Acer discreetly unveils Liquid Z6, Z6 Plus phones, and Iconia Talk S 7-inch phablet

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

Acer’s “new and exciting holiday season lineup” just needed over an hour of pre-IFA marketing buildup in Berlin, but smartphone and wearable enthusiasts were disappointed to see Predator and Liquid families snubbed from the PC-packed event.Not to worry, as two Liquid Z6 series handhelds got a lower-key official announcement via a bland press release, which is a shame, given one of the models ...

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Samsung Galaxy S8 leak points to big dual-camera changes

Posted on by James Rogerson
Samsung Galaxy S8 leak points to big dual-camera changes

With most of 2016's major smartphones now here and seemingly almost nothing left to learn about the iPhone 7, attention is turning to 2017 and to the Samsung Galaxy S8, which if the latest rumors are to be believed could have a very different camera to the Samsung Galaxy S7.

According to a Weibo leaker, the flagship will have a dual-lens rear camera, which is becoming a common feature for phones, with the LG G5 and Huawei P9 both sporting one, while the iPhone 7 Plus and LG V20 are also rumored to offer it too.

Apparently one lens on the S8 will be 12MP (just like on the S7), while the other will be 13MP, and the company will supposedly be using both its own lenses and Sony's.

This isn't the first time a dual-lens camera has been rumored for the Galaxy S8 and it's a believable feature, with so many rivals opting for the same. What's not clear though is what purpose the second lens would serve. It might be monochrome like in the Huawei P9, wide-angle like the LG G5 or something else entirely.

Upgrades all round

But according to the Weibo post, spotted by TechAndroids, it's not just the rear camera that's changing, as the front-facing camera on the Samsung Galaxy S8 will apparently be 8MP, up from 5MP on the Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

This too is a believable change, as Samsung hasn't changed the spec of its flagship selfie snapper in a couple of years.

Supposedly the S8 will also have an iris scanner, which is the most believable part of the leak, as an iris scanner was one of the Note 7's big new features and it would make sense for Samsung to carry it over to the Galaxy S8 - although it was largely ineffective.

But while all these things seem more than possible we'd still take them with a pinch of salt for now, as the Galaxy S8 is months away and the leaker has provided no real evidence for their claims.

  • We're also expecting to see the HTC 11 in early 2017

Asus sends long overdue OTA Marshmallow goodies to standard ZenFone 2

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

Hardware choice is typically a good thing, and it’s an essential part of the very solid foundation on which the diverse Android ecosystem was created and continues to thrive on, but there is such a thing as too much choice.Call it brand dilution, lack of focus or fuzzy product release strategy if you will, but voice your frustration over it, as it inherently leads to OS fragmentation and tardy software support. Case in point, the six (not-so) different Asus ZenFone 2 models, the

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Google’s Spotlight Search, “In Apps” mode, announced

Posted on by Jules Wang

If you own an Android phone, you now have a new way to look for everything inside of it. And you’ll be able to do it in style on the LG V20.Google is introducing its locally-based “In Apps” search mode as an easy way to pick out the things of the past you need to bring up right now. All you have to do is scroll over to the new “In Apps” section or put [brackets] around your search terms — without even being connected to the net.You’ll be able to put in contacts, conversation topics and media from your prior discussions in your native email, texting and ...

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Deal: How you can become a Big Data whiz — and earn a six-figure salary for it

Posted on by Pocketnow Deals

Want a job with a six-figure salary in an industry that offers huge growth potential? Consider training for a rewarding career in data management with The Big Data Bundle, offered to Pocketnow readers for over 90% off the retail price.The Big Data Bundle is a convenient and cost effective way to learn essential data management and analysis skills. It features access to nine courses with more than 64 hours ...

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Pebble OS 4.0 streamlines access to Health, Timeline, Launcher

Posted on by Jules Wang

All new looks are in store if you decide to update both your Pebble app and your Pebble Time/Time Steel/Time Round watches to firmware 4.0. Not only that, but Pebble OS has a new feel, too.Straight from the watchface, you can press up to hit up Pebble Health. You’ll get your step stats and more to the right. Week-to-week compares are also on the screen, along with your goals. The Pebble app displays ...

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Huami Amazfit crowdfunded smartwatch heads to market

Posted on by Jules Wang

Huami, Xiaomi’s lifestyle brand, has made some fairly simple fitness trackers, including one that’s been plagued with delays. But maybe a whole new crowdfunded beast can paper over sins of the past.Meet the Amazfit. The case is made from ceramic and houses a 1.34-inch circular display with a 300 x 300 resolution. It’s rated for IP67 water and dust protection and takes 22mm bands. There’s a dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. Other ...

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FTC suit against AT&T throttling practices tossed out by appeals court

Posted on by Jules Wang

The Federal Trade Commission has lost a fight over mobile data throttling against AT&T.This two-year-old case stemmed over the FTC’s accusation that the carrier needed to inform the commission before slowing down the data speeds of customers using excessive amounts of it on a grandfathered unlimited plan. The agency said that such deceptive practices are prohibited under the Federal Trade Commission Act.The Ninth Circuit court of appeals, however, ordered a lower court to dismiss the lawsuit. ...

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RadPad Android Pay promotion ended after excessive participation

Posted on by Jules Wang

Every time you make a payment with your credit card, the bank that issues your card takes a cut of the final bill. If you’re into mobile payments, the tech company behind it also asks for a cut of each transaction. These small cut, but single-digit percentages can make a difference in the bottom line.Take RadPad’s promotion, for example. The company allows its users to not only find an apartment, but have tenants pay landlords through credit cards and debit cards in addition to the more ...

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Toffee Fitzroy Satchel for Laptop Review

Posted on by MobileTechReview
Like the leather sleeve for laptop we recently reviewed, the Toffee Fitzroy Satchel for Laptop is deceptively simple yet very functional. On the outside, the Fitzroy Satchel might look like a plain messenger bag but on the inside, it packs organized compartments for a laptop, a large tablet, computer accessories/tech gear, personal essentials and on the back of the ...
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Chromebook Pixel 2 off Google Store, hints of a Pixel 3 to come

Posted on by Jules Wang

Last year’s Chromebook Pixel has now come out of stock from the Google Store. The $1,299 ChromeOS laptop didn’t get much word from its maker when it dropped from the sales beat.The second Pixel book ends its run at 17 months and just two months after a job posting surfaced for a “Quality Engineer” for the Chromebook Pixel unit. Anyone getting into the job would be expected to help shape “Google’s next game-changer”, potentially implying a ...

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Russian regulatory docs see iOS 10, watchOS 2 hardware, AirPods

Posted on by Jules Wang

The FCC has not published any regulatory documents related to the iPhone 7 or the Apple Watch 2 just yet. But, according to at least one Russian tech outlet, the Eurasian Economic Commission has taken a look at those devices and another one that has to do with the lack of a headphone jack on that new mobile phone.Documents dug up by mobiltelefon.ru show up product listings with internal product codes for certain devices running on “

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Google’s next flagship phone may not be a ‘Nexus’ at all

Posted on by Parker Wilhelm
Google's next flagship phone may not be a 'Nexus' at all

The Nexus may cease to exist as we know it, as Google is reportedly dropping the name for its upcoming iteration of the flagship Android line.

Starting this year, Google will rebrand its Nexus successor with a new title and specialized take on the Android operating system, sources told Android Central.

It isn't clear whether Google is just taking a break from the six-year-old Nexus series this year, or if the shift marks a permanent change to the company's phone-making philosophy.

It was also not revealed what the new moniker for 2016's device will be - though it wouldn't be surprising if the phones make a more direct connection to Google by name.

A new Nexus - inside and out

Similar to last year's Nexus 5X and 6P - built under Google's supervision by LG and Huawei, respectively - this year's Nexus sequel is planned to come in a pair.

The duo are rumored to be 5-inch and 5.5-inch handsets developed by HTC under the code names Marlin and Sailfish.

Little else is known about the devices at this time, though it appears they will take a note from one of Huawei's flagship features and include gesture controls using the built-in fingerprint scanner.

Also worth noting is that the new Nexuses (Nexi?) may offer added software and a different interface not seen in other Android devices - further separating them from the "core" Android experience the Nexus line is known for.

As fall approaches, we expect to learn more about Google's intentions with the Nexus line and whether it will stay the course as normal - or diverge off the beaten track with a new name and design.

VAIO Phone Biz Anniversary Update delayed because of Continuum fluke

Posted on by Jules Wang

Earlier this year, Sony break-off company VAIO released a Windows 10 Mobile smartphone called the Phone Biz. We ridiculed its name as the tackiest in… the phone biz. That, and it was a fairly middling device in horsepower with a Snapdragon 617.But it was a third-party offering for Japanese Windows Phone customers and fans. It was hailed as a good step forward for the platform.Tuning back in, though, we find that the

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