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Get Google to remind you to pay your bills

No matter how much you try to organize your life, there are some things that might slip through the cracks. But there are some things you cannot afford to (literally) get past you and those are bill payments. Google has now added a very crucial prompt that will tell you what you need to pay, how much you need to pay and when you need to pay them. And all you need is just to have these information on your Gmail and for you to use your best "Ok Google" voice.



Okay, you don't really need to sound great when asking Google. But you do need to have all the necessary information in your email, which we assume most of your bill payments are sent to you electronically. So all you need to do is tell Google to "Show me my bills" or "My bills due this week". If you have all the complete information, like due date, amount due, etc, then it will show you a summary of both the past bills you've paid and the upcoming ones you need to settle.


However, it will not automatically give you a reminder when your bills are due, but you can also use the power of Google to give you a push. Once you have the list of upcoming bills, set a reminder by "Okay Google"-ing again and only then will your forgetful mind be at ease, knowing your virtual assistant will have your back. Or you can also add it to your to-do list of choice, whether it's Evernote, To-doist or your phone's built-in reminders. The other problem is that if your bill is in one of your filters, like promotions or updates, it seems to not be able to detect it. But maybe they'll be able to fix that soon or you can just transfer it to your primary filter.


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The important thing is, you can always check with Google Now if you feel like you're forgetting a mortgage payment or a credit card bill. No need to update anything, the power is already in your hands (or rather, your voice).


SOURCE: +Google


Galaxy Tab Active up for pre-order in the US

Samsung has announced that its latest ruggedized tablet, the Galaxy Tab Active, will be available in the US this month. The tablet is also now up for pre-order for fans in the US wanting a tablet that can survive life on the road. The Galaxy Tab Active will sell for $699.99 in the US.



Samsung made the tablet with water and dust resistance built in along with anti-shock and drop protection to keep the tablet from dying an early death from drops. Internal storage for the tablet is 16GB and it features Samsung Knox, NFC tech and the C-Pen.


Samsung is aiming for mobile business pros, so the tablet is Certified Citrix-Ready and SAP-Certified for SAP Work manager and SAP CRM Service manager. The tablet has integrated WiFi, Android 4.4 is the OS, and the main screen is an 8-inch unit with native resolution of 1280 x 800.


The screen is rated for 400 nits brightness. The tablet uses 1.5GB of RAM paired with a 1.2GHz quad core Qualcomm APQ 8026 CPU. Power comes from a removable lithium-polymer 4450 mAh battery and the rear camera has 3.1MP resolution.


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SOURCE: Samsung


Galaxy Note Edge passes through FCC, launches in Japan Oct 23

The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is a device that we already know quite a bit about, but one of the things that we aren’t sure of is exactly when it will launch. The Galaxy Note Edge was spied recently passing through the FCC in the US to gain the certifications it needs to launch. The specific version of the device that passed through the FCC is SM-N915A destined for AT&T.



The FCC lists the smartphone as working on 1900/850 MHz (II) / 850 (V) MHz, GSM (B2) / 1700 (B4) / 850 (B5) / 700 (B12 / B17) MHz, W-CDMA 1900 FDD-LTE 1900 networks. We already know some of the specifications of the Note Edge, and one of the most notable is the screen. The Galaxy Note Edge is tipped to feature a Quad HD Super AMOLED display with a native resolution of 2560 x 1440.


We also know that the smartphone will support the ability to draw or sketch directly on the screen using the S Pen. Samsung has also said that the device will be a limited edition. We have no idea how much the smartphone will cost at this point, but it is expected to be a premium device.


While the smartphone crossed the FCC in the US, we also know that Samsung will be launching the smartphone in Japan this month. The official launch date is tipped as October 23. Samsung will offer the smartphone in Japan via KDDI and NTT DoCoMo and those wanting the smartphone can pre-order now.


SOURCE: Blog of Mobile


SOURCE: Samsung Mobile Press



Sony can’t market Xperia Z1 as “waterproof” in South Africa

The Sony Xperia Z1 isn’t fully waterproof. This is according to a woman in South Africa who complained that her phone stopped working after using it in water. She said the ports were closed so no water could go inside the phone but unfortunately it stopped working. This despite Sony’s claims that phone is waterproof.



The woman brought her phone to a Sony repair center but they wouldn’t repair even under warranty. The carrier also refused to repair the phone because the phone is only “water resistant” as opposed to the “waterproof” claims by Sony. It’s a big problem for the woman so the $800 she spent on the handset is gone—just like that, no thanks to Sony’s false claims.


Because of this, the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASASA) made a ruling that the smartphone in question can’t be marketed as “waterproof”. Sony still insists that the phone isn’t only water-resistant as mentioned by the mobile carrier. Still, ASASA is saying there is a difference between “water resistant” and “waterproof” so Sony should be more careful next time not to mislead people, at least, in South Africa.


Sony should take note of that especially since the latest Xperia Z3 phone boasts of its high level of water- and dust-resistance. The phone is IP68 certified so it should be tough and ready for all rough use.


I totally understand this ASASA ruling in South Africa. Sony should respect the agency and comply with the rules. But seriously, why would you use your phone while in the water? Seriously?!


VIA: Xperia Blog



Google Play Movies now allows pre-ordering of new titles

Are you one of those movie buffs that are constantly checking on when the film that you recently watched will finally be available online so you can watch it all over again? Well, you don't need to go to IMDB or Metacritic or whatever site you use just to see if they're already available digitally. You can now pre-order them from Google Play Movies, even while they are still showing in movie theaters, and once they're released online, you get the film "delivered" to your linked smartphone or tablet.



As of now, there are 15 movies available for pre-ordering in the Google Play Movies store, including the current box-office champ Gone Girl directed by David Fincher and based on the best-selling book by Gillian Flynn. Other films that you can pre-order and look forward to watching when they're released are: summer champs Guardians of the Galaxy, another YA adaptation The Maze Runner, Denzel Washington's remake of the TV show The Equalizer, and the equally successful sequel, How To Train Your Dragon 2.



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The process is simple enough. Just choose which movie you want to pre-order. If it's the first time you've used Google Play for any purchase, you'll be asked to give your credit card details. But you will not be charged for the movie until it has been released and delivered to you. You'll just see an icon on your My Movies that you've pre-ordered it, along with the official digital release date. In case you forget the release date, you will receive an email that it is finally available and will be automatically delivered to you.


Unfortunately, if you live outside of the US, you will not be able to pre-order movies yet, as the feature is limited to the US region only. But if you are living in the country, then you can start pre-ordering right away on Google Play Movies.


SOURCE: +GooglePlay



Remember how Samsung announced it was getting Nokia's Here navigation software for its Android devic

Remember how Samsung announced it was getting Nokia's Here navigation software for its Android devices? Well, the app has just gone live on Samsung's Galaxy app store so now you can try it out for yourself (if you have a Samsung Galaxy device).


Read more...
















HTC won’t launch a smartwatch today, not yet

We know HTC is having an event today and will launch three new products. We have no idea what the devices are but we’re guessing a new tablet, the HTC Desire Eye, and a possible GoPro rival. There could also be a smartwatch to finally join the bandwagon but according to HTC America CEO Jason Mackenzie, there won’t be any HTC smartwatch at today’s launch.



HTC isn’t ready to release a smartwatch yet. The company could easily if it wants to but the wearable isn’t good to go, at least, HTC wants it to be not just another smartwatch. HTC wants to make sure that theirs is something people would be compelled to strap on their wrists.


There are a lot of smartwatches available in the market today from different manufacturers but not one is really impressive. They function basically the same. HTC want’s to be different this time by working on something that is one-of-a-kind.


Drew Bamford, HTC Creative Labs head, said:



“We’ve seen a lot of general purpose wearables come to market. There’s not a strong reason to wear one every day. When we come to market with our product we want to make sure the product has a strong point of view and there is a really compelling reason to strap it on your wrist.


We think the strategy we were working on will get us there, but we want to take our time and get it right. We honestly don’t think anyone has gotten it right.”



The arrival of the Apple Watch may have excited a lot of geeks but it’s still the same. People who will buy any of the the smartwatches available today will do so not because it’s a need but it’s a want.


What could HTC be making? How could the company improve on the wearables? We’re curious and excited as to what an HTC smartwatch can do. Let’s just hope HTC doesn’t disappoint.


VIA: Slashgear


SOURCE: Re/code