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Huawei teases Sept 4 announcement of Ascend Mate7

While we’re still wondering whatever happened to numbers 3-6, the official announcement of Huawei’s Ascend Mate7 (the follow-up to the Ascend Mate2) is definitely pushing through on September 4 during the IFA in Berlin. The Chinese OEM has sent out teaser-invites for the event, although we’re once again confused as to why there are neon cats included in it.



The images are actually from a PowerPoint presentation and shows several clues as to what the Ascend Mate7 (or maybe other products that will also be announced) may be like. The photo of a fingerprint being scanned may be a reference to the security biometrics of the Ascend Mate7 and a “mystery smartphone” that was leaked earlier this week, which showed a fingerprint scanner at the back. There are also photos of an eight-speed transmission (probably to refer to the smartphone’s speed), the silhouette of a 7 (obviously), and mysteriously, several neon cats (Is there a special cat game installed? Is the phone going to be shaped like a cat? Is the graphic artist who made the teasers just a big cat person?)


Not much is known about the Ascend Mate7, except for a few leaked details. It will reportedly be a 6-inch smartphone which will run on Kirin 920. The main camera will be at 13 megapixels while the front-facing one will have a relatively high 5MP one. There will reportedly be two variants of the smartphone, with one having a 2k resolution and 3GB RAM while the other one has just a 1080p display and 2GB RAM.


All will be revealed in just a few weeks when Huwaei will announce what the cats really mean. And of course, what the Ascend Mate7 and maybe other gadgets will also be officially announced during the event in Berlin on September 4.


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Sony Xperia Z3 spotted in TENAA with Z2 specs

Stop the endless hardware specs race. Sony is planning to prove you that they can bring you a great Xperia Z3 with a similar Z2 internal hardware. With Sony’s official press event coming in 2 weeks, its Xperia Z3 is now certified by TENAA in China, listed as L55t and L55u models with different network bands.



According to the previous rumor, Xperia Z3 has an internal code name "L55t". The L55t from TENAA supports TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE network, while the L55u model supports WCDMA and TD-LTE network. As listed in the filing details, Xperia Z3 will be powered by a quad core 2.5GHz processor, comes with 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display, Android 4.4.x KitKat, 3GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, microSDXC card slot, Bluetooth, FM Radio, WiFi and GPS. There is also a 20.7 megapixel camera, and a 2 megapixel front facing camera. A screenshot from this leak has further revealed the processor to be Qualcomm MSM8974AC with Adreno 330 GPU.


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As you can see from the above comparison tablet, Xperia Z3 and Z2’s internal hardware is almost identical except a faster Qualcomm processor. The main changes should be the phone design, at least it is slimmer and lighter with Xperia Z3. What’s not listed in TENAA certification is the rugged protection. The existing Xperia Z2 is protected with IP55/IP58, while we expect the Xperia Z3 to be equipped with the same durability feature too. It is not sure if Sony will take the protection to the next level with IP65/IP68 – which they just did it for Sony Xperia M2 Aqua this week.


Sony has scheduled its press event on September 3rd, be sure to follow us for live event coverage and other IFA 2014 announcements!


SOURCE: Tenaa (1), (2)


Photos from previous leak


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Swing Copters is now here to seduce and frustrate you

So that dreaded day has finally arrived. .GEARS ("dot gears"), the studio owned by Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen, has finally unleashed Swing Copters to the masses. Now we wait and see whether this game will be yet another hit like its predecessor, though the absence of in-app purchases should at least give you and your wallet some peace of mind.



Just the other day, we got a glimpse of Nguyen's next game, Swing Copters. The game still wears that Super Mario-esque visuals that was part of Flappy Bird's appeal. The goal of the game sounds simple enough. You have to navigate your character, who wears a propeller hat, through ascending levels of obstacles which you, of course, have to avoid, lest you plunge to your comedic death. That said, they always say that the devil is in the details, and that is especially true in this case.


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The game is absolutely deceptive in its simplicity. Tapping launches your oddball character and further taps changes his (or her?) direction. Easier said than done, however, as you will sometimes have to tap like crazy to control its (or his or her) speedy ascent. To call it frustrating would be an understatement. But that is, once again, it's appeal. Frustration leads to challenge, and challenge leads to addiction. Plus, the somewhat hilarious way you fall to your death slightly removes the pain of failure and sometimes makes it even more worthwhile.




As mentioned, Swing Copters is available, on Google Play Store, without any price strings attached. There is, however, an ad space at the top that appears only when menus also appear. Beware, however, of imitations, as there are many who would wish to capitalize on its creator's popularity and mislead unwitting users to their own doom.


Download: Swing Copters on Google Play Store





Google Glass firmware updated, new design patented

With Android Wear off to a solid start, it's time to turn our eyes again on some of Google's well-known but still unreleased projects, namely, Google Glass. This week we're seeing some interesting news surrounding the eyewear, including the addition of a long overdue feature as well as hints at a more acceptable new design.



Google Glass XE20.1, which is what the upcoming update is believed to be called, will finally allow users to access their full list of contacts. If that has you surprised, it has us baffled as well why Google initially limited contacts access to 10. Surely you have and would want to reach more than ten people from your fancy spectacles. In any case, the full list now comes via Google Contacts and offers owners access to Hangouts accounts, email addresses or phone numbers. The 20 most recently used and/or starred contacts are given special treatment, as they can be accessed via voice commands.


Perhaps more interesting to those who still don't have Google Glass in their hands is a patent that hints at how Google might want to proceed with the smart eyewear's future design. Glass currently sports a very conspicuous and sci-fi-ish look that might appeal to some users, but the general consensus seems to be that it is butt ugly. The patent shows that Google wants to hide the components of Glass behind the frame instead of sticking them on the outside. It seems that the camera has also been separated and now located on the opposite side of the frame.


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Of course, this is so far only a patent, which isn't an assurance that an actual implementation is already in the works. That said, it might just be the change that Google Glass needs before it goes on retail. The initial hype and interest around Google Glass has seemingly mellowed down, which might not be good as an indicator of possible market reception. And while this change in design might sit well with would be owners of the device, it might rouse up even more concern from law enforcers, policy makers, and establishment owners who might prefer Google Glass to actually be more conspicuous for the sake of privacy and security.


VIA: SlashGear (1), (2)





Revocharge is a magnetic wireless charging system for phones

Fiddling with wires when it comes to charging your device can get very annoying. There are plenty of wireless charging systems on the market today and a new one has turned up on Kickstarter called Revocharge. The Revocharge system has multiple mounts to allow for wireless charging in different settings.



The mounts include a desk mount, car mount, belt clip, and arm band that all work with magnetic batteries. Each of the magnetic batteries have a microUSB input on the back that allows the charging of the battery and the phone at the same time. Revocharge supports Qualcomm 2.0 quick charge technology.


The Revocharge case is thin at 13.4mm thick and made from polycarbonate that is durable and lightweight. Since the batteries magnetically attach to the case, you can have as many as you need to extend your talk time indefinitely. Each magnetic battery has 2000-3000 mAh of power inside providing up to 150% more power.


The desktop dock can charge and sync your phone or other device at the same time. The Revocharge system is on Kickstarter now seeking $15,000 and it has raised over $7,700 so far. A pledge of $39 will get you a wireless charge base, magnetic battery, and charge/sync cable. For $69, you can get the charge base, battery, car mount, cable, and car charger. If the project hits the stretch goals, cases for the Galaxy Note 3 and 4 along with the Galaxy S5/S6 will be produced.




SOURCE: Kickstarter


Pushbullet update brings universal copy and paste

Pushbullet is a messaging app that has been around for a while that allows you to get notifications of phone calls or text messages right on your computer screen so you don’t have to go and get your phone if it is in another room or charging. The app has been updated with some cool new features for the Android platform to version 14.7.



The key feature that the update brings is universal copy and paste that allows you to copy text on one of your devices and paste it into a different device. That means you could copy text from your smartphone and paste it onto your PC or vice versa. Links on the PC can also be copied into WhatsApp or text messages with universal copy and paste.


You can also do other things with the universal copy and paste, such as copying two-factor authentication codes from your phone to paste on the computer. The app currently works with Android devices and Windows computers via the Pushbullet Windows app.


Pushbullet points out that the browser extensions available aren't able to support the universal copy and paste feature at this time. The company is working on additional supported platforms now. Pushbullet requires Android 4.0 or higher and is 3.6MB in size; you can download the latest version of the app on Google Play right now. All the other features of the app are still available like the ability to push pictures and files from your phone to the computer wirelessly and the ability to send addresses to your phone for Google Maps navigation directly from your PC, among other features.


SOURCE: Google Play





nabi Big Tab HD tablets pack massive screens for sharing

Fuhu has rolled out a couple new tablets that will fit into the nabi line of offerings aimed at kids and families. Rather than being a smaller screen tablet with features aimed specifically at kids like some of the other nabi devices, these two new tablets are big screen monsters that are aimed at use in the home. The tablets include the nabi Big Tab HD 20" and the Big Tab HD 24".



Fuhu is billing both of these units as the world's biggest Android tablets that are built for sharing. The 20" tablet has a screen resolution of 1600 x 900 and the 24" tablet offers 1920 x 1080 resolution. Both have 15-point capacitive touch technology and quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4 processors.


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Each tablet has 16GB of storage inside and use lightweight frames to make them easier to carry even though they are massive devices. Nabi equips both of the big tablets with integrated stands to allow them to be adjusted to a comfortable angle or laid flat on a tabletop surface. A battery is built in, but the tablets are designed to be plugged most of the time. The battery is a short-term solution to allow the tablets to be moved from room to room while playing a game or watching a video.


Family Time is supported with the tablets having Two Play capability with games designed for two players at once like Checkers, Chess, and others. A Game Room feature has multiplayer games for the family to enjoy. The Blue Morpho OS overlay allows for two modes with one being a safe mode for kids to use alone. The nabi Big Tab HD 20" tablet will sell for $449 and the 24" unit will sell for $549 with both landing in stores this Fall.


SOURCE: Fuhu





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