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Thursday, August 27, 2015

Lara Croft GO Now Available on Google Play, Priced at $5

Square Enix published Lara Croft GO to Google Play today, just as they said they would earlier this month. Priced at $5, anyone who enjoyed the Hitman GO game is sure to get a kick out of this. 

Inside, the game is based on single-space movements, as well as outsmarting any enemies on a level. When you move a space, the bad guys move a space. If they happen to be facing you on the same line, you’re dead. Lara Croft GO appears to switch it up a bit, adding in an additional dimension of up and down movement.

In total, the game features 75 levels across 5 chapters, which is sure to last you plenty of time. Although, do note, it may take a bit for all chapters to be made available, much like it did on Hitman GO.

Now if you will excuse me, I have some gaming to do.

Play Link ($4.99)

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Deal: Pick up the Hot Java Android Coding Bundle for $29

Taking place on the DL Deals Store, you can grab the Hot Java Android Coding Bundle, and no, it’s not a course on brewing the best coffee in town. Sorry. Priced at $29, this coding bundle features five courses, ranging in topics from Android Lollipop (and Marshmallow) development, to re-skinning games for various app stores. 

With the bundle, you will receive hundreds of lectures containing countless hours of information, all leading up to making you a better developer for the next big app.

According to the listing, all levels of experience are accepted, so don’t worry if you have never gotten your feet wet in the development game.

If coding is in your blood, have at it.

Deal Link

Deal: Pick up the Hot Java Android Coding Bundle for $29 is a post from: Droid Life



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TRI’s Ultra Secure Turing Phone Set to Ship December 18

TRI’s high security Turing Phone, the one that went up for reservation not too long ago, will begin to ship out to those who place their order starting December 18, just in time to receive it for Christmas. 

The official timeline states that invites will be ready for those who reserved a device on September 21, followed by a pre-order for the Dark Wyvern special edition on September 24. On that same day, all folks who reserved a device will be asked to pay for their phone. For those curious, the Turning Phone started at $610 and went all the way up to $870. For the limited edition Wyvern model, you are looking at a price of $999 to $1299 (Glaedr model).

The Turing Phone deploys end-to-end decentralized authentication for establishing secure networks to exchange data. It also features a IPx8 waterproof rating, too? For internals, the device features a Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, NFC, LTE connectivity, 5.5″ FHD display, 13MP rear-facing camera, 8MP front-facing camera, 3,000 mAh battery, 3 different storage options (16/64/128GB), and runs Android 5.1 with a “Æmæth UI” skin.

Anyone here reserve their very own Turing Phone?

Ordering and Shipping Dates + Sneak Peek at the Dark Wyvern

Thank you for being patient while we finish up production details for the Turing Phone™.

We are pleased to inform you that Turing Robotic Industries has teamed up with Foxconn Group in an exclusive relationship to produce the Turing Phone. Foxconn brings decades of experience in world-class electronics manufacturing. TRI and Foxconn will formulate a DFM (Designed For Manufacturing) process so that TRI’s Turing Phone may scale in production to serve its worldwide needs.

What this means for you is you’ll get a product that’s superior in quality and performance as soon as possible.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the following dates!

  • September 21st 2015 – “Circle of Friends” invites ready for those who have reserved the phone during the initial reservation period
  • September 24th 2015 – Pre-order for the Dark Wyvern special edition (full payment required)
  • September 24th 2015 – All reservations will be informed to pay for the order (full payment required); upgrade to the Dark Wyvern option will be available
  • December 18th 2015 – Official shipment of the Turing Phones

Dark Wyvern News

The TRI community asked us to create a special Turing Phone, one that could serve as the symbol for the cipher phone. From this feedback, we worked to design a phone with mystique and intrigue. The Dark Wyvern is that phone.

Wyverns are careful to be silent when flying and keep their shadows unseen. These traits give the Wyvern the ability to be stealth so its foes are unaware of the creature. We thought it fitting to name our flagship phone after the mythical creature so often associated with heraldry. We hope you’ll carry your Dark Wyvern as a badge of distinction and honor.

Series II Special Edition Turing Phone Pricing:

Dark Wyvern (128GB) $999

Dark Wyvern Glaedr (128GB) $1299*

*only 3,000 Glaedr will be produced; further details on the Glaedr will be announced on September 9th 2015.

Thank you.

From the CEO

SYL Chao|Turing Robotic Industries

TRI’s Ultra Secure Turing Phone Set to Ship December 18 is a post from: Droid Life



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Swype Updated With Premium Star Trek Themes, Emoji Keyboard

An update for the Swype Keyboard application brings additional premium themes to users, as well as a dedicated emoji keyboard – something everyone in 2015 needs apparently.

A few of the themes now usable should make the Star Trek fans in here extremely happy, as dedicated themes for predominant characters are available, such as ones for Captain Kirk, Captain Picard, and blueprint-like layouts for the USS Enterprise. 

In addition to new Star Trek themes, users can utilize a solid emoji keyboard, perfect for sharing little faces for what you want to say, instead of using actual words. Swype also lists that auto-correction improvements have been implemented, as well as bug fixes and crash fixes.

To download the latest version, head on over to Google Play.

Play Link

Swype Updated With Premium Star Trek Themes, Emoji Keyboard is a post from: Droid Life



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Prepare for Sensationalism: Apple is Announcing Things on September 9

Figured you were all dying to know. 

Via:  @MKBHD

Prepare for Sensationalism: Apple is Announcing Things on September 9 is a post from: Droid Life



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LG Announces Rolly, Industry-First Solid Rollable Keyboard

Set to be unveiled at IFA next month, LG announced a new rollable keyboard called Rolly today, labeling it as an “industry first.” The keyboard is rather unique, featuring an extremely compact, yet somewhat long design when rolled up. However, when unrolled and out for use, it has a solid full QWERTY keyboard, able to be connected directly to a smartphone and tablet via LG’s software. 

The keyboard features a built-in stand for your tablet, turning your little setup into a full blown laptop. For power, the device uses a single AAA battery, capable of powering the keyboard for three months on average use.

The Rolly will launch in the US next month, but there is no word yet on pricing. Here’s hoping for under $50.

Watch the video below to see the rollable keyboard in action.

LG Keyboard LG Keyboard 2 LG Keyboard 3 LG Keyboard 4 LG Keyboard 1

Via: LG

LG Announces Rolly, Industry-First Solid Rollable Keyboard is a post from: Droid Life



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Instagram Gains Support for Landscape and Portrait Formats

The Instagram app for Android received a major update this morning, bringing full support for shots taken in landscape and portrait formats. That means you are no longer restricted to just a square for your beautiful shots. 

Once updated, users can upload photos in landscape, giving you greater ability to upload wider angle shots. This is also goes for video, which can now also be uploaded in landscape, allowing for a more cinematic viewing experience. For portrait photo uploaders, the overall length of the photo will appear longer on your timeline, perfect for shots of skyscrapers or anything else you can come up with.

To celebrate this wide angle experience, there happens to be a short little teaser for the new Star Wars movie on the official SW account. You can view that here. Lightsaber action, anyone?

The update is rolling out to Google Play, so go grab it.

Via: Instagram

Instagram Gains Support for Landscape and Portrait Formats is a post from: Droid Life



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OnePlus Co-Founder: “Aggressive” OnePlus 2 Invite Rollout Begins Next Weekend

The August 11 release date of the OnePlus 2 has come and gone, but it seems many on the 4.3 million+ waitlist for an invite to purchase the device have been left wanting. Today on Twitter, OnePlus’ co-founder Carl Pei, announced that the company’s “aggressive invite rollout” will begin next weekend. 

According to Pei, OnePlus was set back “by almost a month,” but finally, invites will soon rollout. We still don’t know exactly how fast OnePlus can get through 4.3 million+ requests, but we do hope for all of those waiting patiently that it goes by quickly.

As of right now, we are 107K on the list, thanks to being pushed back countless times by folks who used the share option to gain spots in line. We still don’t like the invite system, but that’s OnePlus for you.

Anyone here still waiting on an invite to purchase?

Carl_Pei_on_Twitter___Apologies_for_the_wait__We_were_set_back_by_almost_a_month__but_finally_our_aggressive_invite_rollout_starts_next_weekend__Pretty_stoked__😏_

Via: @getpeid

OnePlus Co-Founder: “Aggressive” OnePlus 2 Invite Rollout Begins Next Weekend is a post from: Droid Life



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Samsung Pay Beta Launches in US, Limited to Select Cardholders

Samsung Pay, Samsung’s mobile payments solution, has entered private beta here in the US. With Samsung Pay, users load up their credit card and debit card information, and can then use these cards via their Samsung smartphone at virtually any terminal thanks to the Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology. MST allows your phone to emulate a typical card swipe at credit card readers, instead of relying on NFC to transmit secure data. 

Now, the beta appears to be rather closed in terms of who can actually join it, limiting its use to those who hold US Bank Visa credit and debit cards, Bank of America MasterCard credit cards and Visa debit and credit cards. The exact and full list of supported cards has been placed below.

Other than that, all you need is a supported device, which would be the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, or Galaxy Note 5, and then finally, a Samsung Account.

If you meet these requirements, follow the via link below.

Supported cards

  • Bank of America consumer credit, debit cards, small business debit cards (owner card only).
  • Merrill Lynch consumer credit cards, U.S. Trust consumer credit, debit cards.
  • U.S. Bank consumer or small business Visa credit and debit cards, Elan Financial consumer or small business Visa credit card.
Via: Samsung

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ Review

After having spent the last couple of months with a Samsung Galaxy S6 in hand, you would think that setting out to review the newly released Galaxy S6 Edge+ would be easy. And it is, actually.

People have joked since this phone’s unveiling that it’s nothing more than a blown up version of the original Galaxy S6 Edge, and as it turns out, that’s really all this is. It’s a Galaxy S6 Edge with a bigger display, battery, and more shine. Otherwise, it’s got the same set of specs for the most part, but it feels slightly different in hand. So yeah, reviewing a phone that’s a bigger version of a previous phone really is as easy as you would think that it would be.

With that in mind, understand that this is going to be somewhat short because well, we’ve already said just about everything there is to say about this phone in two separate reviews here and here. If you haven’t yet, be sure to read both of those, then come back to get the specifics about the differences from those phones to this one.

This is our Galaxy S6 Edge+ review. 

galaxy s6 edge+ review-2


Display

I mentioned this in the video comparison at the bottom of this review, but I’m confident in saying again that this is the best smartphone display I have ever seen. It probably has something to do with the way this gorgeous bit of AMOLED cascades off each edge or the fact that it looks like it was pasted to thinnest piece of glass ever used in a phone, making it seem like you are touching the wet ink of digital icons. Whatever it is, we need more of this.

The display might be large at 5.7-inches and with a ridiculously high QHD resolution of 2560×1440, but when you stare at it for even a couple of minutes, you kind of find yourself wanting more. You want to flip up a 4K YouTube clip, play a gorgeous game like Monument Valley, or snap macro photos of flowers, just so you can gaze into their beauty.

Seriously, this display is bonkers good. I’ve never seen viewing angles that hold clarity like this. I’ve never felt a display that is so inviting to the touch. And I’ve never seen details in something as simple as a wallpaper make my mouth drop so quickly.

The best smartphone display ever. Ever ever.

galaxy s6 edge+ review

Specs

Like its littler brothers, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ features the best specs you will find in any smartphone. It has the best smartphone display ever (5.7-inch QHD, 518ppi), 64-bit Exynos 7420 octa-core processor, 4GB RAM, 3000Ah battery, 16MP rear camera (f/1.9, with OIS), 5MP front camera, fast wired and wireless charging, 32GB/64GB storage options, best-in-class fingerprint sensor, and a heart rate monitor, all wrapped up in a body that is made of metal and glass.

So far, even as we approach the end of 2015, no other manufacturer has included this kind of package. Some have come close, but this phone, like the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, is about as good as it gets.

Camera

This camera is pretty good. It’s very much similar to the 16MP f/1.9 camera found in the regular S6 and S6 Edge. As far as we know, it’s the exact same sensor. It’s still very fast at launching with a double-tap of the home button. It focuses instantly. It’s solid in low light situations. It snaps photos faster than all other phones not named “Galaxy.”

I’m not sure if the optimizations done here by Samsung haven’t made it slightly worse than those original Galaxy S6 devices, though. In the images I’ve captured and included below, they just seem to lack the sharpness and clarity that we saw in the regular Galaxy S6. The regular Galaxy S6 absolutely blew my mind, but this phone just isn’t doing that. Don’t get me wrong – the camera is still one of the best in the business, it’s just not the best. That crown still lies with its smaller brother.

s6 edge+ samples-6

s6 edge+ samples s6 edge+ samples-5 s6 edge+ samples-4 s6 edge+ samples-3 s6 edge+ samples-2

Full resolution: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Battery Life

In my short time with the S6 Edge+, I’ve found it to have solid battery life. That surprises me since I can’t say that I have actually had anything nice to say about the battery life on the regular Galaxy S6. In fact, at this point, I’d go as far as to say that the Galaxy S6 has terrible battery life for a 2015 phone. This phone, though, even though it only jumps from 2600mAh to 3000mAh, seems to hold its own. I haven’t had a day yet where I finished work and didn’t have at least 35% left after a solid 2 hours of screen on time.

s6 edge+ battery s6 edge+ battery-2 s6 edge+ battery-3 s6 edge+ battery-4 s6 edge+ battery-5

Now, keep in mind that I’m running this phone on AT&T and I live in a black hole of AT&T signal death, so for me to get to 6:30PM after having been unplugged with a mix of LTE and WiFi for 12 hours is pretty good. For normal users, those who don’t live in a black hole of AT&T signal death, I can imagine you easily getting through an entire day without worry.

I don’t know that this is industry leading battery life here, but it’s good enough.

Performance

For the most part, performance on the Galaxy S6 Edge+ has been great. The phone is mostly blazing fast, handles any app I throw at it, and only occasionally stutters. It’s got an octa-core processor and 4GB RAM after all, so it shouldn’t have any issues. But even with next-gen specs, I’ve run into bugs or design flaws or something I just haven’t yet figured out how to describe that have made it slightly unenjoyable at times.

For one, within the last day, the phone has had issues waking up. It’s like it tries after I press the home or power button, slowly lights up the display, freezes, then times out and goes back to being dark. This happened to me for a good hour this morning, which meant I was unable to use the phone, even after 2-3 reboots. It eventually started working again and hasn’t stumbled the rest of the day, but I shouldn’t run into issues with my brand new phone where the phone is left useless for hours on end.

Edit:  I lied. As I was typing up this review and went to take another sample picture, it decided to freeze up with that wake issue for another 20 minutes. Fun.

Another issue I run into frequently seems to have to do the phone not recognizing touches, either from edges or the top of the phone. And yes, I am well aware that I just got done calling this the best smartphone display ever, but I was simply talking about how it looks. These issues, I actually don’t think are display related as much as they are the phone getting hung up and then reacting to touches late. Whatever the case, it can be frustrating.

And look, my T-Mobile Galaxy S6 has turned in the king of lag in recent weeks, so I can’t help but be nitpicky and hesitate in praising the this phone for performance. I just don’t trust Samsung to fully optimize TouchWiz. Almost all of their phones slow down after months of use or with the help of an update or two.

galaxy s6 edge+ review-6

Design

Do I like the design of the Galaxy S6 Edge+, or the regular S6 Edge, for that matter? Eh, it’s OK. I think it looks cool when sitting on a desk or in pictures. Do I find it enjoyable to hold in my hand? Not really. I like phones with curves that nestle in gently to your palm. I like phones that aren’t sloped at the edges, especially since Android utilizes side swipes to access things like menus. I like Android phones that don’t show constant vertical lines of glare on each side of their displays because their manufacturer decided to curve them steeply.

Call me a hater of change or innovation if you want. I just prefer a standard phone experience to a curved one that still hasn’t proven why it exists other than because a manufacturer wanted to prove it can be done.

Outside of the display, I do still enjoy the glass and metal combination of this phone, just like I did on the regular S6. It looks and feels about as premium as any phone I have ever held. This gold version that I’m testing isn’t exactly tasteful, but at least you have other choices.

Overall, Samsung did a heck of job putting together another incredibly premium device that looks like high-end jewelry.

galaxy s6 edge+ review-13

Software

The software here isn’t really worth going into again, because it’s Samsung’s new TouchWiz on top of Android 5.1.1. The only new features introduced with the S6 Edge+ over the regular Edge can be found in expanded Edge add-ons. For one, you can now add up to 5 of your favorite apps to a second Edge page called Apps Edge. So not only can you swipe through and quickly connect with your 5 favorite contacts, but you can also access your 5 favorite apps.

Along with that new apps page, Samsung also gave us more customization within the Edge screens, like the ability to adjust the Edge swipe-out tab or by telling the phone that you want to be able to access the Edge from any screen, not just the home screen. That’s pretty much it, though.

If you want full software tours and thoughts, hit up those previous reviews of the S6 and S6 Edge.

galaxy s6 edge+ review-12 galaxy s6 edge+ review-11

Other Notes:

  • Fast Charging and Fast Wireless Charging:  This phone, along with the Note 5, are the first in the industry to support both fast wired and fast wireless charging. Samsung claims that you can wirelessly charge these phones on one of their special fast wireless chargers in about 120 minutes. How fast is that? Well, the OnePlus 2 takes about 3 hours to charge with a wired connection.
  • Fingerprint sensor: The fingerprint sensor in this phone is as good, if not better than the sensor in the regular S6 and S6 Edge. It’s fast to unlock, plus it seems to learn your finger faster than ever. Since the sensor is built into the phone’s home button, it’s one of those security features that you may as well use. It’s faster than swiping to unlock, that’s for sure.
  • No SD card slot, removable battery, or waterproofing:  Like all of Samsung’s flagship this year, the S6 Edge+ doesn’t have expandable storage, a removable battery, and isn’t waterproof on any level. I can live without those three items, but I know that some of you can’t.
  • There isn’t an S Pen here: This is an S6 Edge+, not a Note Edge or Note 5 Edge. So if you were hoping for the Note 5 experience, you won’t get it. If you want a Note experience, buy a Note.

Video


Gallery

galaxy s6 edge+ review-14

galaxy s6 edge+ review-20 galaxy s6 edge+ review-18 galaxy s6 edge+ review-17 galaxy s6 edge+ review-4 galaxy s6 edge+ review-3

galaxy s6 edge+ review-10


Final Thoughts

Oooh, the big million dollar question – should you buy the Galaxy S6 Edge+? If you do, please find a nickname for the phone, so you don’t have to say “Galaxy S6 Edge Plus” very often. It’s a tongue twister.

But back to the question at hand – should you buy this phone? It’s a really good phone. I personally wouldn’t go for this phone because I just don’t get this whole edge thing, but I also didn’t get it with the regular S6 Edge either. So at this point, I probably never will and that’s why I’ll just do that really obnoxious review thing and say, “You need to decide if the Edge is for you!”

In the end, you have an ultra-premium smartphone package that has few downsides. It looks great, has a top tier camera, and may use the best smartphone display ever. For some, those things are enough. For others, maybe a more traditional phone is the better option. I know where I fall.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ Review is a post from: Droid Life



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Moto 360 Small and Large Pictured on Wrist

The new Moto 360 (2nd gen) continues to surface in new photos as we approach IFA, where reports have suggested that Motorola (and a number of other OEMs) will unveil its new wearable. In today’s set of images, we get shots of what are being called the Moto 360 Large (Moto 360L) and Moto 360 Small (Moto 360S). Both pictures show devices on wrist, with one showing the new smaller model next to the original Moto 360 for size reference. 

Rumors dating back a couple of weeks introduced the idea that Motorola will produce both small and large options this year, so these images don’t come as a complete surprise. And keep in mind that Motorola introduced both small and large watch bands last year, but with many thinking the single Moto 360 watch casing was too big, it certainly makes sense for them to consider a smaller model too.

In each picture we are seeing that 2-o’clock crown position, silver watch body with lugs, and that black flat tire that you all love so much.

moto 360 small

For the most part, the new Moto 360 really just looks like they took last year’s device, slapped some lugs on it, moved the crown up, and maybe even tossed on a cheaper leather band. It still looks good (for the most part), but until we hear some compelling reasons as to why this new watch is a major upgrade over last year’s, it’s hard not to keep an eye or three on what Huawei and Samsung are up to with their watches.

Via:  Imgur | +HelloMotoHK
Cheers Ryan!

Moto 360 Small and Large Pictured on Wrist is a post from: Droid Life



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