Samsung doing 360-degree live stream of Unpacked 2016

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 event is just a few days away, and Samsung has announced that the live stream will be unique: it’ll be a 360-degree live stream from four different locations. You can select the auditorium, stage left, stage right, and center stage and watch the 360-degree live stream from there.

To watch from your computer, you have to head over to the Samsung Unpacked website. If you’re on mobile, you’ll need to download the Unpacked 360 View app from the Play Store (or the iOS App Store). It even supports the Gear VR using the same app!

The event is going down on February 21 in Barcelona, so watching it via the live stream is what most of us will be doing. How many of you like the idea of a 360-degree live stream? Is it useful or just a gimmick? Leave a comment!

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Samsung starting rollout of Marshmallow 6.0.1 for Galaxy Note 5

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is finally receiving Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, though you likely won’t see it for a while, as the update is only available in Cambodia for the moment. This news comes right after the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge started getting the Marshmallow update.

This specific update is for the Galaxy Note 5 SM-N920C and has the build number N920CXXU2BPB6. Interestingly, it’s the latest version of Android, while most updates are still on 6.0. The benefits of Marshmallow are numerous, like improved battery life, smoother performance, more features, and better security.

Though the update has only been released in one country, this means that it’ll roll out to other countries fairly soon. The software is ready. Carrier-specific models may have to wait a little while longer, as is tradition, but those of you with unlocked Galaxy Note 5s have something to look forward to!

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LG partners with B&O PLAY to bring high-end audio to the G5

A phone company partnering with an audio company isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. HTC has partnered with both Beats and Harman Kardon, and Samsung had Wolfson Micro hardware in the Galaxy S (though this wasn’t advertised by Samsung, which is a shame). Now LG is stepping into the game with a partnership with B&O PLAY.

B&O PLAY is part of Bang & Olufsen, a well-respected audio company. Lag and B&O PLAY are working together to provide”the best sound experience to the customer” on the LG G5. There are no details on what this partnership entails for the G5, but if it’s anything like other mobile audio partnerships, it’ll result in some nicer speakers and maybe an included set of B&O headphones.

While the partnership will likely make the LG G5 sound better, the actual benefits probably won’t be huge. This may not be a selling point for most people. We’re still excited to see what the G5 brings to the table, though, and one more perk like B&O PLAY audio is appreciated.

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Top 10 Android app updates this week: PayPal, Vimeo

Welcome back to our weekly Top 10 Android App Updates column, where we take a look at the most frequently upgraded apps for the week. We’ve found that one of the best ways to discover useful apps is to find the ones that are actually being updated by the developers rather than selecting the apps with the most installs. As in the past, we’re going to filter out minor updates for the super-popular apps that have over 10 million installs, but we’ll make exceptions for apps that have had significant updates. We hope you enjoy this weekly feature and that you discover some apps that end up being useful.

PayPal – Version 6.0.0

PayPal

What’s new in this version:

  • A completely refreshed design
  • New start screen that provides faster access to your most important account info and the top actions you take
  • Send and Request Money pages that can be personalized with the people you exchange money with most – including your phone contacts
  • Completely new request money flow that allows others to pay you with just one click

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Cartwheel by Target – Version 2.1.1

Cartwheel by Target

What’s new in this version:

  • Updated the barcode scanner to address reported bugs
  • Added Android Wear Watch support, so now you can easily redeem with a flick of your wrist.
  • Added null search recommendations to help you save even more.
  • Added App Invites so you can share the awesomeness of the app easily with your friends.
  • Numerous bug fixes.

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Microsoft Translator – Version 1.3.0

Microsoft Translator

What’s new in this version:

  • Download language packages to access translation services without Internet connectivity
  • Bug fixes

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Enpass Password Manager – Version 5.0.0

Enpass

What’s new in this version:

  • Autofill in Chrome Browser and other Apps using Enpass Keyboard.
  • Full-time Fingerprint support to keep using fingerprints every time for unlocking your Marshmallow device having Fingerprint sensor.
  • Fixed Sync issue with Google 2 step verification.
  • Improved Material design.

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Telegram – Version 3.5.0

Telegram

What’s new in this version:

  • New Voice Messages. Waveform visualizations, brand new player. Experimental: raise to speak / raise to listen
  • New Secret Chats. Support for all the stuff you love in cloud chats: GIFs, replies, sticker set previews, and inline bots. Added improved key visualization and optional link previews
  • New privacy settings. Control who can add you to groups and channels with granular precision
  • New photo editor. Added rotate, fade, tint and curves tools

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Google Photos – Version 1.14.0

Google Photos

What’s new in this version:

  • When viewing search results, tap ▼ to see all the photos from that day
  • Performance improvements

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Opera Max – Version 1.6.16

Opera Max

What’s new in this version:

  • Smart Alerts to help manage sneaky background data usage by unused apps
  • Background Usage access section in App Management
  • New Opera Max icon: a crisp and modern design
  • App launcher onboarding, for a better user experience

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tinyCam Monitor PRO – Version 6.5.0

tinyCam Monitor PRO

What’s new in this version:

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Mobile Passport – Version 1.4.0

Mobile Passport

What’s new in this version:

  • New Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) airport
  • Small bug fixes

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Vimeo – Version 2.1.0

Vimeo

What’s new in this version:

  • Late is better than never, and Vimeo loves you a ton too, and now you can tap the Chromecast icon to seamlessly stream videos to your big screen.

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LG G5 Magic Slot removable battery showcased in new photo

LG has plans to show off the G5 soon, but that hasn’t stopped the leaks from finding their way online well ahead of that announcement.

The latest new image shows off what is known as the “Magic Slot,” which will be a detachable part of the device that will let you attach different modules for specific features. One major focus of the Magic Slot will be for photography, for instance. But before you get to add a bunch of different accessories to the phone, you’ll start with a battery.

An image that is reportedly of the bottom piece of the G5, with its removable battery in the frame as well, has found its way onto the Chinese social networking site Weibo. The bottom of the device, looks like it’s the same bottom piece of the G5 that leaked out not too long ago, and the green battery very distinctly has a G5 logo printed on it for good measure.

The Magic Slot is an interesting idea, especially for folks that want to expand their smartphone’s use case. One of the Magic Slot accessories is said to be the LG Cam Plus, which will reportedly include hardware camera controls, while also adding a 1100mAh battery for good measure.

LG G5 render leak

And if you’ve been itching to see what the front and back of the G5 look like without the seemingly necessary camera blur from photos captured in the wild, Evan Blass (@evleaks) has a pair of renders that show the front and back of the upcoming flagship. The design is one that should stand out, especially with that dual-camera design. What do you think of it?

 

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Samsung Gear S2 Classic 4G coming to AT&T, T-Mo, and Verizon March 11

Though smartwatches have really taken off in the last few years, standalone smartwatches connected to your carrier of choice are still rare. LG’s attempt with the Watch Urbane LTE was cancelled, but Samsung is giving it a shot with the Gear S2 Classic 4G.

The device features a 1.2-inch 360×360 circular AMOLED display, a dual-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, a 300mAh battery that lasts two days, “4G” HSPA+ connectivity (no LTE), and of course, Tizen. You’re not getting Android Wear with this watch. The 4G version has the ability to make calls, send texts, and receive notifications without its connected phone nearby.

AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have announced that they will carry the watch, which is launching March 11. The watch will cost $400 on T-Mobile, while the other carriers haven’t announced pricing. Are you interested in a smartwatch that can replicate the functions of your phone, even if you forgot your phone at home?

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HTC One M10 leaked in white

The HTC One M10 will be announced fairly soon (either April 11 or May 9), but we’re getting another look at the device. Because no device can be kept secret before its unveiling, we have another leak on our hands. This time it’s in white, and it looks quite similar to a previous leak.

HTC One M10 white leak

The device is quite nice looking, resembling the A9 more than the previous generation One M9. The home button remains while the dual speaker grills are missing from the front. There also seems to be a different color frame, probably made of metal. The front facing camera is also quite large, including optical image stabilization if leaks are to be believed.

What do you think of the HTC One M10? Will HTC finally break out of its decline and release a hit phone? Or are these changes simply not enough? Let us know in the comments!

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Leaked photo of Samsung Galaxy S7 shows a microUSB port

Previous rumors and leaks of the Samsung Galaxy S7 have stated that Samsung is skipping the new USB Type-C port in favor of the old microUSB port we’re all used to. And in a new leak is a photo of the bottom of the device that shows off that microUSB port.

Samsung is usually the first to embrace new versions of USB, as the Galaxy Note 3 had that wide USB 3.0 plug when no one else had it (and no one else has used it since). With the Nexus line and a few other devices rocking the new reversible USB Type-C ports, it’s kind of a surprise that Samsung didn’t jump on it, too.

Though looking at the cable and inserting it the right way isn’t a big deal for people like us, many normal people wreck microUSB ports. A reversible plug is easier for everyone. On the other hand, we’ve seen issues with unsafe Type-C cables that don’t follow specifications, so maybe Samsung sees a risk in this. Either way, the port selection shouldn’t make or break a smartphone. What do you guys think of Samsung’s port selection? Leave a comment!

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Report says that Facebook will soon launch ads in Messenger

Facebook is an enormous company with reaches in lots of different areas, but one of its most influential aspects is that of Facebook Messenger, the company’s incredibly popular messaging app. For many, Messenger is the primary way to communicate with friends and, more importantly, acquaintances who users may not have phone numbers for, but are friends with on Facebook.

With Messenger at such a large size, it stands to reason that Facebook would want to monetize the service in some way. According to a report from TechCrunch, Facebook is planning to do that with ads in Q2 2016.

The ads in Messenger will be sent as messages from brands to users, but only if the customer has initiated a direct message with that brand in the past. This caveat should drastically reduce spam and annoyance, as the ads will only come from brands that customers have previously shown very clear interest in.

Nonetheless, some may find the ads in Messenger to be an annoyance, possibly even one that could turn away users of the service. That being said, we’ll have to wait and see how the situation plays out, to see if Facebook will place ads within Messenger, and if so, how it will do it.

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NVIDIA fixes WiFi issue, resumes updates to SHIELD tablet and SHIELD tablet K1

NVIDIA pushed out the Software Update v1.1 for the SHIELD tablet K1 and v4.0 for the original SHIELD tablet, but the update was pulled a day later. Apparently those receiving the update often lost WiFi functionality, which is pretty crappy on a WiFi-only tablet. Thankfully, it seems NVIDIA has fixed the issue.

The two updates are both rolling out again to their respective devices, and NVIDIA is confident the issue has been resolved. Check for updates in the settings app to pull it now! Or wait a few days, let someone else test it for you first. Who knows, you might avoid more issues.

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