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Redbox Instant to shut down by October 7

You've probably heard of Redbox Instant, the video streaming service from DVD-rental chain Redbox and Verizon right? No? Well, you're not alone. Apparently, not a lot of people heard of it too or were interested in getting the service, hence the announcement that it will be shutting down for good by October 7, just barely a year and a half old.

Redbox Instant was created in partnership with carrier Verizon and tried to offer cheaper streaming services combined with DVD rentals (who knew people still rented actual DVDs???). But it looks like this business model was a spectacular failure, as the official statement was honest enough to admit that the service was not as successful as they initially hoped it would be. They will be offering possible refunds to subscribers after the official closure on October 7.

This comes as no surprise to those who were aware that for the past three months, Redbox Instant hasn't been able to accept new customer sign-ups, although that was for a different reason at the time. There were some issues with credit card fraud, not a good sign for a business that relies on credit card payments right? The $6-$8 a month fee gave subscribers access to around 4,500 movies, which is not a lot as compared to competitors like Netflix with its unlimited access to a huge library of videos or Hulu with its TV shows streaming service.

Subscribers will only be able to access the streaming service and use their coupons at the DVD-rental kiosks only until 11:59PM Pacific time on October 7. More announcements will be made regarding the refund and other details by October 10 on the official Redbox Instant site.

VIA: SlashGear

Probable Nexus 9 sighting as new HTC tablet passes thru FCC

A lot of people are hyped about the new Nexus tablet that Google is producing with HTC – quite possibly the Nexus 9. The tablet has been rumored to launch around mid-October, and those dates are just a few days away, so we expect the rumor mill to be buzzing with a lot of Nexus 9-related stuff. First up is this new HTC tablet that appeared at the FCC which carries the model number 0P82100 – which people say should be the Nexus 9.

Firstly the documents do confirm that the new model is in fact a tablet – this we know for sure. But the FCC is mainly concerned with the radio and WiFi antennas on the model, so we don’t really get a good handle on the tablet’s specs from these documents. If you want to take a gander at said documents, click on over to the FCC website here.

nexus9_fcc

We can confirm that the tablet has been FCC certified for most WiFi standards (802.11 a/b/g/n), and there is also a feature on the tablet for WiFi communication on the 5.x Ghz frequency, not just on the normal 2.4Ghz line. The tablet also passes tests for RFID which should mean that the tablet will have NFC available.

The rumored specs for the Nexus 9 point to a pretty powerful tablet. It may carry NVIDIA’s top of the line Tegra K1 chip while sporting a 9-inch Full HD 1080p display. Rumors also point to the new tablet running Andoid L, the yet unreleased new version of Android OS. That last bit will hinge on when Google will be making Android L available.

VIA: Blog of Mobile

New pics of HTC Desire Eye and its selfie cam leaked

One of the facts of digital life that we might not like but would probably have to accept is that this really is the age of the selfie. Just a few days away from its supposedly official reveal, new pics of HTC's new "ultimate selfie" phone, the Desire Eye, have been leaked once again. This comes on the heel of reports that the OEM's newest product (or products) will be focusing on the photo and video taking capabilities of the smartphone/s.

Late last week, details about the HTC Desire Eye were leaked by Upleaks, which have had a good track record when it comes to HTC devices. While reports show that it does have some serious hardware (Snapdragon 801 quad-core 2.3GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, 5.2-inch Full HD 1080p screen), the ultimate feature of the smartphone is definitely the front-facing camera, or what is now known as the selfie cam. Both the rear and front camera will have a 13 megapixel resolution. The selfie cam will also have all the other features that the (formerly main) rear camera has, including auto-focus, flash, etc.

The new leaks also reveal that the HTC Desire Eye has IPX7 meaning it has protection from dust and moisture and can be immersed in about 1 meter of water for about 30 minutes. Of course the new smartphone will be running on Android 4.4.4 but it will also have a modified version of HTC's own Sense software suite, this time with version 6 already. They will also be releasing a new software that is specially made to create high-quality selfie photos and will also be available for other HTC products like the One E8, Desire 816 and the flagship M8, among others.

In keeping with the new focus of HTC products, there will be a new camera-related product that will also be reportedly unveiled on October 8. This will supposedly compete with the hugely popular GoPro mobile camera. We just have to wait a few more days to see if this is indeed the direction that HTC is going.

VIA: HTC Family

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

As the weekend winds down, there's no better time to see what new apps can give your smartphone new superpowers. Here are the best candidates from the past week.

And Here's Windows 95 On a Smartwatch For Some Reason

An intrepid 16-year-old web developer hacked his Android Wear to run Windows 95. Ah, to be young and very good at undertaking whimsical hacking projects.

Make Your Android Phone a Universal Remote Control

Want to throw away your pile of remotes, but don't want to shell out for a pricy universal remote device? It's getting easier to just use your smartphone to change the channel. SureMote, a free app that debuted an updated version this weekend, wants you to control every appliance in your house with your phone. It allows users to flip through channels on smart TVs, make sure a Roomba is cleaning the right corners, and control LED lights, no remotes required.

3 Unique Launchers from the XDA Forums – XDA TV

There are many Launchers available for Android. There are very popular ones, like Nova Launcher. However, just because something is popular, doesn’t mean it’s the best. Each person’s preference is different as well.

In today’s episode, XDA TV Producer Jared shows off a 3 unique launchers from the XDA forums. He talks about SwiftOpen Beta, FlowHome Beta and SAO Launcher. So if you wanted to try a new unique launcher for your Android device, check out this video!

Links to the Launchers: