Bcstevieb

September has been full of major phone announcements, and LG has decided to join the party with just a few days to spare. The company just announced a new premium phone called the V10 less than a day ahead of a scheduled event in New York City. It's the first phone in the company's new "V" line of phones, which bumps up a few key specs while ditching plastic for more premium materials.

The new V10 isn't terribly different from LG's flagship G4 on the inside. It has the same (removable) 3,000 mAh battery, the same Snapdragon 808 processor, and the same 16-megapixel rear camera. (There is an extra gigabyte of RAM, however). On the outside, though, the V10 appears to have left the G4's curved display behind for a flat one. The phone's also...

Continue reading…

LG is announcing a new version of the Watch Urbane, the chunky Android Wear device it released this spring. The new version puts an ever so slightly bigger screen inside of a slightly smaller body. It's able to do that by building some of the watch's tech into its bands, which are no longer swappable. It's inside one of those bands that you'll find the most interesting addition to this model: a cellular radio. That makes it the first Android Wear watch to include cellular connectivity and LTE — though certainly not the first smartwatch to have those features.

Continue reading…

It's always something with Nexus cameras. This year Google assures us that the Nexus 5X and 6P will have great photo taking capabilities, but it's hard to let go of the past and all those broken promises. While the 6P does indeed look like an impressive phone for snapping pics, the 5X might struggle a bit more. According to Dave Burke in the Reddit AMA, the 5X won't have electronic image stabilization, 240fps mode, or SmartBurst because it's not fast enough.

The Nexus 5X Lacks Electronic Image Stabilization, 240fps Slow-Motion Video, And SmartBurst Because The Snapdragon 808 Isn't Fast Enough was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

A five-year patent battle between Google and Microsoft has come to a close, as both companies decided to end the feud and drop around 20 lawsuits in the US and Germany today. The tech titans have been clashing since 2010 over royalties related to technology in the Xbox game console and smartphones from Motorola Mobility, which Google owned up until January 2014, when it sold off the division to Lenovo — but kept many of its patents. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, but pledged to work together to strengthen the defense of intellectual property, according to a Bloomberg report.

"Microsoft and Google are pleased to announce an agreement on patent issues. As part of the agreement, the companies will dismiss...

Continue reading…

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 is now less than a couple of months away, so what better time to release a new poster? And instead of the usual studio channel, this comes via Facebook from Katniss Everdeen herself, who also goes by the name Jennifer Lawrence.

The new image strikes us as more like a traditional movie one-sheet than the usual high fashion imagery on display from the Hunger Games team though it does suggest an awesome action team-up between Katniss and feathery pal Flapperly Warblebreath, AKA The Mockingjay. He’s just days away from retirement and has already bought a new nest to share with his wife, so we don’t like his chances.

Following on from the first Mockingjay, the second part of the story finds Katniss and the rebels making the final push against Donald Sutherland's scheming President Snow and the Capitol, with lives on the line and sacrifices to be made. The new movie should boost the action quotient as the bigger beats are to be found lurking towards the end of Suzanne Collins’ third tome.  

With Francis Lawrence again directing and his leading lady joined on screen by Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Sam Claflin, Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Jena Malone and more, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 arrives in our cinemas on November 19.  

A week ago, the British Medical Journal published an "investigation" of US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's February report that The Verge found was full of errors. The BMJ's investigation went after a number of aspects of the diet committee's report, which will be used to issue new federal dietary guidelines this year. As a result, a number of news outlets — including Time, Newsweek, and Mother Jones — wrote stories that reported the investigation's errors as fact.

Continue reading…

In the ‘90s, Aby Ngana Diop was the queen of taasu, a practice of ritual poetry performed by female griots in Senegal. Diop’s distinctive vocals made her a sought-after performer at the weddings and funerals of the rich and powerful, but only a single album of her work is widely available — Littal, originally released in 1994. Littal took the traditional spoken word art form and merged it with the raucous modernity of electronic synth and drum loops. The record propelled her to superstar status in Senegal. Sadly, Diop died just three years later.  

Continue reading…

Buying used stuff is a great way to save money. You might not realize all the ways that you can live off of hand-me-downs. If you want to learn, take a “Nothing New” challenge.

As personal finance blog Green High Five explains, a “Nothing New” challenge consists of buying, well, nothing new. No new clothes, new gadgets, new anything (except food or perishable goods, obviously). The goal is to save money, or just live with what you have already. New is nice, but you don’t always need it:

For 200 days, I was able to get everything I needed pre-owned, except for groceries, basic toiletries, and a pair of new rock climbing shoes (I added a day at the end making up for it). I also got rid of a lot of stuff, including my wedding dress, bags of photographs, clothing, jewelry, kitchen items, old trophies and more.

The author went 200 days without buying something new, but you can adapt the challenge to whatever length of time you want. The point isn’t the duration. The goal is to change how you think about your spending habits.

Why I Decided to Do a 200 Days of Nothing New Challenge (And Why You Should Too) | Green High Five via Rockstar Finance

Photo by Steven Depolo.

I think quite a few users were a bit nervous when they heard that the new Nexus phone cameras were eschewing an optical image stabilization system, instead relying on a new sensor design that includes bigger and more sensitive 1.55 micrometer pixels that gather more light. According to the experts over at DxOMark, there's no reason to worry: the Nexus 6P's camera is pretty freakin' great. After the team's battery of intensive photo tests, they've given it a score of 84 out of 100, the second-highest rating on the site.

DxOMark Says The Nexus 6P's Camera Is One Of The Best Available, Second Only To The Galaxy S6 Edge was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

For the first time in Nexus history, there are two flagship Google phones to choose from. Unlike in previous years, when the only choices you had to make were storage space and color, now even deciding to get a Nexus involves picking between more than one phone. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

We've put together a list of all the differences we could find between the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P to help you decide which one to buy.

Nexus 5X VS Nexus 6P: All The Differences To Help You Decide Which One To Pick was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

You're going to want Android Marshmallow. Google's latest version of Android may sound like a single headline feature followed by a list of tiny improvements, but they all add up to one important update — there's a reason Google is calling this release Android 6.0.

Marshmallow is going to make Android able to do a lot more for you, all while making key refinements across the OS that address longstanding issues. All in all, we're looking at a smarter, sleeker, and more useable Android. So yeah, you're going to want to update.

Of course, as always, when you can update is going to depend on who made your phone. Nexus devices will be updated almost immediately, but phones from Samsung, Motorola, Sony, LG, and others are going to be on...

Continue reading…

New Nexus phones

• Nexus 6P is the first all-metal-body Nexus phone. Built in collaboration with Huawei, this 5.7” phone is crafted from aeronautical-grade aluminum, with a USB Type-C port for fast charging, a powerful 64-bit processor, and a 12.3 MP camera sensor with massive 1.55µm pixels (hello, better photos!). The Nexus 6P starts at $499.
• You’re not the only one who misses your Nexus 5. We’ve joined forces with LG to bring it back with the new Nexus 5X, which gives you great performance in a compact and light package, with a beautiful 5.2” screen and the same 12.3 MP camera and Type-C port as the Nexus 6P. Nexus 5X starts at $379.

Pixel C

Today, Google held an event to announce its newest Nexus hardware. It wasn’t just about the phones, though. Here are some of the most important and interesting things Google shared today.

There Are Two New Nexus Phones to Choose From

In the past, Google has released one new Nexus phone each year if you want to get the latest and greatest pure Android. This time around, however, you’ll have two options: the Nexus 6P ($499+) and the Nexus 5X ($379), giving you the option of an affordable device, or more powerful hardware. Both come with stock Android Marshmallow. You can check out more details about the 6P and the 5X themselves from Gizmodo.

http://gizmodo.com/nexus-6p-googl...

Fingerprint Support Is Coming to Tons of Apps

When Google announced Android Marshmallow, we learned that Android would get support for fingerprint sensors. However, that’s only part of the equation. You still need support in apps to really get the most out of it. Today, Google announced that its launch partners for fingerprint sensors would include major services like LastPass, 1Password, Mint, PayPal, Venmo, several major banks, and more. This should make it way easier to keep your device secure.

Google Play Music Now Has a Family Subscription

Music subscriptions have taken off, and that’s great. The only problem is that they’re deeply personal. Sharing an account isn’t as easy as it is with Netflix. Today, Google’s changing that by adding a family plan to Play Music. Now, up to six people can share one plan for $15/month. Each user will get their own suggestions, so you library won’t be ruined because your spouse or kids like different music.

http://gizmodo.com/googles-new-fa...

Google Photos Gets Shared Albums, People Labeling, and More

Google Photos is already awesome for organizing your photos. Now, it’s getting better. Users will soon be able to create shared albums, so everyone can pool their photos from an event in one place. You’ll be able to subscribe to other people’s albums, so you can see when your friends or family add new photos to an album. There’s also a new feature for labeling people, so Google Photos can tag them and make searching for photos with specific people in them easier. Finally, Photos is getting Chromecast support, which should make it easier to share your album with the people in your living room.

Chromecasts are Getting Their First Update, Plus a New Audio-Only Version

The original Chromecast was a surprising breakout hit, making it dead simple to share video to your TV. Now, the dongle’s getting an update. The new HDMI version has improved Wi-Fi for even better connection speeds and reliability, plus a Fast Play mode that preloads your Chromecast apps when you open an app on your device, so you’re not waiting around for a connection all day. Google is also introducing Chromecast Audio, which can stream music to your stereo.

http://gizmodo.com/everything-you...

The Chromecast App Is Now a Universal Home For Your Content

Right now, you probably only use the Chromecast app to setup your device and then never touch it again. Google’s changing this in a big way. Now, you can use the Chromecast app to find content you can stream to your device. It will show you feeds from all the Chromecast-supported apps you have in one place. You can also search for a show and the app will show you all the places you can find it, even in apps or services you don’t have installed. This update turns the Chromecast app from a setup utility into a landing page for all your entertainment.

The Pixel C Is an Android-Powered Touchscreen Laptop

The previous Pixel laptops were expensive Chromebooks that almost no one wanted to buy, even if they were nice. Today, Google announced the new Pixel C, only this one runs Android. The device can work in both laptop and tablet mode, and it comes with a magnetic detachable keyboard. It will start at the much-more-affordable $499, though the keyboard costs $150 extra. You can check out more details about it from Gizmodo here.

http://gizmodo.com/the-pixel-c-is...

Apps Can Now Tie Into Voice Actions

Google’s voice actions are already pretty powerful in Google Now. As of Marshmallow, developers can create their own voice actions that work in apps. Google showed off a demo of NPR launching from Google Now. Once the app opened, the app was able to ask the user what they would like to listen to.

Google's latest hardware offerings will come with a new option for authentication. On stage at an official event, Google engineering chief Dave Burke today announced a new fingerprint reader, dubbed Nexus Imprint and available on both the 6P and 5X. Burke described Imprint as a "seamless way of authenticating with your fingerprint," requiring less than 600 milliseconds to recognize a fingerprint, and improving with each use. The new sensor is open to the entire ecosystem, allowing easy verification within third-party apps.

Continue reading…

Following its first announcement and a roughly four-month beta test period, Google today announced that Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be widely available starting next week. Unsurprisingly, it will roll out to Google's line of Nexus smartphones and tablets first, with other devices receiving it at a yet to be determined time.

Android 6 does not have the huge visual makeover that last year's 5.0 Lollipop brought, but instead is focused around a lot of under-the-hood improvements for better stability and user experience. One of the new features is a power-saving mode called Doze, which lets the system shut down processes when it detects the device hasn't been moving or used for a period of time.

Under-the-hood improvements are the focus...

Continue reading…

Last week, the British Medical Journal published an error-filled "investigation" of US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee's February report — a report that will be used to issue new federal dietary guidelines later this year. Following its publication, multiple news outlets — including Time, Newsweek, and Mother Jones — reported these errors as fact. Now, the British Medical journal says it will publish a "clarification" on its investigation within the next 24 hours.

Continue reading…

• Update 1: 2015/09/28 12:18pm PDT
  As some readers have pointed out, the watch pictured below may be the connected Fossil Q without Android Wear. The Wear-equipped option may still have its flat tire. Unfortunately, the source post
• Update 2: 2015/09/28 12:42pm PDT
  A Fossil representative has clarified that only the image at the top of this post shows the Android Wear watch, and we can't tell from that if the flat tire remains

Android Wear watches have come a long way in such a short period of time.

Fossil Shows Off The Fossil Q With Android Wear [Updated] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Google has been testing Android 6.0 over the summer, and you might have even been running the developer previews, but when is the final version rolling out? We've been able to confirm that the rollout is scheduled to start on October 5th, which is the date previously leaked in a Telus FAQ page.

As with all of Google's updates, you can expect the process to be slow if you wait for the OTA.

Android Marshmallow Will Begin Rolling Out To The Nexus 5, 6, 7 (2013), 9, And Player On October 5th, Along With AOSP was written by the awesome team at Android Police.