Jolla’s Sailfish OS certified by Russian government, looks for wide distribution

Posted on by Jules Wang

Finnish-based Jolla failed to proliferate its consumer-side products with the help of its fans, but it still believes that its Sailfish OS serves as an important business-focused alternative to this world of AndroiOS. It might prove important to Russia’s mobile software environment in the next decade.

Regulators controlling the Unified Register of Russian Software for Computer and Databases have certified Sailfish as the only mobile OS to be used for official and corporate purposes. The government has been looking to alternatives to the US-made Android and iOS platforms which currently make up 95 percent of the software pie in the subcontinent. It hopes to draw that proportion down to 50 percent by 2025.

Samsung-backed Tizen OS was also considered for approval as an official mobile OS.

Sailfish was licensed out to a Russian startup called Open Mobile Platform earlier this year. The software is being customized for commercial products in development. OMP is a shareholder in Jolla.

The startup’s CEO, Pavel Eyges, said in a statement to TechCrunch:

We believe that open source based and independent Sailfish OS is the mobile OS platform of the future. It has great potential in Russia and elsewhere. Sailfish OS RUS is based on principles of participation and partnership, and we are actively recruiting partners and developer community members to take the initiative to new heights in Russia.

Jolla controls the core code, some portions of which are open source — Android apps can be made to work on Sailfish. It is also working with governments in Baltic region countries as well as in China and South Africa on potential integration. Customization and further layering will mostly be left to the clients to develop.

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SD Association issues new ratings for running apps off of SD cards

Posted on by Jules Wang

With Android allowing for Adoptable Storage and the integration of SD cards into the actual flash disk on the phone, you’ll want to make sure that the microSD card you’re using is fit to be attached as part of the device’s internal storage in order to run apps direct from the card.

Well, the Secure Digital Association is out with a new specification, SD 5.1, that introduces the Application Performance Class. Yes, another class rating beyond Speed Classes and UHS Speed Classes, but this one is important if you’re storing more than your pictures, songs and video on your card.

The new rating guarantees that an SD card can maintain a minimum amount of constant input-output accesses per second.

The new and only Class A1 rating sets a standard for read rates of 1,500 IOPS, write rates of 500 IOPS and sequential streams of at least 10MB/s. More ratings will be created as cards and requirements become faster.

Of course, UFS 2.0 cards are also coming into play and they’re already speedy enough to be used in Adoptable Storage. It’s a matter of how much consumers are willing to pay in the technology’s commercial infancy.

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OnePlus 3 touch latency is “worst” a developer has ever seen

Posted on by Jules Wang

Touchscreen latency marks the difference between the tap and swirl of your finger and what the device recognizes as your digit’s current position while it moves. A typical smartphone will have 50 milliseconds of latency. The OnePlus 3 and the OnePlus 3T are not typical smartphones, though — they are “Flagship Killers”. One review has measured the 3T’s touch latency at a whopping 93ms.

XDA-Developers member arter97 made it known to OnePlus through its forums that this issue is one that should be taken care of.

“OnePlus 3 has the worst latency I’ve ever had on an Android device,” arter97 wrote in an extended post on Pastebin. “iPhone always had the lowest latency and iPhone switchers are already noticing the latency on the OnePlus 3.”

Even comparing a Galaxy device and a OnePlus One, the lag was noticeably different.

The operative smoothness of an interface is exclusive from the touch latency of a smartphone display — digging into the hardware, we’re talking about the graphics processing chip versus a touchscreen controller. While the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T may scroll smoothly and with visual pleasure, getting it to do so takes some finagling.

Arter97 believes that all signs point not to Synaptics, the touch sensor manufacturer, nor the Android or Linux kernel, but the tinkering of the touch firmware — clearly in OnePlus’s court. Specifically, they believe that the “move sensitivity,” or the amount of finger movement it takes for a tap to be registered as a scroll, is set too high.

Dozens of users have backed the claim. In a separate thread, the issue was recognized by a OnePlus Bug Hunter and has been forwarded to the development team. A recent software update dated from November 22 for the OnePlus 3T mentions “Updated touch panel firmware and optimized accuracy.” The OnePlus 3 has not gotten a similar update.

This isn’t the only time OnePlus has been taken to task for how it tunes its hardware. The OnePlus 3, despite having 6GB of RAM, was criticized for heavily limiting the number of apps it was able to simultaneously keep in memory. The company followed through with a software tweak.

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KGI: all glass bodies, all OLED screens, all iPhone 8 models

Posted on by Jules Wang

Inductive wireless charging is one of the latest features to be pegged to the next iPhone, but KGI Securities analyst Ming-chi Kuo wasn’t envisioning some of these features to be universal across all three models — the regular model, a Plus size and a pricier technological showboat at a special in-between size.

However, perhaps some of these features that may have been intended only for the new model may come to the other ones, according to a new KGI report. That model remains in existence with a curved OLED display, completely wireless charging and a glass body. But the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 8 devices may also get flat OLED panels, completely wireless charging and a glass body, too.

How Apple will muster enough components to make a big splash for its decennial iPhone is unknown, but if it wants to live up to analysts’ expectations, it’s going to have to: KGI expects 150 million iPhone 8 shipments for the next holiday quarter, blowing iPhone 6 numbers far out of the water.

Supply issues have plagued the company this year in delivering iPhone 7 units to its customers and may be constraining sales potential, so it’ll be interesting if Infinite Loop can overcome these problems in a year’s time.

The report is not specifically attributed to Ming-chi Kuo and is interpreted by Redmond Pie.

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Sky Mobile lets you roll over and save your data for three years

Posted on by John McCann

Sky has launched Sky Mobile to complete its quad-play line-up, as it joins the company's TV, broadband and home phone services.

The news is no surprise, as Sky announced it would launch its own network in 2016 when it signed a deal with O2 back in January 2015, but some of the details are intriguing.

Its three 12-month contracts are focused on data, with 1GB, 3GB and 5GB plans priced at £10, £15 and £20 per month respectively.

That's just for the data though, with users then required to choose between either pay-as-you-use calls and texts (10p per minute and 10p per text) or unlimited calls and texts for an additional £10 per month.

Savings for Sky customers

There’s good news for Sky customers though, as you’ll get unlimited calls and texts for free – meaning you’ll just need to pay the monthly data cost.

Any unused data each month isn’t lost either. The excess is instead rolled into a ‘piggybank’, which users can then call upon to top up their allowance (in 1GB increments) in future months if they’re running low.

This data is stored for up to three years, meaning there’s no rush to get through additional data the following month.

For families, Sky Mobile allows you to have up to five SIMs tied to the same Sky account. The account holder can then control web security settings for each SIM card – allowing parents to turn on safe surfing for kids – while also controlling who gets excess data from the piggybank.

You'll also be able to view your Sky box's planner from your phone when out and about and download or stream your favourite shows to your handset via the Sky Go app.

Mix it up

If you find you’re constantly under or over using your data allowance, you can switch between plans – with Sky Mobile allowing you to move up and down its three data tiers.

You can change a maximum of once a month, every month. A move up the tiers sees the additional data applied instantly to your account, while a move down will take affect at the end of the month.

For those currently not with Sky, the offering is less attractive. Take Sky’s 3GB of data deal and add in unlimited calls and texts and you’re looking at £25 per month.

Rival MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) giffgaff for example - which also uses O2's network - offers 4GB of data, 1,000 minutes and unlimited texts for just £15 per month, while £18 sees your minutes doubled and data bumped to 6GB.

Non-Sky customers will still benefit from the data rollover piggybank and five SIMs per family offering – but there are better deals to be had if you’re not already tied to Sky.

The service will be available to those who pre-registered this December, with general availability of Sky Mobile starting from January 2017.

For those looking to get a handset as well as a contract, Sky will also start selling phones from Spring 2017 - including the flagship Apple and Samsung devices.

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Cyber Monday sales beat Black Friday’s, but only just

Posted on by Jules Wang

$50 million is apparently what separates how much consumers spent during Cyber Monday and Black Friday.

Adobe has released metrics for Cyber Monday sales online as well as platform traffic. The numbers come out of 80 percent of transactions from the top 100 US retailers and 75 percent of transactions from the top 500. on the web and, just like with Black Friday, we’re looking at record numbers this year.

The firm is estimating $3.39 billion worth of sales, a year-over-year growth of 10.2 percent and only beating internal estimates and Friday’s sales by just a little bit. By platform, smartphones made up 44 percent of pageviews, but only 25 percent of sales. Tablets took 9 percent of traffic and 10 percent of purchases. Desktops made up the rest of that share. It’s likely that mall strollers weren’t on their phones yesterday. Instead, we think office dwellers were taking “extended lunch breaks”.

Average cart checkouts on iPhones were around $139 while Android phone users bought $124 per order.

Visit-to-purchase conversions improved on an annual basis on all levels, though they are still at lower levels than Black Friday conversions. Smartphone conversions were marked at 1.9 percent while tablets switched over 3.7 percent of visits and 4.3 percent of desktops as well.

Of our technology interest, iPads and Amazon Fire-branded products were the fourth and fifth best performers.

Overall, November has brought in just under $40 billion of online sales to the top businesses in the US with 31 percent of sales coming from mobile devices.

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Verizon pushes back Pixel XL deliveries up to an extra month, new orders get January ETA

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

While Google can reportedly expect pretty hefty Pixel-generated revenue through the end of next year, the latest 2016 sales prediction of around 3 million units is actually lower than the previous “up to” 4 mil unofficial forecast.

But that may have nothing to do with the mass appeal of the Pixel and Pixel XL phones. After all, Verizon can’t sell something it’s not able to procure and ship in a reasonable time frame. Sooner or later, prospective buyers will lose their patience and look elsewhere for a Galaxy Note 7 replacement or Android-powered iPhone 7 alternative.

That Big Red customer interested in a 128GB Pixel XL and made to wait a couple more weeks than initially anticipated ultimately picked up a Moto Z Force Droid, for instance. Who can blame him when VZW again delayed the top-of-the-line 5.5-incher’s delivery, this time all the way through December 26?

Other early Pixel XL adopters are likely in similar positions, whereas new orders get even worse shipping estimates. Namely, “by” January 11 (yes, 2017) as far as the 32GB XL is concerned, and January 13 for the 128 gig configuration.

With sweet Black Friday weekend deals from Verizon decidedly in the rearview mirror now, your safest bet is to head over to the Google Store, or try your luck at Best Buy. The “normal-sized” Pixel, meanwhile, is available essentially everywhere with fast delivery in both 32 and 128GB SKUs.

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OnePlus 3T is the flagship phone people are queuing round the block for

Posted on by TechRadar

It’s a cold Thursday afternoon in December and there are over a hundred people queuing up outside a phone store on Oxford Street, London. There’s no celebrity appearance, no discounts to be had, rather they’re there to get exclusive early access to a brand new smartphone before it goes on sale.  

The phone? The OnePlus 3T. 

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. 

The plucky start-up has been quietly perfecting the art of the flagship over the past three years, and the OnePlus 3T is its most complete offering yet with a boost in battery life, a better selfie snapper and a slicker experience on screen. 

It’s a smartphone that comfortably holds in own against the top handsets from the established names – and then there’s the price. Starting from £399 it’s significantly cheaper than its rivals, but it doesn’t skimp on spec. 

No wonder the O2 store on Oxford Street was inundated with eager fans four days ahead of the OnePlus 3T going on general sale then, and it shows just how far the firm has come in such a short amount of time.

Style and substance

The premium metal build of the OnePlus 3T oozes class, the Snapdragon 821 chipset and 6GB of RAM means there’s no phone more powerful, and its 3,400mAh battery will easily see out a full day on a single charge and can be topped up in a flash with speedy Dash charging smart. 

Round the back there’s a strong 16MP Sony-made camera, and that’s complimented on the front by a second 16MP snapper – perfect for all your FaceBook Live and Snapchat stories. 

Alexandru Girbo travelled all the way from Oxford to be first in line and he said: “I can’t believe that I’m the first person in the country to get my hands on the OnePlus 3T. I can’t wait to try it out.” 

While many things sound too good to be true, the OnePlus 3T is nothing but the truth. The OnePlus will is available on OnePlus.net and online and instore at O2.

Want to see more of the OnePlus 3T? Check out this extreme unboxing!

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The Galaxy S8’s selfie snapper could have an unusual feature

Posted on by James Rogerson

While smartphone cameras are getting better by the year, front-facing snappers are lagging behind and tend to lack even basic features we've come to expect in rear sensors.

But one such feature making the switch to the front - autofocus - could be coming to Samsung’s next flagship.

According to a “representative for this industry” (trust that as you will), speaking to ETNews, Samsung has decided to add a front-facing autofocus to the Galaxy S8, in order to differentiate it from rivals.

It’s a believable claim, as Samsung is known for packing its phones full of tech, and a front-facing autofocus certainly would be one way to stand out.

An odd addition

Its actual usefulness is more questionable though, since an autofocus tends to be advantageous for focusing on subjects at varying distances, but front-facing cameras are generally used purely for close-up photos, where a fixed focus (as Samsung’s phones currently use) is likely to work just as well.

Still, it’s a feature that would make the front-facing camera on the Galaxy S8 that little bit more versatile, and all without requiring a large camera module, as Samsung is apparently using an encoder-type actuator for autofocusing, specifically because these allow for a slim camera.

This might not be the only improvement made to the front-facing snapper either, as according to earlier rumors Samsung might up it to 8MP (from 5MP on the Samsung Galaxy S7). 

If this all pans out then the Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 Edge could be unusually strong options for selfie fans.

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Instead of giving up, LeEco ramps up US retail efforts at Amazon, Best Buy and Target

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

Despite recently acknowledged financial difficulties caused by an overly ambitious global expansion, China’s LeEco isn’t ready to slow down its US retail growth efforts just yet. Quite the contrary, as both “ecophones” and “ecotvs” gear up for December 1 launches across Amazon, Best Buy and Target.

Technically, the high-end LeEco LePro 3 and mid-range Le S3 Android handhelds are listed on the company’s official American LeMall website at recommended $400 and $250 prices respectively. But in reality, if you choose your timing carefully, the Snapdragon 821 and 652 5.5-inchers can be yours for 100 bucks less.

They were even available at $279 and $129 respectively on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with the Le S3 thrown in as a free gift if you purchased costly enough smart TV sets. Hopefully, LeRewards instant rebates bringing the two phones’ price tags down to $300 and $150 tops will also be up for grabs since day one of third-party US retailer availability.

For a limited time, the LeEco Le S3 and LePro 3 should qualify for a complimentary three-month AT&T DirecTV Now subscription as well, and so will the $649 ($449 with rebate) Super4 X43 Pro 4K TV. Meanwhile, the pricier Super4 X55 and X65 earn you six months of DirecTV Now service on the house, and the ultra-premium, gigantic uMax X85 comes with a full year of on-demand video streaming at no extra charge.

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Deal: Lock down your online security for life: Get 65% off the top-rated Hotspot Shield Elite Plus VPN

Posted on by Pocketnow Deals

Looking for the kind of protection only a VPN can provide? Get the one that PC Mag gave 4 out of 5 stars. A lifetime subscription to Hotspot Shield Elite Plus VPN is 65% off the retail price right now at the Pocketnow Deals Store.

Hotspot Shield Elite Plus VPN provides protection for as many as ten devices at once. With your lifetime subscription, you’ll enjoy lightning quick connection speeds and be able to use their 20+ virtual servers located all over the globe to access content that would otherwise be restricted.

Their service is compatible with Windows and Mac based computers, Android and iOS mobile devices, and Kindle e-readers. It’s the best, most inexpensive way to get more out of your internet, while also protecting yourself from hackers and other cyber criminals.

Take advantage of this offer now, because it won’t be here forever. Get a lifetime subscription to Hotspot Shield Elite Plus VPN, just $69.99 for a limited time. Two year and one year subscriptions also available for $52.50 and $31.50, respectively; see deal page for details.

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Another possible major Samsung Galaxy S8 upgrade previewed – autofocus front camera

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

While Samsung probably never considered “more than 10” Galaxy S8 prototypes, or at least narrowed the choice down to a handful of variants already, possibly all dual-edged and slim-bezeled, you should still expect a number of rumored features in late testing to not make the cut.

As always, the Korean company’s “next big thing” is said to integrate every hot new technology around, including those not yet ready for primetime, which is why it’s wise to be prepared for a few disappointments and some lack of progress here and there.

That said, a front-facing camera flaunting autofocus functionality is certainly within the realms of possibility for next spring’s Samsung Galaxy S8. After all, the selfie craze isn’t showing signs of slowing, and the past couple of Galaxy S generations have come with rather average 5MP “secondary” snappers in tow.

A megapixel upgrade to 8, 12 or even 16 is long overdue, but most importantly, self-portrait addicts would sure love a few of the rear cam’s tricks replicated on the front. Like Dual Pixel technology, improved low-light performance with larger 1.4µm pixels, and especially a “revolutionary” autofocus advertised on the GS7’s main shooter as “so incredibly fast and seamless that even the most sudden movements are caught in the act, even when the light starts to fade.”

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‘Premium Echo-like’ Amazon speaker expected as early as Q1 2017 with 7-inch touchscreen

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

Nobody, including e-commerce giant Amazon and its often eccentric Lab126 engineers and developers, expected the Echo smart speaker to catch on. Certainly not as fast as it did, and on such a large scale that it reportedly sold over 5 million units since 2014, prompting several low-cost spin-offs, and let’s face it, a Google-made copycat.

Without a doubt, the voice-controlled home automation hub owes much of its mainstream commercial success to the built-in Alexa personal assistant, which is now also available as standard on an all-new Fire TV Stick, select Fire tablets, and third-party TCL Xess “kitchen accessory.”

It should come as no surprise therefore that Amazon wants to further boost Alexa’s reach, especially to fend off Google Assistant and Siri’s imminent expansion, with a “premium Echo-like speaker with a screen” rumored for an announcement “as soon as the first quarter of 2017.”

Wait, isn’t an “Echo-like” speaker with a “touchscreen measuring about seven inches” basically a tablet? It sure sounds that way, particularly if it’s to run an “optimized version of Fire OS”, aka Amazon’s homebrewed Android fork.

The main difference between this upcoming screen-sporting “speaker” and current 7, 8 or 10-inch Fires will probably be the former’s support for “high-quality audio at all volume levels”, and of course, a resulting price tag significantly surpassing the standard Echo’s $180 MSRP. Sounds like a slightly harder sell, but we’re definitely intrigued.

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MicroSD cards are getting new performance ratings to help you buy the right one

Posted on by David Nield

SD and microSD cards may all look alike to the untrained eye, but in fact there are different performance levels hidden behind the plastic exteriors - mainly to do with how fast data can be written to the memory.

If you're shooting 4K video or something along those lines then that write performance can be crucial, and will cause all kinds of bugs and crashes if you're not using a card that's fast enough for your latest GoPro video.

To help you make a more informed choice when you're stocking up on memory cards, the SD Association has released a new Secure Digital 5.1 spec, which so far just has one class of card, labelled App Performance Class 1 (or A1).

Play your cards right

To get the A1 badge, a card has to deal with 10MB of data a second, 1,500 random read input/output operations per second, and 500 random write input/output operations per second. Those last two specs are new additions and ensure your card is fast enough to run intensive apps from, if you pop one in your smartphone.

We'd recommend looking out for the A1 label when shopping for a card for your phone, though while the standard gets established, plenty of other cards will work too - just do your research before parting with your cash.

More card classes will arrive further down the line so you don't end up with a dud for your Android smartphone. If you want to save yourself the hassle of picking up and swapping out cards, just go for a phone with lots of internal storage instead.

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