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Panasonic Toughpad FZ-X1 coming available in August

This isn't the first time we've seen details of the smaller Panasonic Toughpad, however as of today we have a bit more in terms of a price and release date. First things first though, the Panasonic Toughpad will be available in two versions -- one with Android and one with Windows 8.1. The former will be the Toughpad FZ-X1 and the latter will be the FZ-E1.



Specifics point towards these Toughpad tablets as running Android 4.2.2 and Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld. Enough with the Windows though, in the case of the Toughpad FZ-X1 -- users can expect to find a 5-inch HD display at 1280 x 720. The display is also listed as being sunlight-readable and anti-reflective with a high-sensitivity 10 point capacitive multi-touch setup. The device will be powered by a Snapdragon 600 series processor.


Of course, one of the key features here is the rugged design. In the case of the Toughpad FZ-X1 - this will be MIL-STD-810G certified. Or in simpler terms, this tablet has been tested (and approved) for 10-foot drops to concrete and it is IP65 and IP68 certified. This means it is fully protected against dust and water and can handle being used in temperatures ranging from -4 to 140 fahrenheit.


Remaining specs include 2GB of RAM, 32GB of SSD storage, a microSD memory card slot, 1.3MP front-facing camera, and an 8MP rear-facing camera. The tablet also has WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS, and an option to add 4G LTE connectivity. Panasonic will have the Toughpad FZ-X1 available beginning in August and priced from $1,799. More specifically, the WiFi model will be $1,799 and the cellular model will be $1,849.


SOURCE: Business Wire


WeChat update brings better privacy, search and translation

Do you feel like other people are trying to read your group messages? Do you find it hard to look for past messages by scrolling through them? Do you want to understand what your French friend was saying but you’re too lazy to Google Translate? All of these messaging dilemmas might be solved with the update to the WeChat app for Android.



With the amount of messages most people receive on one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, it’s a pain to scroll through them looking for a particular message. To improve more on the search function of the app, you can now add tags to your messages. You can categorise them by putting tags like food, work, personal, sports, etc. You can also now select several messages at once in order to favourite them and go back through important messages when you want to re-read them.


For privacy issues, you can protect your chats with the new “Groups With Password” feature. It will issue a four-digit code for selected group chat participants so that even if someone else used borrowed your phone, they won’t be able to access your WeChat group messages. Very handy especially if the one using your phone is the subject of one of your group chats.


But probably the coolest new feature in this update to 5.3 is the addition of a translate message function, for those moments when Google Translate is too many clicks away for you. Just simply long press the message and a {hopefully correct) English translation of it will appear. Now only if there was also a feature to translate hard-to-decipher or passive aggressive messages.


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SOURCE: Google Play Store


Civilization Revolution 2 officially announced for Android

2K has announced the upcoming release of Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution 2. Similar to what players saw with the original Civilization Revolution, you'll be leading your civilization from the dawn of man to the modern age. The catch this time around though -- this release will mark the first time a Civilization game is being "developed exclusively" for mobile platforms, which in this case looks to include Android and iOS.



That comes along with mention about how the game will deliver "high-impact graphics and new gameplay and controls that capitalize on the mobile technology advancements since the original Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution launched more than five years ago." A bit more specific here, this means the game will offer "intuitive controls and a friendly user interface - designed specifically for mobile gamers on touch-pad devices."


Otherwise, for now we are simply left waiting for the release. 2K did mention how players will be able to take on history's most intrepid leaders "as they wage war, conduct diplomacy, discover new technologies, and build the most powerful empire the world has ever known in a race for ultimate supremacy." And as for those leaders -- Civilization Revolution 2 will include Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi and Napoleon as well as Churchill, Kennedy and more.


Having said all that, 2K has yet to offer a specific release date for Android. As of now they have said the game will be available in the iOS App Store (for the iPhone, iPad, iPad mini and iPod Touch) beginning on July 2nd. The Android release was simply listed as "coming soon."


VIA: Gamespot





OnePlus talks production capacity and yellowish hues

OnePlus have recently taken to their official user forums to discuss a few issues. This time around we are seeing an update on production capacity, and also the reports of the yellowish hue on some displays. Beginning with the production capacity and we find OnePlus making it clear they are not intentionally holding back any stock.



There was talk about how they "didn't expect the One to be such as popular device." Anyway, as a result of the popularity, this quite simply, has resulted in a shortage of stock. OnePlus did state how they are currently "exploring ways to increase our [their] production yield." But perhaps key at the moment, there was also talk about how the procurement cycle for the panel (display and touch sensors) is three months.


This means the panels they are currently working with were ordered before the official announcement was made. Specifically here, OnePlus mentioned how "before announcing the One on April 23, we didn't anticipate this type of demand." Again, they are working to speed things up, but it seems they were caught a bit short in the beginning and they need to find ways to speed things up.


And just in case there was any further doubt about them holding inventory, the company offered the following;



"As a startup, survival is a big concern. Sitting with excess inventory is something that can quickly kill us. Therefore, our initial sales estimations were conservative. We didn't expect the One to be such a popular device, and this has resulted in a shortage of stock."



Shifting over to the yellowish hue and it looks like some units are showing more of a yellow color (as opposed to a bright pure white color) on the display. OnePlus mentioned how they are "very strict" with quality controls and the screen temperatures have been "very similar within different batches."


They pointed out how temperature discrepancies exist "for most expensive devices in the market" and have reminded users about how they can manually adjust the screen's hue. To make the adjustment you would need to head to Settings > (under Device) Display & Lights > (under Advanced Settings) Screen Color > Custom > Hue.


And lastly, there was mention about how "the latest update of CM 11S is calibrated to enhance this “warmness.” Simply put, if you have a OnePlus One and the screen isn't quite right -- rest assured in knowing that OnePlus is currently working towards adding more presets to adjust the hue.


SOURCE: OnePlus (1), (2)





Google Glass DVF | Made for Glass collection now available

First unveiled earlier in the month, the DVF | Made for Glass frame collection is now available for purchase. These frames and shades are currently available through Net-a-Porter and also directly from Google. They will also be coming to DVF stores on June 28th. While these are essentially just a new collection of frames and shades -- you do have a few options when it comes to making a purchase.



You see, current Glass Explorers will be able to grab just the frames and/or shades, and those who do not currently own Glass will be given the option to get these new frames bundled together with the actual Glass hardware. The price of course, will reflect what you are grabbing. The shades by themselves (via the Glass website) will set you back $120, the frames by themselves (via the Glass website) are $225, and the complete bundle via the Net-a-Porter website will set you back $1,800.


The Glass website has a Navigator and Aviator style shade available. Each of these have four color options. Both the Navigator and Aviator shades are available in Graphite Flash, Rose Gold Flash and Bronze. The fourth color for the Navigator shades is Orchid Mist, and the fourth color for the Aviator shades is Sea Emerald. The Glass website has the DVF | Made for Glass frames available in five colors. Those include Shiny Ink, Matte Ice, Shiny Elderberry, Shiny Lagoon, and Matte Java.


Similar to the Glass website, the Net-a-Porter website has one style of DVF frames. These frames (again are) available in five different colors. Those considering a purchase will have the option to choose between Shiny Ink (black), Shiny Lagoon (blue), Shiny Elderberry (violet), Matte Java (brown) and Matte Ice (clear). Part of the deal here is that you are buying a set of frames -- and a shade. The shade colors are black, blue, bronze, rose and green. Otherwise, along with the frames and shades, Glass purchased through Net-a-Porter includes a case and mono earbud.




SOURCE: +GoogleGlass





HTC UK giving away 24K Gold One M7 in Twitter raffle

To celebrate winning several Phone of the Year awards from last year, HTC UK announced that they’re giving away a “24 carat REAL Gold” HTC One mobile phone through a Twitter raffle. All you have to do to join it is to Retweet their exact post and of course, you need to be a UK resident to qualify for the draw.



The promo was launched just Saturday and will run until June 29, with Twitter users only allowed to have one “entry” only and multiple RTs are not allowed. All they have to do is follow the official Twitter account @HTC_UK and then retweeting the original post. From among all the eligible retweeters, they will be drawing the winner of the gold One M7.


While joining is easy and the price seems very tempting on paper, it’s also kind of weird that what they’re giving away is last year’s model and not their newer flagship phone, the One M8. Although the reviews for the new version are good, particularly regarding its better design, the M8 hasn’t made quite an impact in the market as the previous one. At least not yet.


The M7 won the Best Smartphone award of 2013 at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year and the Best Mobile Device at the MWC the previous year. The specs for the old and new flagship vary between not so different to wildly upgraded, with the One M7 being slightly smaller at 4.7 inches, compared to the 5 inches of the One M8 but both with the same 1080p resolution. They both have 4 megapixel main cameras, but One M8 actually has two cameras on the back. The older version has a quad core 1.7 GHz processor and a 2 GB RAM, while the newer version also has 2 GB RAM but a faster 2.3 GHz CPU. But still, this is totally not bad for a free gold-plated phone, if you are the lucky Twitter raffle winner.


SOURCE: HTC UK


Nexus 7 bought from Google Play gets 3-month All Access

Do you want a nifty new gadget and an all access pass to thousands of music online? Google believes you want that exact deal, so they’re offering all customers who will buy a 16 GB Nexus 7 through Google Play Store a 3-month free subscription to All Access, the music streaming subscription of Google Play Music.



The newest among the Google tablets, the Nexus 7 was released in 2013 and is considered the best value-for-money tablet of the 7-inch variety. At $229, coupled with the all access music for three months, this is already a good deal for those looking for a gadget that is both handy and powerful enough for your basic device needs. To avail of the promo, you need to buy the Nexus 7 from the Google Play Store starting now until September 30. Once you’ve made the purchase, a code for the three-month subscription will be sent to you. All you need to do is sign up for a Google Play unlimited music account and then redeem the code only until September 30 as well. But if you've already subscribed to All Access previously, even for a trial period only, you still need to create a new account to be able to use the code for the three-month free subscription.


If you’re happy with the music streaming service after three months, then you can continue with the subscription and pay their normal fee of $9.99 every month. If you forget to cancel the subscription after the three months are over, then you will automatically be billed as well. However, if you live outside of the United States, then there’s bad news for you. This deal is available for US residents only.


The Nexus 7 has been a hit in the market, but Google Play Music is still trying to find its place amidst tough competition from other music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, Rdio, Beats Music, Rhapsody and iTunes Radio among others.


Get the deal from Google Play Store here


SOURCE: Google





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