Samsung's Galaxy S8 Active to launch on AT&T this year

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 14, 2017       

Samsung Galaxy S8, the near bezel-less beast is reportedly getting a rugged version. A Galaxy S8 Active will apparently be available from a U.S. carrier AT&T, Sammobile has learned, revealing that the model number for the handset is SM-G892A.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 Active is currently in works, though it's not clear when it's supposed to be launched. There aren’t many details beyond that, but the codename for this device is "Crusier".



The Samsung Galaxy S8 does come with water and dust proof over 1.5 meter and 30 minutes (IP68 certification). So it would be great if Samsung comes out with a Rugged version of the Samsung Galaxy S8, which will add additional protection and rugged elements to the sleek and beautiful design of the S8.

The Active variant of the Galaxy S8 might pack a generous battery. (As the Samsung Galaxy S7 active comes with a 4000mAh battery, which is apparently larger than the other Galaxy S7 variants). 



All said and done, these are just tipped specifications, and none of them are officially confirmed by the company. We will update you in there's any info related to Nokia 9. 

Source: Sammobile

In China, you can upgrade your Nexus 5X 2GB RAM to 4GB for around $60

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 14, 2017       

Launched back in 2015, the Nexus 5X packs 2GB RAM and comes with 16/32 GB Storage options with no microSD card slot. Think 2GB of RAM is too low for a Smartphone like Nexus 5X in 2017? How about 4GB RAM?

In particular, a XDA member "Cathair2906" decided to send his Nexus 5X with Bootloop issue to China for CPU fixing and apart from fixing the Bootloop, the local company made it possible to upgrade the RAM of the Nexus 5X, at a minimal cost of $60.



For more adventurous folks, who don’t mind voiding their warranty, local companies in China will happily upgrade your RAM, all the way up to 4GB, for up to CNY 400 ($60). If you don’t want to go up to 4GB, you can upgrade to 3GB for a low price.

The Nexus 5X (4GB RAM) user reportedly updated his device from Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow to 7.1.2 Nougat without any issues. The smartphone is much faster than before, claims the Nexus 5X user. 

This is likely a practice that won’t take off in your country in any real capacity, but for those that can make it to the China, and don’t mind voiding their warranty, it’s a quick and cheap option to upgrade the RAM available in your device pretty quickly.

Source: XDA

Schematic Drawings of the Nokia 9 and Nokia 8 Leaked Online

 By Unknown on April 14, 2017       

There are numerous rumors about the Nokia flagship phones to be released in coming days. Some claim that Nokia is looking to launch two flagship phones with Snapdragon 821 and Snapdragon 835 SoC, which are purportedly called as Nokia 8 and Nokia 9. 

As per the latest leak from Nokiapoweruser, Nokia has started working on both the phones as their schematic design papers were leaked. As per the drawings, both the Nokia 8 and Nokia will feature slim bezels and will also have the edge-to-edge displays. The Nokia 8 will feature a hardware fingerprint scanner, whereas the Nokia 9 will come with a fingerprint sensor embedded into the screen of the phone, but we're not sure in this aspect. 

The Nokia 9 will also come with an IRIS scanner as per the drawings, whereas the Nokia 8 misses out on that. Both the phones feature dual camera setup at the back, which is a good thing to see. 

Speculations are rife that the Nokia 9 will pack a 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 835 SoC, Adreno 540 GPU, 6GB of RAM, 22.1MP primary camera, 12MP front-facing camera, 3800mAh battery, and will be laden by Android Nougat. The phone is expected to cost $699 in the US and 749 Euro in the European countries. 

The Nokia 8 may come powered by the Snapdragon 821 chip, 4GB of RAM, 5.2-inch Full HD display, 13MP rear camera, 13MP front-facing camera, and Android Nougat. Both the phones are expected to release by the end of Q2 2017 and won't be available until Q3 2017.  

A Total of 200 Million Users are Pushing Stories in Instagram on a Daily Basis

 By Unknown on April 13, 2017       

Instagram Stories might be a clone to the Snap Stories, but that didn't keep users away from the service. Instagram today announced that a total of 200 million Instagram stories are being used by users all across the globe, which is up from 150 million mark in January. 

Upping the ante from 150 million to 200 million in just three months is not a small achievement. To celebrate the occasion, the Facebook-owned company is rolling out some new features to the application for both Android and iOS. 



The update takes the Android app to version number 10.16.1, whereas the iOS app will grace version number 10.16. The exciting feature added in the new update is the selfie stickers, which allows you to use a selfie as a sticker along with all the usual customizations. 

Also, the update brings geolocation to four new cities- Chicago, London, Madrid, and Tokyo. Furthermore, after the latest update, you can create a shortcut of your favorite stickers, which is a handy feature to have around.  

OnePlus 5 model number confirmed in new leak

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 13, 2017       

We already know that OnePlus is going to skip the OnePlus 4 (Because Chinese belief that the number 4 is bad luck), So the OnePlus 5 will be the next flagship phone from OnePlus, which will be released in the second half of the year.

A OnePlus device with the model number A5000 has popped for its Chinese certification, potentially confirming the rumored model number. Since the OnePlus devices has a long history of "Axxxx" device model names, OnePlus 3 had the model number A3000 and the 3T was A3010, so the OnePlus 5 will likely to come with A5000 model number.



Previous rumors suggest that the OnePlus 5 will come with Snapdragon 835 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 1440 x 2560 resolution bezel-less display, dual rear camera, water and dust resistant features.

All said and done, these are just tipped specifications, and none of them are officially confirmed by the company. We will update you in there's any info related to OnePlus 5. 

Via: Krispytech | Image: Muhsin M

Google Photos Picks Up a New Update; Brings Video Stabilization Feature to All Phones

 By Unknown on April 13, 2017       

Google Photos has picked a new update, which brings a lot of new features to the most used photo app. However, the major addition was the video stabilization feature.

Now, you need not worry about not having the Optical Image Stabilisation feature on your phone, which reduces the shakes in the video while capturing. And the same functionality is added to Google Photos as well, but the interesting part is you can stabilize the video after capturing a photo. 

Yes, you heard it right. Capture a video from your phone. Open the Google Photos app and stabilize the video.That's it. The feature works absolutely fine, but yeah, it does remove quality of the video, but totally worth it.

The update is already rolling out to the users are you can get the feature in the latest 2.13 version of Google Photos.

Google Launches 'Areo' in India, A New App Focusing at Solving Your Daily Needs

 By Unknown on April 13, 2017       

Google has come up with yet another application exclusively for the Indian market, named as Areo. The application is aimed at solving consumers day-to-day needs such as ordering food, home services, etc. 

As of now, there are limited deals such as the food delivery, beauty, home maintenance, chores and cleaning, repairs and installation, and fitness in Areo. Google will soon add more services to the applications. 

How it works? It works just like other third-party apps such Snapdeal, Tapzo, who partner with the original service provider and help them in growing. For example, Google has partnered with Fasoos, Box8, and Freshmenu for the food delivery, while the home services will be taken care by Urban Clap. 

As of now, Areo is available only for Mumbai and Bangalore customers. There's no desired info on the service availability in other cities. 

April security patch rolling out to the Moto Z in Brazil

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 13, 2017       

The Moto Z has now started receiving a new software update with the April Security Patch, bug fixes and Stability improvement in Brazil. The update arrives as software version NPLS25.86-30-12. Note that the device still runs on Android 7.0 Nougat.

Motorola’s instructions explain that for a successful installation, the battery in your phone should be at least 50% charged and your device should be connected to a Wi-Fi network or LTE.



Motorola has already updated the Moto Z family to Android 7.0 Nougat. While this update would have been more exciting if it had brought Nougat 7.1.1, which is already available for Google's Pixel and Nexus devices. 

If you haven't got the notification of this new software update yet, Just go to Software updates menu in Settings, and It will automatically start downloading the latest update. The update will take around 10-15 minutes to get Installed on your device.

Source: Google+ | Via: Motorola-Fans

Stable Android 7.1.2 is rolling out to Nexus 6P Beta Testers

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 13, 2017       

A little two weeks ago, Google announced Android 7.1.2 Stable build with April 2017 Security patches for the Nexus and Pixel devices. The OTA's and Firmware are already available for selected phones.

Today, Google has started rolling out the Android 7.1.2 Nougat update though the OTA (Over-The-Air) for Nexus 6P Beta testers, while it might still take some time for all Nexus 6P owners.



The update weighs in around 25MB and is readily available for the Nexus 6P beta testers on Android 7.1.2 Beta. Along with the Android 7.1.2 goodies, the update brings a number of bug fixes, general performance/stability improvements, and adds new features including Enhanced notification stability, Fingerprint swipe, General connectivity improvements, and Battery usage alerts.

If you haven't got the notification of this new software update yet, Just go to Software updates menu in Settings, and It will automatically start downloading the latest update. The update will take around 10-15 minutes to get Installed on your device.


Via: AndroidHeadlines

Huawei is Already Testing the Android O in Mate 9

 By Unknown on April 12, 2017       

Chinese smartphone vendor, Huawei is already testing the next iteration of Android O in its flagship phone, the Huawei Mate 9. As per a report from Xda developers, Huawei, once a partner of Google has ported its EMUI based of Android O. 

Google nearly three weeks ago released the first Developer Preview of Android O for the Google Pixel and Nexus devices. However, it will take ages for OEM's to out the next iteration of Android, but it's surprising how Huawei managed to port the latest OS. 



The report further says that the phone is running rooted version of the Android EUI, but the phone is not usable as a daily driver as it is plagued with issues related to Google Play Services and Wi-Fi. 

One of the prominent features in Android O is the picture-in-picture mode, and the feature is reportedly working fine in the Mate 9. So, will Huawei manage to release the Andriod O before Google does? Time will tell. 

Source: XDA

Google AutoDraw turns your horrible doodles into a masterpiece

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 12, 2017       

Google's new experiment turns your awful line drawings into works of art. Google uses artificial intelligence to determine what your are actually attempting to draw. The AI-powered platform recognizes the doodles and replaces them with beautiful sketch.

AutoDraw is a new kind of drawing tool. It pairs machine learning with drawings from talented artists to help everyone create anything visual, fast. You can use the AutoDraw from anywhere using your Smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, etc and it's free.

AutoDraw’s suggestion tool uses the same technology used in QuickDraw, to guess what you’re trying to draw. Right now, it can guess hundreds of drawings and Google look forward to adding more over time. 

Google is also hiring Artist community to help them in creating drawings for others to use with AutoDraw. You can try out AutoDraw here.

Press Renders of Motorola Moto C, Moto C Plus, Moto E4, and Moto Z2 Leaked Online

 By Unknown on April 12, 2017       

From the past two days, it has been about the Motorola's cheapest smartphone lineup, the Moto C series and Moto E4 series. Until now, we have seen the phones in various leaked images, but now, press renders of the Moto C, Moto C Plus, and Moto E4 have surfaced online. 

The Moto C and C Plus as seen on previous leaks will have the same display size of 5-inches, but they will be differentiated with the panel. The C will use a WFVGA screen, and the C Plus will have a 720p display. Also, both the phones will not feature a fingerprint scanner.

The Moto C will come with a 32-bit MediaTek processor, and the C Plus will pack a 64-bit 1.3GHz MediaTek SoC. The Moto C will get only 1GB of RAM, and the C Plus will house 1GB/2GB of RAM. Also, the Moto C will feature a smaller 2350mAh battery, whereas the C Plus will come with a larger 4000mAh battery.

Coming to the Moto E4, it is said to come in two variants, the regular Moto E4 and the bigger Moto E4 Plus. All the three phones look similar, but the C series will come with hardware navigation keys, and the E4 comes with on-screen navigation keys. 

Alongside these phones, a render of Moto Z2 leaked as well showcasing the dual camera at the rear and with the same design language as the first Moto Z phones. All the four phones look similar to the Moto G5 series of phones. 

Source: Slashleaks

Motorola Pushes the Kernel Sources of Moto G5 Plus to Github

 By Unknown on April 12, 2017       

After delaying for more than one and half month, Motorola finally released the kernel source of its budget-friendly Moto G5 Plus, allowing developers to start the development of custom ROMs for the device. 

Motorola usually releases the kernel sources in just two weeks of the phone's launch, but this time around, the Lenovo-owned company took a little bit more time than the usual. Nevertheless, the company has released the code and developers can start working. 



The kernel sources are available in the tar.gz file extension and also in the form of a .zip file. If you're interested in developing a custom ROM for Moto G5 Plus, the go ahead to Github and download the kernel sources and set it up in the Android Kitchen. 

The Moto G5 Plus is the latest budget smartphone from the company packing decent specifications such as the Snapdragon 625 SoC, 3GB/4GB of RAM, 16/32GB of native storage, 3000mAh battery, Android Nougat, and a 5.2-inch FHD screen. 

Samsung starts testing Android 7.1 Nougat for several devices

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 12, 2017       

It's been a while since Google launched Android 7.1 Nougat for selected Nexus and Pixel devices. Now, According to new reports Android 7.1 might hit Several Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S8, soon.

Samsung has already started targeting Android 7.1, rather than 7.0 with their latest update of Samsung Health and Samsung Game Tuner. Both the applications are only supported on Samsung phones, leading to the theory that the Android 7.1 Nougat update is currently under testing.

The recently announced Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box and Android 7.1 would be a welcome move, as the inclusion of the almost a year old Android 7.0 was one of the Galaxy S8's biggest disappointments.

Samsung has already started rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat update to the Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 edge, Galaxy S6, S6 edge and Note 5. So, these devices are on the top of the list which are likely to get Android 7.1 Nougat.

Via: Sammobile

Motorola Moto C and Moto C Plus to Come With MediaTek Chips Targeting Entry-Level Markets

 By Unknown on April 11, 2017       

Earlier today, we reported that Motorola is working on their cheapest Moto phone ever and it will be reportedly called as Moto C. A new leak from a famous tipster, Evan Blass, says that Motorola will launch the Moto C and C Plus targeting first-time smartphone buyers. 

Blass further claims that the Moto C and C Plus will feature same design language and might also come with a 5-inch display, but different innards. The Moto C will feature a WFVGA display (854 x 480) resolution, whereas the Moto C Plus will feature a 720p panel (1280 x 720). 

Both the phones will differ in other specifications too, the Moto C Plus will be an LTE-only phone, while the Moto C will support both 3G and 4G networks. The Moto C will come with come with a 32-bit 1.3GHz MediaTek SoC, and the Moto C Plus will feature a 64-bit MediaTek chip with same clock speed. RAM in Moto C will be limited to just 1GB, and the Moto C Plus will come in 1GB/2GB of RAM models, but it ultimately depends on the region. The Moto C will come with 8GB/16GB of onboard storage, and the C Plus will undoubtedly feature 16GB of internal storage.

Both the phones will come with a 2MP front-facing camera. The Moto C will get a 5MP snapper at the rear, and the C Plus will get an 8MP unit at the back. The biggest difference between both the phones will be the battery capacity as the Moto C will be backed with a smaller 2350mAh battery. On the flip side, the Moto C Plus will get a massive 4000mAh battery. 

All said, both the phones will boot Android Nougat out-of-the-box. However, Blass did not reveal the pricing of the phones. The phones might be announced alongside Moto E4 and E4 Plus next month.

SOURCE

Android O Breaks Apps that Overlay on top of the Status Bar

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 11, 2017       

The Android O comes with some new features such as notification channels, advanced doze mode, self destructing notifications, and tons of other tiny features. We have already listed the completely new features of the Android O here.

With previous Android versions, apps have been able to operate on top of other apps and system UI elements for certain functions. However, with the arrival of Android O, such apps results in huge UI mess and eventually breaks the status bar.



This happens because the TYPE_SYSTEM_OVERLAY is deprecated and replaced with TYPE_APPLICATION_OVERLAY. This means that, while system overlays will still continue to function for the most part, apps will no longer be able to draw over the status bar.

This feature also stops Twilight (Night Mode) covering parts of the screen like the status bar or keyboard, which would defeat the purpose of the application. 

Since this is just the first Developer Preview for Android O, Google might add new or remove some of the existing features in future builds. 



Via: XDA

New Leak Tips the Pricing of Nokia 9; To Cost $699 in the US

 By Unknown on April 11, 2017       

Nokia is said to unveil a bunch of Android smartphones by the end of this year, and one of them will be the flagship Nokia 9, which will be the company's first phone to use Snapdragon 835 SoC. 

According to a new report from Nokiapoweruser, the Nokia 9 will be announced by the end of July of early August at the same time when Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be announced. The phone will be sold sometime later in Q3 2017. 

Also, the leak suggests that the Nokia 9 will cost $699 in the US and 749 Euro in some of the European countries. What's interesting is the Indian price leak. Yes, according to the rumor, the Nokia 9 will be sold in India for Rs. 44,999. 

Previous rumors suggest that the Nokia 9 will come with an IRIS scanner, fingerprint scanner, IP68 rating, Snapdragon 835 SoC, 3500mAh. battery, 5.7-inch Quad HD display, and Android Nougat.

Xiaomi Mi 6 With Snapdragon 835 SoC to Launch on April 19: Officially Confirmed

 By Unknown on April 11, 2017       

So, here we bring the most anticipated news of the month. The Xiaomi Mi 6 was confirmed to launch this month itself by CEO Lei Jun. Some misleading news suggested that the phone will be announced today, however, Xiaomi will announce the phone on April 19, just two days before the Samsung Galaxy S8 sale. 

Our source also confirmed that Xiaomi will be ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack with the Xiaomi Mi 6 in favor of the USB Type-C audio. It is already a known reason why Xiaomi delayed the Mi 6 launch till now: the availability of Snapdragon 835 SoC. 



As you might be aware of the fact that Samsung used the entire first batch production of Snapdragon 835 on their Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, that apparently left Xiaomi with only option- delay the phone until you get the chip. 

As far as rumored specifications go, the Xiaomi Mi 6 will come in two variants- Mi 6 and Mi 6 Plus. Both the variants will be powered by Snapdragon 835 SoC, and the Mi 6 Plus might come with a dual lens camera at the rear. All said, these are just rumored specs. We will have to wait until April 19 to know the final details of the device. 

Benefits of 3D printing

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 11, 2017       

Image: 3DPrint

Technology is developing at an unprecedented rate. It serves us and will continue to do so in unimaginable ways. The progressions in technology has introduced 3D printing in the industry. We are properly aware of the traditional printing technology and the world has benefited from it tremendously. 3D printing is a massive elevation in the traditional technology. It has the ability to produce three-dimensional objects which can further be used in several ways. 

3D printing can be used anywhere from packaging industries to medication purposes. Here are some benefits listed which will give you a better idea about 3D printing;

Affordability

This is surprisingly the most important benefit 3D printing offers. Technology is getting cheaper as it advances. Manufacturers have made sure to keep the innovations as affordable as they can. Similar is the case with 3D printers. They even prove to be less  expensive than creating parts through traditional machining. For instance, making 3D surgical tools can be relatively cheaper than purchasing stainless steel counterparts. 
Even the prosthetics are cheaper than traditional ones. So in general, 3D printing is much more affordable. 

Quick production

Conventional prototype manufacturing requires tooling and manufacturing. You will have to individually pay for man power and other relevant equipment. These add to the extra costs. Even the complete process takes considerable amount of time. Even you will have to remodel the prototype each and every time. Experiencing the struggle is pretty annoying. With traditional prototyping, maintaining a business is also difficult due to high consumption of time. When it comes to 3D printing, they consume no time. Once you are done with the design, print it. The process is also free of irrelevant and undesired interferences. This let you spend time on recommended tasks enhancing productivity. 

Easily customizable

Massive production is required in industries’ manufacturing process. This means that all products are going to be of same type and shape. If you want to add much more personalization and customization, consider 3D printing. You can meet your needs by changing a bit of prototype. Customizing 3D printers are widely used in medical and dental industries. It will allow you to customize according to the demands without incurring additional costs. In this way people can be unique especially when it comes to fashion industry. 

Production of new shapes

The traditional industry relies on molding and trimming technology to generate the shape they desire. The process requires a lot of effort and is pretty difficult to achieve. 3D printing makes this easy. The nozzle of 3D printers can build infinite amount of shapes no matter how complex the figure is. It even enhances the integrity of structure. In fact, 3D printing is even used to manufacture furniture. There are countless possibilities when it comes to 3D printing. It all depends on your imagination and creativity. 

Diversity

Diversity is one of the benefits this facility offers. Mixing diverse raw materials can be costly in terms of money when it comes to mass production. It is even difficult to mix the physical and chemical properties of different objects in conventional methods. 3D printing has made several progressions in this specific area. 3D printing can use a variety of material like glass, plastic, paper and gold. There are other varieties of materials as well. With a range of materials in your hand you can achieve anything. Lix 3D pens provides the same diversity. 

Environmental friendly

A lot of focus is laid upon sustainable development these days. Industries must take the sustainability factor into account before producing something. 3D printing is an ideal option in such scenarios. It is highly energy-efficient producing less waste. Traditional methods produces a lot of junk which is generally not useful. The object created through 3D printers are also lighter and sturdy at the same time. Less the waste is produce, lower the impacts are on atmosphere. 

Accessibility

3D printing has gained recognition in the past few years. Now more people are getting access to the facility. This technology can impact the notion of consumerism largely. With easy accessibility, these printers as well as pens are available widely in the market in a variety of price range. 

Here's the Motorola Moto C in Different Colors

 By Vaibhav Jain on April 11, 2017       

Earlier this month, Motorola accidentally leaked the Moto X 2017 and the Moto C in their YouTube video while Celebrating their 44th anniversary of first Mobile Phone Call.

Today's leak is coming from the most prominent tipster of Motorola Smartphones, "uncap" (Weibo). In his profile, he posted an image of the Moto C in all Different Colors, which looks absolutely stunning and is on-par with the earlier leaked rumors. 

Yes, the Moto C will be Motorola's ultra-budget Smartphone and will be priced even lower than the Moto E phones. As far as the Specs are concerned, the Moto C will be powered by a Mediatek MT6737m processor paired with 1GB RAM and 16GB Internal memory. It will feature a 5-inch F2VGA Display with 854x480 resolution, 5MP Rear, 2MP front camera and 2300mAh removable battery.

With a Saturn ring camera design, the smartphone do looks premium. It will be coming with Android 7.0 Nougat with Pixel launcher. Motorola is expected to launch the Device with a price tag of around $50-$80. Thoughts?

Via: Krispitech