Subscribe:

Ads 468x60px

Labels

Lenovo Vibe X2 has colorful body in layers and 5-inch Full HD display

Less than one month after Lenovo announced its new Vibe Z2 Pro, it seems like there will be another high end model coming from Lenovo soon. Revealed on TENAA certification site in China, the Lenovo Vibe X2 is listed with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, octa-core processor and a 5-inch Full HD IPS display.



Instead of using a Qualcomm processor like Vibe Z2 Pro, the Vibe X2 turns to MediaTek for its MT6595 octa-core processor - four 2.0GHz A17 + four 1.5GHz A7 processor with ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture. Other hardware specs seems comparable with the Vibe Z2 Pro, except for the 3GB RAM and 2K display. The Vibe X2 comes with 2GB RAM, 13 megapxiel camera, 5 megapixel front facing camera, GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth. There is also another variant with same specs but powered by a different dual-core 2.2GHz processor.


Unfortunately, you will have to rely on the built-in 32GB internal storage as memory card slot is not supported according to the filing info. With the SIM card slot placed at the side, its 2250 mAh battery is probably not removable too.


The Vibe X2 is considered light and slim with 7.27 mm thickness and 120 grams body. Its phone body is built in four layers, with each layer done in different color. The screen layer is actually smaller than other three layers, possibly designed to protect the display when the phone is hit hard from the side.


At the moment, there are no availability details yet. With Samsung, LG, Huawei and Sony preparing to announce new smartphones in IFA 2014 next week, the Vibe X2 could be one of the new devices Lenovo is working on. Follow our IFA 2014 coverage for latest info!


lenovo-vibe-x2-tenaa-1 lenovo-vibe-x2-tenaa-2 lenovo-vibe-x2-tenaa-3 lenovo-vibe-x2-tenaa-4 lenovo-vibe-x2-tenaa-5 lenovo-vibe-x2-tenaa-6


SOURCE: TENAA (1), (2)

VIA: PhoneArena





StackSocial has pay-what-you-want Android game bundle

Humble Bundle, there’s a new kid in the game and they’re virtually coming for you. StackSocial is offering a very special pay-what-you-want deal for their Handheld Hero Android Gamer Bundle. There are seven games available but to get more than two in the bundle, you need to beat the average amount that most people are paying. The other good news is that 10% of what you pay will go to one of three organisations they support.



The 7 games available in the bundle are a mixed bag of mobile games that should appeal to most gamers. Bad Hotel challenges you to build a hotel as fast and as high as you can before it gets destroyed by several “bad” elements like seagulls and yetis. Incredipede is a weird and challenging game where your avatar needs to get to the beam of light at the end of each level but along the way it grows new limbs and muscles until you become a centipede-like creature. Rebuild is a strategy game where the survivors of a zombie apocalypse build a fort and protect it against, you guessed it, zombies.


Savant - Ascent is an action-platformer game where you are the titular Savant and you have to battle robots in order to reclaim your gothic castle. Syder Aracade HD is a “nostalgic” game that will bring you back to the gaming days when blasting aliens in their 8-bit glory was the most fun most of us ever had. In keeping with the space theme, Walking Mars is another alien-centric game but instead of just blasting them to smithereens, you need to go on an actual adventure with puzzle-solving and strategy-building. Lastly, Zombie Gunship lets you gun down those pesky zombies, but not with shotguns but with a heavily-armed AC-130 aircraft because of course, it’s more fun that way.


Right now, the average that you have to beat is just $4.27 but it will probably go higher in the next few days. As we mentioned earlier, 10% of what you pay will go to one of three charities that you can choose from: Child’s Play, World Wildlife Fund or Creative Commons. Instead of an app, you will be given a list of APKs so you can install the games manually. The sale will end in 12 days so better make up your mind if you’ll bite.


redesign_badhotel_mf redesign_incredipede_mf redesign_rebuild_mf redesign_savant_mf redesign_syder_mf redesign_wakingmars_mf redesign_zombie_mf


SOURCE: StackSocial


VIA: Android Police


LG confirms round smartwatch for IFA 2014 launch

With IFA 2014 right around the corner kicking off on September 5 in Berlin, we all know that a bunch of Android devices are about to be rolled out for the first time. One of the devices that has been teased for an IFA debut from LG is a new round smartwatch.



In fact, the first teaser video for that round smartwatch came only a few days ago. Today LG has offered up a teaser image on Google+ that shows the round faced smartwatch with the caption "Smart Comes Full Circle." Under that caption is Berlin 5-10 September 2014.


lg-watch-circle-1


The round smartwatch in the image that LG released this week clearly looks like the images of the device we have seen leaked before. No firm details on exactly what the watch will do or cost was offered with the teaser image. In the teaser images, the watch looks like your typical round watch.


We are curious to see what the user interface is like and how well the device performs. Check out the teaser video below that was released earlier this week to see what we know about the new round LG smartwatch so far.




SOURCE: +LG


Koush pushes AllCast updates for Chrome and Android

As promised last week, Koush is pushing out an update to his AllCast system that has a few new interesting features in two. But instead of a simple Android update, this one's a double whammy as it includes the update to the Chrome extension that opens the door for more devices to mirror their screens to the browser.



Last week, Koush flipped the switch for his Chrome extension that migrated from using the sanctioned but limited WebRTC protocol over to h264 via Broadway.js. In practice, this mean that the number of supported devices that can mirror their screen to a Chrome brwoser went from one (the Nexus 5) to potentially any modern smartphone. Now Koush is pushing out the update extension to the Chrome Web Store for the enjoyment of all.


The AllCast sender itself is seeing some updates, though somewhat less sensational as the Chrome receiver. This one focuses primarily on the UI side of things. A new Recents section has been added to keep track of the files and folders that you've been viewing, just to make it easier to jump right into the content that, at least based on last use, might be more relevant to you. The AllCast Receiver's fancy new splash screen has now been made optional so that it no longer gets in the way of those who want to dive right into business the moment they connect. The transcoding engine has a new Bitrate option to make sure that video streaming won't strangle your WiFi connection by maxing out the transcoding settings.


Both the updated AllCast Receiver for Chrome and the update AllCast sender for Android are now up on Chrome Web and Google Play Stores and should be rolling out to users who already have them installed. Another update, or rather release, to look forward to is Koush's ADB Shell for Chrome extension that lets you gain most of the power of ADB without having to struggle with installing SDK Tools and using arcane commands.


SOURCE: +Koush





ZTE Warp Sync delivers LTE on a budget and no contracts

HTC may have just announced its wallet-friendly 4G-toting Desire 510, but ZTE, who takes the word "budget" seriously, will not be outdone. Offering higher specs and a better screen, the ZTE Warp Sync differentiates itself even further with one key aspect: the smartphone will be available for purchase without contracts.



According to ZTE, the no-contract user base in the US is expected to grow to 50 percent by next year, making that market segment ripe for the likes of ZTE and other brands that aren't always able to snag a deal with major carriers. And yet denizens of the country will still want to get access to LTE speeds without spending an arm and a leg, and that is where the new breed of 4G budget smartphones, like this new Warp Sync, come in.


ZTE might poise this as a mid tier smartphone, but the specs look quite decent. No MediaTek in there to bring prices down, as you get a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 inside. RAM is at 2 GB and storage at 8 GB. The 5-inch display may not be up to Full HD standards, but it at least reaches 1280x720 pixels. The rear camera has an 8 megapixel Backside Iluminated (BSI) CMOS sensor, complete with LED flash, while the front sports 1.6 megapixels. Battery measures 2,300 mAh and there is a host of wireless connectivity features like WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and, of course, 4G LTE.


The ZTE Warp Sync is now available from Boost Mobile with a somewhat tasty price tag of $179.99. That said, the smartphone is also sold under the carrier's Unlimited Select monthly plans, which start at $40.


SOURCE: ZTE


Google updates News and Weather app to look like Google Now

In keeping up with the transformation of its basic apps into their “Material” design language, Google has now updated the look of its News and Weather app. The panel and card-type design now makes the app, which is built-in for some devices, look like Google Now. It also seems to be more competitive now with other news apps like Flipboard, News360 and even Google’s own Google Play Newsstand.



The News and Weather app comes pre-installed into the newer Android devices, particularly those that have Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, Kitkat and Honeycomb (okay now we’re craving for sweets). The panels now look more like your cards on Google Now and you will be able to add certain news sites on different categories to keep updated on your favourite sites without going to each of them everyday. You just swipe through the headlines and articles that you want (or not want) to read.


You can also add columns for topics that you want to keep updated on, like the latest social media news or all the Star Wars updates and rumours that you could possibly need. And if the news you want is location-based, you can also add specific places that you want to keep track of. The app also has a widget that you can easily add to your home screen for easier access to your News and Weather. There are also different languages to customize your news and of course, shareability is an important feature in any news app, and so it is very present here.


If News and Weather isn’t built-in your smartphone or tablet already, you can also download it for free from the Google Play Store. However, it is incompatible with several devices, including some Samsung ones, so better check first before getting all excited about having the app. In case it doesn’t work on your device, we’ve written about our recommended news apps for Android devices, so you might want to check them out too.


Screenshot_2014-08-27-11-15-03 Screenshot_2014-08-27-11-15-10 news1 news2 news3 news4 news5 news6


VIA: SlashGear





Verizon’s Advanced Calling 1.0: HD voice and video calling

The much-awaited Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology that is set to revolutionise how we make and receive calls is coming soon for Verizon subscribers. They’ve announced the rollout of their HD voice and video calling capability - called Advanced Calling 1.0 - in the next few weeks, a little behind competitors AT&T and T-Mobile but ahead of other US carriers.



The application of VoLTE technology for calls signifies the predicted eventual shift from CDMA voice calls. However, both phones involved in the call need to be on Verizon’s LTE network for it to work. You’ll know if video calling is applicable when you go to your contact on your phone and you see a video camera next to their name. So all you have to do is just tap that video button and you’ll be able to make a video call with your contact.


You can also easily switch to voice call, which will be in HD voice, and if you feel like switching to a video call again, then you just tap the camera again. Obviously, using HD calling will bring higher resolution to both audio and video. But not all devices right now will be able to use this technology. Both the caller and receiver need to have compatible devices, aside from the network connection requirement.


Verizon says it will release a list of compatible devices, as well as those that will be able to receive a software update to make it VoLTE capable so you'll be able to use Advanced Calling 1.0. But even if your phone can call using this new technology, if the person you’re calling doesn’t have that capability or you’re calling a landline or another smartphone from a different carrier, then they will still be using CDMA voice calls.


SOURCE: Verizon


VIA: SlashGear





Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)