of sense. You can control music playback on an Alexa device by voice, or through a traditional Bluetooth setup.
Sahas Malhotra, Director, Amazon Prime Music India said:
Alexa Cast is set to make the music streaming experience for Prime members even simpler with its integration ...
Update - July 28: Now the smartphone has passed through FCC in several variants - BBE100-1 (Single SIM) and BBE100-4 (Dual SIM) for global markets, BBE100-2 (Single SIM) and BBE100-5 (Dual SIM) for the American market and BBE100-3 for China. It also confirms that the smartphone will arrive as BlackBerry KEY2 LE.
BlackBerry announced its flagship KEY2 at an event in New York City last month. Now the details about the cheaper KEY2 Lite has surfaced along with a live image, thanks to @evleak. The smartphone is said to come with a similar design and form factor as the KEY2, but this will have a plastic body.
*This plastic 'Berry is said to launch late August / early September, perhaps at IFA.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 18, 2018
This is code-named Luna, which was rumored earlier and will likely feature a similar 3:2 aspect ratio display along with a 4-row QWERTY physical backlit keyboard. The smartphone is said to come in Red, Blue, and Copper. The image that has surfaced shows a Blue or Black back with red finish on the sides, and probably on the front as well.
The BlackBerry KEY2 Lite is expected to be announced sometime in late-August or early September, so there are chances we might expect it at ...
OPPO R17 with model numbers PBCM00 and PBCT00 has been certified and will be the successor of R15 series that were introduced earlier this year, skipping the R16. This reveals a 6.3-inch display, which could feature 19:9 aspect ratio OLED display with a notch, dual rear cameras, 156.7x74x7.9mm dimensions and a 3415mAh battery.
The OPPO R17 Pro has been teased in a game show in China that is rumored be powered Snapdragon 710 SoC, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage and a 16MP primiarty rear camera. The fingerprint sensor is not seen in image, so bot the R17 and R17 Pro smartphone are expected to come with 3D face unlock instead.
Both the R17 and R17 smartphones are expected to be announced sometime in August. We should know more details and complete specifications in the coming weeks.
Source 1, 2 | Via
With Samsung prepping for the Note 9 launch, it is all everyone talks these days. However, the company is also working on Tab S4 flagship tablet and Galaxy Tab A2 XL which is a mid-range tablet. If rumors are to be believed, it is expected to be one of the non-flagship models to get a dedicated Bixby button.
That doesn't end here, thanks to sources and firmware files discovered by SamMobile, we are getting to the specifications of the Tab A2 XL tablet in its full glory. The tablet is said to sport a 10.5-inch (1920×1200 resolution) LCD display pixels and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octa-Core processor. It is expected to pack 3GB of RAM, along with 32GB of storage.
As for the optics, the tablet features an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. It is said to pack a massive 7,300 mAh battery and runs on Android 8.1 Oreo. The tablet will come in both Wi-Fi-only and LTE-enabled.
The Galaxy Tab A2 XL could be yet another Samsung device without any physical navigation keys and it might not pack an iris scanner or a fingerprint sensor, so it might feature a facial recognition for security. At this moment, we don't have a ...
Samsung is known to be working on the Galaxy Tab S4; flagship tablet in the Tab S-series. Though there is no official launch date of the tablet, Samsung seems to be holding a brief event on August 1st and according to sources, the company might be launching the Tab S4 at the event, and will not be waiting until IFA to unveil the tablet.
We have already seen renders, press images of the Tab S4 revealing what's to come. The tablet also comes in a white version and this model has black bezels on the front and the back is in white. The S Pen bundled is also in white color and is different compared to the one that came with the Tab S3.
As for specifications; the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is said to sport a 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display (2560×1600 pixel resolution) with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC with 4GB LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB of storage. It will run on Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box with Experience U.I. In terms of camera, it has a 13-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front camera.
Connectivity features include a USB 3.1 port, Bluetooth 5, GPS and Wi-Fi ...
OnePlus has rolled out OxygenOS 5.1.4 update for the 5 and 5T smartphones that brings several new features including advanced battery optimization in standby, better image quality, group messaging and more . Check out the complete changelog below.
System
Updated Android security patch to 2018.7
Added sleep standby optimization (Settings -> Battery -> Battery optimization -> Advanced optimization -> Sleep standby optimization)
Camera
Improved photo clarity
Message
Added Group Messaging
Gallery
General bug fixes
The update is 1.6GB in size for the phones since it is releasing the full ROM instead of the releasing just the update as usual. It also includes Android security patch for July, 2018.
Source
Fornite maker; Epic games back in May announced that Fortnite for Android will be available in Q3 of 2018. But the company is yet to officially announce a launch date, however, sources claim that the game will be launched as an exclusive for the Samsung Galaxy Note9 on August 9th.
Reports also suggest that unlike most games, Fornite won't be available on Google Play Store, instead, it will be available only on a few supported handsets and the list of Android smartphones that’ll support Fortnite Mobile on Android once it launched is now leaked. This piece of information is found hidden within the source of the Fortnite Mobile page on Epic Games’ website.
It also details the instruction for users on how to download and install the game on their Android smartphone. Users who have the supported handset can download the Fortnite Mobile on Android the web browser, instead, of Play Store. In the next page, users will be informed about the "security permissions” which likely refers to enabling installation from unknown sources. The reason for not offering Fortnite on Play Store is unknown at the moment.
The only practical reason for this decision is because it would lose out on 30% of all sales, in-app purchases as apps distributed within the Play Store must use Google Play In-app ...
