Advanced technology

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Deal: Apple Watch Series 3 price drops below $200 at Walmart

The previous generation Apple Watch is back on sale, and for a very good price we might
add. The cheapest Apple Watch Series 3 usually sells for $280, but it lacks cellular connectivity and, of course, comes in a smaller size (32mm).

Well, Walmart now offers the Apple Watch Series 3 (32mm) for just $199, so you'll be saving $80 if you buy it during the promotion. The larger 42mm model is on sale as well, but you'll have to come up with $230 upfront to get one, exactly $80 off the MSRP.

Both Apple Watch Series 3 models come in two color versions – Space Gray/Black and White for the 32mm version, as well as Black Gray and Silver/White for the 42mm variant. The deals are available online and at Walmart's brick and mortar stores, but you'll have to check whether or not you'll find it at the nearest store.

Despite the fact that Apple has already released a new smartwatch, the previous model is still a solid choice for those who want to own one, especially now that it's on sale more often than not. Don't forget to check out our full Apple Watch Series 3 review for in-depth details about the wearable device.

Friday, March 8, 2019

Huawei expected to introduce two refreshed versions of its Watch GT device

tareq Add comment

Last year, when Huawei introduced the Mate 20 series, it also unwrapped the Huwaei Watch GT timepiece. According to WinFuture, Huawei will unveil refreshed versions of the watch when it announces the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro on March 26th. The two upgraded versions of the device are expected to be named the Huawei Watch GT Active and the Huawei Watch GT Elegant.

The new models will look very much like the original version of the watch, both equipped with the same 1.39-inch OLED display used on the Huawei Watch GT. However, there is a minor color change to the bezels and the casing on the GT Active and GT Elegant. In addition, it would appear that Huawei is switching the batteries from lithium-ion to lithium-polymer, but that has not been confirmed.

Huawei decided to use its own in-house operating system on the Watch GT in lieu of Wear OS, and that seems to be the case again with the refreshed models. We should see both watches support both iOS and Android and monitor the user's heart rate, sleep and workouts. The battery in the new models should outlast those found in other watches, but that is due to the devices' limited functionality. For example, if Huawei hasn't made any changes, the new watches will not support third party apps.

The new report states that the GT Active will be available in Dark Green and Orange (see the image at the top of this article), and the GT Elegant in White and Black. The former will be priced at 249 Euros ($280 USD) and the latter at 229 Euros ($257 USD).

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

HTC's Boost+ app promises to optimize any Android device, lands April 14th in the Play Store

tareq Add comment

Although the new HTC 10 is clearly stealing the spotlight at the moment, HTC's new flagship smartphone isn't the only new product that HTC unveiled at its special event earlier today. To go along with the HTC 10, the company has also unveiled the HTC Boost+, an app that's marketed as the perfect way of optimizing and decluttering your Android device. Yep, you've read that right: HTC's new app is compatible with all Android devices running at least Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The HTC Boost+ app is essentially an enhanced memory cleaner app. Like most apps in this category, Boost+ will remove unnecessary data from the internal storage. Included here are cache files, temporary files, app installers, and even advertising trackers. Furthermore, HTC Boost+ also comes with a "smart boost" feature that frees up RAM memory in an attempt to, well, boost performance.

Unfortunately, all signs point out that RAM cleaner apps don't really improve the overall performance of Android devices, meaning that we'll reserve further judgment on this feature until we get the chance to test out the app for ourselves.

So far, HTC Boost+ doesn't appear to be a very interesting app. However, going beyond the memory cleaning features, the app also boasts some intriguing privacy and app management features. For one, Boost+ can lock specific apps behind a passcode or a fingerprint, which can turn out to be incredibly useful if you want to keep your social media profiles hidden from prying eyes.

Boost+ can notify you when it detects that you're not using certain apps. If you're the type of user that often installs apps and then forgets about them, then this HTC Boost+ feature is a way of managing storage space waste.

Another notable feature is a dashboard that displays information on available storage space and your device's RAM consumption.

HTC said that Boost+ will launch in the Google Play Store on April 14. As previously mentioned, the app will be compatible with all devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop or newer, not just HTC devices.

What do you guys think of the HTC Boost+ app? Will you be testing out the privacy and app management features when the app lands in a couple of days?

source: Engadget

AT&T will not sell the HTC 10

tareq Add comment

You can search up and down, high and low, but you will not find the HTC 10 for sale at AT&T. HTC's communication head Jeff Gordon sent out a tweet this morning that read, "We encourage AT&T customers to purchase our unlocked model at HTC.com, Full AT&T support!" Unless the HTC 10 becomes a huge hit, this is bound to be a bigger problem for HTC than AT&T.

When the HTC One was launched, Verizon did not offer the phone at first since it already had what it considered to be a high-end HTC phone with theHTC DROID DNA. Eventually, Verizon did start selling the HTC One.

We should point out that AT&T users are not shut out since they do have the option to purchase the device unlocked from HTC. The manufacturer is offering a 12-month installment plan through PayPal Credit with 0% interest. Well qualified buyers will have the opportunity to purchase the phone without interest as long as it is paid off in 12 months or less. At $699, that works out to $58.25 a month.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect to this news is how AT&T reached this decision. Was the carrier upset with the poor showing of the HTC One M9? Outside of confirming that it won't be carrying HTC's new flagship, the nation's second largest carrier has nothing to say about its decision.

AT&T will not sell the HTC 10

1. HTC's Jeff Gordon gives AT&T subscribers a suggestion on how to buy the HTC 10

source: @urbanstrata , HTC

htc T-Mobile

T-Mobile unboxes the HTC 10 at 10,000 feet above Las Vegas

tareq Add comment

After unboxing the Samsung Galaxy S7 underwater, and the LG G5 inside a speedy racing car, T-Mobile USA today unboxed the brand new HTC 10 in yet another unusual manner. The Uncarrier took the HTC 10 to Las Vegas, and, with the help of a helicopter, unboxed it at 10,000 feet (that's 3 km) up in the air.

The unboxing itself - which you can watch below - doesn't reveal anything that we didn't already know about the HTC 10, though it's worth mentioning that the smartphone comes with a charger supporting Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0.

On paper, the HTC 10 looks very good, definitely being able to stand next to other flagship handsets of this year, like the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5. The highlight features of the new metal-made HTC smartphone include a 5.2-inch Quad HD display, a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB of RAM, BoomSound, a 12 MP UltraPixel rear camera, and Android Marshmallow with Sense 8.0 UI.

The HTC 10 is already available to pre-order from HTC's official US website. However, for now, only the unlocked version can be ordered, costing $699. T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint (but not AT&T) should start selling the handset in the coming weeks. Let us know if you're planning to buy it, okay?

HTC 10

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

source: T-Mobile (YouTube)

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Mom destroys her kids' Apple iPhone 5c by blasting it with a gun and crushing it with a sledgehammer

tareq Add comment

Remember when parents would punish their kids by grounding them, or cutting their allowance? Modern times call for new plays in the parental punishment playbook. For example, one Southern mom was really ticked about a few things that her kids did, and was obviously determined to teach them a lesson. While someone records the whole thing, this mother verbally attacks that online Satan known as social media. "I hereby denounce the effects that social media have on my children. Their disobedience and their disrespect."

So Annie Oakley takes aim at her kids' Apple iPhone 5c , perched on top of a tree stump. One quick blast from dear sweet-old mom's long gun, and that handset is history. Her kids, understandably, are upset. We can only imagine that their iPhone was the only thing that allowed them to communicate with the civilized world. And now, their mom took that away from them. So the kids flip off their mother on camera. "I refuse to be cursed," she says. "I refused to be disobeyed. I take back my role as your parent." She fires at the iPhone again, and scores another direct hit.

An emasculated male, the guy who has been filming the whole frightening mess, picks up the pieces of what was once a working smartphone and gathers them on the tree stump. And this time, mom's firearm has been replaced by a sledgehammer. Holding it up to the sky as though she was getting it powered with the divine strength of the almighty, she bellows out, "My children's lives are more important to me than any electronic on this earth."

Here we learn about some of the transgressions committed by her offspring. They contacted people that mom doesn't know (no doubt asking to be taken away from this nut house they live in), they got involved in drama that they didn't need to be involved in, and were getting in trouble at school for having their phones out. And she effectively uses her new weapon to smash the iPhone into little pieces. "I'm done," she says as she walks away, either unconcerned or unaware about the ten tons of psychological damage she just inflicted on her kids.

Kids look on as mom destroys their Apple iPhone 5c

1. Momma carries a big gun

2. This iPhone 5c is a sitting duck

3. Ow! That has gotta hurt

4. The leftover pieces are gathered...

5. ...as the kids mourn the loss of their iPhone

6. The firearm is replaced by a sledgehammer

7. The iPhone is crushed into little bits

8. I'm done

source: DailyMail via CNET

ome of the rumored new features for iOS 10 include new emoji and hideable apps

tareq Add comment

Apple has yet to announce the dates of this year's WWDC conference. Based on the scheduling of events at the usual venue, San Francisco's Moscone West, it would appear that this year's conference could take place from June 13th to June 17th. And we should see the unveiling of iOS 10 during WWDC.

One of the apps in iOS 10 expected to receive a major refresh is the Photos app. There is some talk that iOS users will be able to edit EXIF data and specific areas of a photo directly from within the app. And Face Detection could also be making its way to the app. While that might be exciting to some, more important to others is an agreement with Unicode that will allow Apple to add 74 more emoji in the new build of Apple's mobile OS.

One exciting new feature might have been foreshadowed by Apple CEO Tim Cook last September. Back then, Cook hinted that certain apps that come pre-installed on iOS could be hidden or uninstalled by users. Seven months ago, Cook said that some apps, if removed from iOS, could negatively impact other important apps. Other apps aren't like that, he noted. "So over time, I think with the ones that aren't like that, we'll figure out a way." Apple might have discovered a way. Just the other day, the topic came up again when code was discovered in iTunes that mentioned hideable apps.

We should see a beta version of iOS 10 released right after the new iOS build is announced at WWDC in June. Release of iOS 10 should take place in September.

New emoji is rumored to be coming to iOS 10

source: RedmondPie

Update to Lookout's iOS app makes sure that you never leave your iPhone behind

tareq Add comment

You know that sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you can't find your smartphone? An update to the iOS version of mobile security app Lookout could prevent this from happening to an iPhone user. The update adds Apple Watch support with a feature that will keep an eye out on the specific iPhone that is paired to the Watch.

With this feature, your Apple Watch can show a visual on its screen showing how close or far away you are from your iPhone. And you can arrange to have your iPhone make a loud "scream" to help you find it once it drops out of the range of Lookout's Apple Watch app. Both the watch and the handset must be sharing the same Wi-Fi connection. If the worse case scenario happens and you misplace your iPhone, your Apple Watch can reveal to you the last known GPS coordinates of your phone.

These are pretty useful features for the Lookout app since they really can prevent you from losing your iPhone, or finding it once it is gone. Make sure that you have the latest version of Lookout installed on your iOS flavored handset, and load up your Apple Watch with the Lookout app as well. Do this and you won't be worried about leaving your iPhone behind again.

view as slideshow »

With the update to the Lookout iOS app, the Apple Watch can keep tabs of your iPhone

1. New Apple Watch feature from Lookout can keep track of your iPhone

2. The latest GPS coordinates of your iPhone can be displayed on your Apple Watch (on right)

source: Lookout (iOS) via RedmondPie

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Samsung sees strong growth in Q1 operating profits thanks to the Samsung Galaxy S7/Galaxy S7 edge

tareq Add comment

Led by strong sales of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung is forecasting operating profits of $5.7 billion for the first quarter of 2016. The company will report its first quarter numbers sometime later this month. If Samsung does report operating earnings in that range, it will be a 10% gain year-over-year. The two high-end models were launched on March 11th which means that they were available for only a limited time during the quarter. Still, strong demand for the two models helped Sammy pump up its Q1 results.

First quarter sales will be $42.3 billion, Samsung predicts. That would be a 3.9% increase from the $40.7 billion in sales that Samsung generated during last year's first three months.

Just the other day, Samsung reported that it shipped nearly 10 million units of the Galaxy S7 in March. It is unknown whether this figure includes the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. Analysts were looking for 7 million Galaxy S7 handsets to be delivered during the month, so this news is obviously cause for celebration at Samsung headquarters. Perhaps Lil Wayne can bring the champagne.

Samsung Galaxy S7