Subscribe:

Ads 468x60px

Labels

Razer Forge TV console went up for pre-order, pulled back out

The Razer Forge TV – the same one we fell in love with at CES 2015 – actually went up for pre-order on Amazon yesterday, but was quickly pulled back out for reasons still unknown. If you’re thinking the Razer Forge TV is just one of those set-top boxes, then you’re in for a surprise. Razer is known for its gaming products – so with a TV box showing all the trimmings of Razer’s gaming culture – you should expect some kick-butt Android gaming at the very least.



The Razer Forge TV is a digital set-top box in form, but because it is from Razer, there is a dedicated gaming bias. The box is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, supported by 2GB RAM and 16 GB of internal storage – plus the whole gamut of connectivity options. That includes HDMI for TV output, WiFi for networking, a lone USB 3.0 port for additional storage. Feeling paranoid about your wireless connection? Connect using the Gigabit Ethernet port for a solid wired connection. The whole thing runs on Android TV, naturally.



razer-forge-tv-0-600x315



We were happy to see the Forge TV going up for pre-order on Amazon, listed at the price point bandied around during CES: USD$149 – that’s for the console and a gaming controller. You can buy the keyboard and mouse accessories at an additional price.


IMG_1489-X2-600x410


Unfortunately, it seems that Amazon was early with the pre-order, or somebody screwed up on the dates. It was all a bit premature, the pre-order has promptly been taken down. The extra detail is this – the Razer Forge TV will be shipping on May 1. So here’s to a little bit more waiting.


SOURCE: Amazon





Android Auto messaging features helps you stay connected but focused

These car accessories and digital car modules have helped a lot of drivers stay connected, but it is still pretty much dangerous, as you can get easily distracted with other screens in front of you. But the recently-released Android Auto platform says that it can help users still stay focused while driving, while letting you still be connected to your messages, emails, and other important things you need to take care off while you're on your way somewhere.



Once you've connected your smartphone (remember, it needs to be running on Android 5.0 and above) to the platform, Android Auto will take control of your messages, even as they're still running on your app. You won't get a preview of the messages you receive (stop looking at your dashboard!) because the unread messages will be read back to you by text to speech features. However, you'd have to tap on the message notification so there's still a dangerous split-second when you take your eyes off the road. Better do it when you're stopped at traffic intersections or something.


You get to reply to these messages through voice controls though, so that's a great thing and a less hazardous way than typing while driving. One of the best things, for developers at least, about Android Auto is that it's easy to incorporate these features onto your app, with just a few lines of code, nothing too complicated.


Hopefully, this will be incentive enough for developers to enable their messaging apps for the Android Auto platform, even if it's still relatively new. You can learn more about how to do this by visiting http://ift.tt/1l0sim4.


SOURCE: Android Developers Blog





More photos of the upcoming Xperia Z4 leaked

If you believe the source and the images that have been leaked, we've got ourselves our first full look at the upcoming (but unconfirmed) new flagship from Sony, the Xperia Z4. The photos show the physicality of the new smartphone, confirming some of the earlier leaked details. The source for the pictures also added some previously unknown details about it, including Sony possibly releasing two variants of the Xperia Z4, with the main difference being screen resolution.



We assume that the leak might be from South Korea, as the home screen shows a couple of icons in Hangul. What's notable also from the front homescreen view is that the Android circular button has now been replaced by the usual Sony "house" icon. The side view shows the off-center power button, volume toggles and dedicated camera button on the right side, while the SIM and microSD slot are on the left side. The larger view of the front screen shows off, or rather hides well, the front-facing speakers while a cut-out next to the charging table looks a bit mysterious, but it might be another speaker.


new_z3_4-640x853


new_z3_3-640x853


new_z3_1-640x853


While the material for the side panels and the front look plastic from the leaked pictures, the back looks to be made of glass, and even gives you a glimpse of those taking the leaked pictures (let's see if Sony will do something about them). According to the tech website where the pics can be found, these images are for Model E6553 and in fact will have two variants. But the main difference is that one has a 5.2-inch screen with 2560X1440 resolution (QHD) while the other has the same resolution, but with a 1920X1080 HD resolution. This is an unusual offering of variants, and might confuse the market as well.


new_z3_6-640x853


new_z3_2-640x853


Other specs mentioned is that it will have a Snapdragon 810 processor, a 4GB RAM, S-Master HX Digital Audio, an IP68 certification. In terms of cameras, it will reportedly have a 20.7 MP main cam, and a 5MP front-facing one. There is still no word from Sony if there will even be an Xperia Z4, so all of this is still speculation and conjecture.


SOURCE: Sony Fan, Android Authority





Innori battery pack delivers a whopping 22,400 mAh of power [DEALS]

If last week's Android Community Deal still has you craving for more power, then you might want to feast your eyes on this. While not as fancy as a solar-charged power bank, this Innori product still deserves your attention and consideration. Not only does it have one of the largest capacities around, at an astounding 22,400 mAh, it also has not one, not even two, but three USB outlets that is sure to satisfy your needs, or at least that of your smartphones and tablets.



These days, it's not uncommon for a single person to have multiple devices at hand. Maybe it's two smartphones or at least a smartphone and a tablet. Or maybe even more! That's why it's no longer enough for power banks to offer only a single point of output. Most higher capacity power banks now have at least two.


So it only stands to reason that the Innori power bank would have more. After all, 22,400 mAh is plenty to share. With three USB outputs, the external battery can accommodate smartphones and tablets. In fact, two of the USB ports are optimized for charging smartphones with an output of 5V/1A and 5V/1.5A. The other is geared towards hungrier tablets with 5V/2.1A. That said, the bank's intelligent charging automatically adjusts the output to the device's needs.


Aside from that, the power bank has your usual assortment of features, including LED lights that denote charging status. The power bank itself takes 13 hours to fully charge from empty, which, though long, isn't surprising given its capacity. The Innori 22,400 mAh Portable Battery Pack is available at a juicy 42 percent discount, now only at $39.99.


Android Community Deals is brought to you in cooperation with StackSocial. Generated revenue helps fund this site. Deals are curated by StackSocial and are not representative of the opinions of the Android Community staff.


You can make faster Hangouts voice calls when new update rolls out

If you're not satisfied with just chatting with colleagues or friends over Hangouts and have been dependent on making voice calls through the app and/or desktop, chances are you've noticed that it's not as fast as it should be. Don't worry, it's not just your carrier's fault, but it's the connection speed within some of Google's apps like Gmail and Inbox where you can also make the voice calls. But a new update to the apps and to the desktop will solve that problem and allow you to make faster calls.



There is usually a few seconds lag when you answer incoming Google Voice calls, which can be a hassle sometimes, especially if it's regarding work. But the update will supposedly take care of that as well. The speed of placing the calls and connecting to the recipient will now become faster, whether you're making the call through the email apps, or through the Hangouts app or the Hangouts Chrome extension as well.


Google product manager Mark Chang also shared some shortcut tips when you want to make a voice call through Gmail. Simply click on the phone icon which can be found on both desktop and mobile versions, and from there you can make the call. Or you can search for the phone number in the Hangouts app or desktop. The Hangouts Chrome app can also make calls if you'd like to do it from your desktop while you're working on something.


The update will be rolling out into the apps and the desktop as well in the next few days. And if you haven't tried calling through Google Voice yet, now is the time to try it out, when they're supposedly faster already.


hangouts2 hangouts1 hangouts3


SOURCE: +Mark Chang


Samsung Galaxy S6 a bigger loss for Qualcomm than expected

It was in January this year when Qualcomm divulged that a major manufacturer had backed out of using their new Snapdragon 810 processors/chipsets, something that would negatively impact their bottom line for the quarter, if not the year. They did not name the company, but Samsung had made an announcement that they would be using their own Exynos processors for this year’s flagship, the Galaxy S6. It’s not that difficult to put two and two together.



Fast forward to current times, and Qualcomm has already seen a number of flagship level phones announce the use of the Snapdragon 810 chipset – the overheating issue that plagued it early in the year is nowhere in sight. But more interestingly, it turns out that the Samsung Galaxy S6 was a bigger loss for Qualcomm – Samsung may have used their own wireless modem chips for the flagship, in addition to using Exynos processing cores. It was originally expected that Samsung would still use Qualcomm modems.


s6_sg_edge


Qualcomm of course prefers that manufacturers go to them for processor chips and wireless modems – the Snapdragon line of products is a full chipset that satisfies both needs. But in the case of Apple – who produces their own processors – Qualcomm supplies the wireless modems (3G and LTE, whatever the need may be). Chipworks, a consultancy that analyzes the chips used in mobile devices, interestingly discovered that the Samsung Galaxy S6 used an Exynos processor and a Samsung modem – totally bypassing Qualcomm this time.


qualcomm_snapdragon_1


Is this a statement of intent from Samsung? Be that as it may, Qualcomm – one of the fastest growing companies in tech last year due to the massive use of their Snapdragon 800 and 805 chipsets, as well as widespread use of Snapdragon 400 products – is still on course to have its Snapdragon 810 chipset on most flagship devices this year. We can only wait and see how this will adversely affect Qualcomm and Samsung, if ever.


VIA: The Wall Street Journal





New leaked images of upcoming Xperia Z4 confirms earlier rumors

Sony has yet to officially announce that there will even be a new Xperia, but already rumors and leaks have been running around in the tech blogosphere. At first it was just renders, then came the supposed specs and details of the Xperia Z4. A few days ago, a "mystery Sony phone" seemed to have cleared the FCC. And now, alleged pictures of the upcoming smartphone have been leaked on a Russian tech website.



The supposed live images of the new device have actually confirmed some of the details that have been making the rounds lately. The E6553 model will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with octa-core CPU based on these pictures. Another image shows that the smartphone's camera will have a 20.7 MP main one and a 5MP front-facing set-up. Some documents shown on a leaked benchmark site late March showed that it would have a 5.1-inch full HD display (1080p and most likely using Sony's proprietary Triluminos) and Adreno 430 graphics card.


20150404_215255-1024x710


20150404_221308-1024x594


Then just a few days ago, it seemed that Sony cleared a smartphone with the FCC for a PM-0780 device. Unless they will be releasing another new product that has escaped everyone's radar, this will most likely be the Xperia Z4. The document showed that the device's size is 2.87 x 5.75, which is almost the same size as their current flagship, the Xperia Z3. It will also have six variants, a non-removable battery, a slot for microSD for expanding storage, and LTE connectivity.


A lot of people were disappointed that Sony did not make a big announcement in the Mobile World Congress earlier this year. So expect a bit of fanfare from the OEM as they are expected to reveal their new baby by summer of this year.


VIA: In2Mobile


Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)