As part of its ongoing Prime Day sales, Amazon is offering a brand-new unlocked LG G6 for just $449.99. Hurry though, the deal expires in about an hour!

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LG G6 review: it flies… like a G6!

LG G6 review: it flies… like a G6!

April 7, 2017

If you are already an Amazon Prime member, you’ve probably been getting notifications about Amazon’s Prime Day sales. It happens once a year and usually brings pretty nifty tech deals, ranging from home appliances to televisions to smartphones. This year, Prime Day sales include one of the hottest Android smartphones out there: LG’s latest flagship, the G6.

For the next hour or so, Amazon will be offering the unlocked version of the LG G6 for just $449.99 down from the $649.99 suggested price tag. If you were looking to get yourself a high-end device this summer, this might be your best bet, considering that this is a brand-new device, which supports both GSM and CDMA bands to work on carriers like Verizon and AT&T.

Just to recap, the LG G6 boasts a 5.7-inch QHD+ FullVision display (which is both Dolby Vision and HDR10 certified), a dual-lens camera, and IP68 rating for water- and dust-resistance. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 821, 4GB of RAM, and a 3,300 mAh battery. While the battery is non-removable, the phone does support additional storage up to 2TB via a microSD slot.

25 percent of the inventory has been claimed at the time of this article’s publication, and there is only an hour or so left until the Prime exclusive deal expires.

25 percent of the inventory has been claimed at the time of this article’s publication, and there is only an hour or so left until the Prime exclusive deal expires. So if you are a paying Prime member and want to get your hands on LG’s latest flagship, hurry and head on over to Amazon by clicking the button below:

Xiaomi will reportedly launch a third sub-brand to focus on offline markets in an effort to better compete against Oppo and Vivo.

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Xiaomi Mi 6 review

Xiaomi Mi 6 review

May 30, 2017

Even just few years ago, Xiaomi seemed poised to become Samsung’s second biggest threat after Apple: after all, its online-only flash-sales saw a tremendous success, helping the Chinese electronics company sell tens of thousands of devices within minutes, if not seconds. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Xiaomi’s online sales model became the standard formula for new Android OEMs especially in emerging markets, including its home turf, China. Well, it was the standard formula for a while.

With the rise of companies like Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo and their growing offline strategies, Xiaomi has recently been pushed out of top five smartphone brands. In fact, since early 2016, Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo occupy third, fourth, and fifth places respectively and are growing fast enough that they may one day surpass Apple. The success behind these companies – and the reason behind Xiaomi’s slowdown – lies within the offline segment.

Why go offline?

Selling devices via offline retail distribution networks has many benefits, especially for a company like Xiaomi who wants to expand its Mi-branded ecosystem. As far as premium flagship handsets are concerned, offline stores like Mi Homes could elevate the company’s brand image and appeal to high-end buyers. Mi Homes imitate Apple Stores’ general ambiance and offer an opportunity for users to experience the company’s products in-person in a luxurious, open space. That’s exactly why Xiaomi plans to open 1,000 offline stores by 2020, a huge jump from the 100 or so stores it operates currently.

It’s a similar story for lower-end devices. China may be developing rapidly, but rural areas still lack the necessary infrastructure for immediate access to the Internet. Flash sales – whether in China, India, or Indonesia – are usually restricted in how much of the device’s potential audience they actually end up reaching. In order to address this, not only will Xiaomi move away from the original strategy that provided a foundation for the company’s success, but it will allegedly launch a whole new sub-brand that is specifically designed to be sold offline.

Early reports indicate that this sub-brand will coexist with the Mi and the Redmi lineups and could be unveiled as early as some time before the end of this month.

Early reports indicate that this sub-brand will coexist with the Mi and the Redmi lineups and could be unveiled as early as some time before the end of this month. However, due to various costs involved in offline distribution and sales, the company is said to be focusing on the design instead of internal specs.

A long battle ahead

While Xiaomi’s move to diversify and branch out into offline sales makes perfect sense, the process might not be an easy one. As you may have guessed, the company has no track record of managing and operating offline retail stores, nor does it have any extensive experience in building relationships with distributors and telcos. These two factors alone could mean a significant financial burden for Xiaomi, but depending on the outcome, it might be a worthwhile investment.

It’s likely that Xiaomi will initially focus on the Chinese market as well as other lucrative emerging markets like India, but the expertise it might gain from those markets could prove to be a vital component in its potential US debut. Unlike LeEco, another Chinese tech company whose reckless decision to enter the US market ended in a complete disaster, Xiaomi has a mature and wide range of attractive products, consumer trust, and – if everything goes well with its offline expansion plans – it will have the necessary resources to run offline distribution networks, perhaps a trifecta of success recipes for the US market.

The bottom line is this: Xiaomi’s decision to increase its offline presence is a wise one despite the amount of financial and human resources it may require. It could be precisely what the company needs in order to fight back against its Chinese rivals as well as the two top dogs of the smartphone world – Samsung and Apple.

Ticwatch S and Ticwatch E might precisely be what the world has been waiting for: from their design and specs all the way to their price tags.

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The maker of the Ticwatch 2 is making a Google Assistant speaker

The maker of the Ticwatch 2 is making a Google Assistant speaker

May 19, 2017

If you know the Tic brand, the chances are, you’ve probably heard of the Ticwatch 2, the company’s first Kickstarter campaign dating back to 2016. Boasting almost 10,000 backers, it proved to be a huge success, but of course, there’s always room for further improvement. While the Ticwatch Active and Classic offered stunning looks and advanced specs, users weren’t perfectly content with their IP65 rating nor the company’s proprietary Ticwear OS. Well, we spoke, and they listened: the all new Ticwatch S and Ticwatch E are built on user feedback, and I have to say, they might be the best Android Wear-powered smartwatches out there right now.

The biggest difference, of course, is the OS. Ticwear OS is now gone, replaced by Android Wear 2.0, meaning whether you buy the regular “Express” watch or its sportier cousin, you will have access to a myriad of Play Store apps as well as essential Google services like Google Assistant and Google Fit. They also come with a built-in speaker and mic so that they can handle stand-alone apps: yes, you can even take calls through them if you prefer.

The company says that the built-in GPS inside the Ticwatch S & E has been improved significantly – three times more accurate with faster satellite positioning.

The company says that the built-in GPS inside the Ticwatch S & E has been improved significantly – three times more accurate with faster satellite positioning – and the Ticwatch S, in particular, has GPS antenna integrated right into the watch band, “enabling superior GPS accuracy.” Both watches now boast IP67 rating for water- and dust-resistance, and combine that with the usual array of features we’ve come to expect from smartwatches, like step-tracking and heartrate-monitoring, you now have more freedom and flexibility when working out.

The Ticwatch Sport is slightly larger in terms of size at 45mm compared to 44mm on the Express and weighs a bit more too. Both come with a 1.4-inch OLED display of 400 x 400 resolution, protected by anti-scratch glass. They’re powered by MediaTek MT2601 dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and a 300 mAh battery. Not surprisingly, they support wireless charging and are equipped with pretty much every sensor you’d need: proximity sensor, accelerometer, as well as a gyroscope.

Early Bird Offer for the Ticwatch E starts at just $119, estimated to be delivered in November, and as for the sportier version, it’ll set you back $139. Tic is also offering full set deals, which come with Ticpods, the company’s Bluetooth headphones that can play 6 hours of music on a single charge, so be sure to check out the reward chart on their Kickstarter page for more information. Hurry though, the watches are selling like hotcakes at the moment, with over 1,500 backers in just a matter of minutes!

Samsung has acquired a Greek startup called Innoetics, whose text-to-speech and voice-to-speech technology could bring much-needed improvements to its voice assistant.

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Samsung’s botched Bixby rollout stopped me from buying the Galaxy S8

Samsung’s botched Bixby rollout stopped me from buying the Galaxy S8

4 days ago

Innoetics is a relatively small startup out of Greece specializing in text-to-speech and voice-to-speech services. Its award-winning work includes technologies that can not only listen to a person speaking but also read out other unrelated texts in that very same voice. Indeed, it sounds like the sort of technology that Samsung’s struggling voice assistant could benefit from. Well, Samsung seems to agree, and that’s why the South Korean conglomerate has decided to buy Innoetics.

According to Tech Crunch, the deal officially closed last Friday, and although details are unknown for now, Samsung is said to have paid a little under $50 million for the acquisition. Samsung has since released a vague statement on this deal:

Samsung has agreed to acquire Innoetics. Samsung is always exploring ways to deepen our relationships with companies like Innoetics whose technologies present an opportunity to strengthen Samsung’s capabilities.

Of course, we will simply have to wait and see what Samsung does with Innoetics’ services, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Bixby might be the biggest beneficiary. The struggling voice assistant was announced (prematurely) with the Galaxy S8 duo, and even after months, Korean remains the only available language for Bixby Voice. Rumors claim that Samsung is having trouble perfecting the English-speaking version of its AI assistant due to a lack of necessary data and miscommunication between its engineering teams in the US and Korean headquarters.

Innoetics’ technology – combined with the Viv Labs acquisition from last year – could lend a helping hand to Bixby, something that is increasingly being criticized as the worst feature of the Galaxy S8. The good news is that the South Korean electronics company seems to have big plans for Bixby, unlike S-Voice, and will probably dedicate a significant amount of resources to make it better. After all, its future smartphones will reportedly come with a dedicated Bixby button much like the one found on the Galaxy S8, and the company is said to be building a Bixby-powered speaker to compete with the likes of Amazon Echo and Google Home.

I, for one, would be interested in seeing what kind of improvements this acquisition will bring to Bixby and whether they will be enough to change its fate.

I, for one, would be interested in seeing what kind of improvements this acquisition will bring to Bixby and whether they will be enough to change its fate. What about you? Do you think Bixby has room in the world of AI assistants? Let us know!

Thanks to the new KEMCO x HyperDevbox Humble Bundle, you can buy three RPG games for as little as $1 and nine games for just $5.

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15 best RPGs for Android

15 best RPGs for Android

March 12, 2017

If you are into JRPGs or if you just want some new mobile games for really cheap, look no further: there is a three-tiered promotion going on right now courtesy of Humble Bundle, KEMCO, and HyperDevbox, which includes popular titles like Bonds of the Skies, ExZeus 2, and Spectral Souls.

The way it works is pretty straight forward: you get three games – Generation of Chaos, Chronus Arc Premium, and Bonds of the Skies Premium – if you pay $1 or more. If you choose to pay more than the average price (which is currently $4.74 but will probably increase soon), you get six total: in addition to the aforementioned three, you get Cross Hearts Arcadia, ExZeus 2, and Crystareino Premium. Add a few more cents and pay $5 or more, you unlock the top tier which offers Blazing Souls Accelate, Spectral Souls, and Legna Tactica on top of the other six.

Once you decide on the total amount you’d like to pay, you can designate how much of it will go to each organization whether it's a developer or a charity foundation.

As the website explains, you are more than welcome to pay as much you want (i.e. more than $5). After all, you’re not only helping the devs, but some of the money can be donated to charity of your choice as well. Once you decide on the total amount you’d like to pay, you can designate how much of it will go to each organization whether it’s a developer or a charity foundation.

Some of these games are premium versions of what’s available in the Play Store already, and all the games in this bundle are completely DRM-free. Not only are these some of the best JRPGs out there on sale for just a few bucks, but you get to support those in need at the same time. I’d say that’s good enough reason to take advantage of this deal. So far, there have been more than 1,200 purchases, making the total payment around $5,700. You have the next 13 days to decide if you want this bundle or not, but in the meantime, you can click the button below to head on over to the official website for more information:

As AI technology grows rapidly, Google wants to make sure that it’s accessible and inclusive, developed with people in mind. That’s where the PAIR comes in.

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Google Lens offers a snapshot of the future for augmented reality and AI

Google Lens offers a snapshot of the future for augmented reality and AI

3 days ago

When we talk about the Fourth Industrial Revolution or the digital revolution, improved efficiency and increased convenience are the exciting parts that most people tend to focus on. However, there is an alarming side to it as well: what if humans are replaced by AI? What if certain people are left behind in this upcoming industrial era? Google, as one of the leaders in AI research and development, is aware of this potential problem and wants to address it from the get-go.

Called the People + AI Research Initiative or the PAIR, this newly-announced team within the Google Brain division will “study and redesign the ways people interact with AI systems” so that we build systems with “people in mind at the start of the process.” The PAIR will examine the relationship between users and technology, the vast array of applications that AI will facilitate, and how to make everything accessible and broadly inclusive.

The PAIR team is led by Google Brain researchers Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg, and the 12 other team members will work with researchers from Harvard University and MIT to focus on three areas of user needs:

• Engineers and researchers: because AI is built by humans, Google says that it’s important for engineers and researchers to have the right materials and tools to make the process easier and accessible.
• Domain experts: AI technology has broad applications for professionals: from doctors and lawyers to designers and farmers. How do we make AI more useful for these people?
• Everyday users: of course, AI will greatly affect everyday users, which is why it has to be designed to include everyone. Google wants to find ways to democratize the AI technology to make it more human-centric.

The hope is that as the PAIR team grows and as its work expands, we will see its impact across Google’s apps and services as well as see similar efforts from other companies.

The PAIR won’t necessarily answer all the concerns out there. Issues of socioeconomic disparity – especially the job-related ones – still remain a significant concern. Compounded by other intersectional factors, the Fourth Industrial Revolution certainly isn’t going to be an easy process, but with Google’s new initiative, we are definitely taking one step further in the right direction: the hope is that as the PAIR team grows and as its work expands, we will see its impact across Google’s apps and services as well as see similar efforts from other companies.

As part of its Summer of Rift promotion, Oculus is offering its VR headset and Touch controllers for just $399, significantly undercutting its competition.

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Oculus Rift is the most popular VR platform among game developers

Oculus Rift is the most popular VR platform among game developers

January 26, 2016

We’ve reached peak summer, and what better way to celebrate it than saving almost $200 on one of the best VR headsets in the market right now? What began as a Kickstarter campaign a few years ago has received mostly positive reviews since its launch last March. Oculus had already lowered the price of the Rift + Touch controllers bundle to $599 a few months ago, and for the next six weeks, it’ll be even more affordable at $399.

Oculus officially announced the Summer of Rift promotion last month with lucrative discounts on select games and $100 store credit for new buyers. The celebration continues, and for a limited time – the remaining six weeks of this summer, to be precise – you can buy the Oculus Rift and Oculus Touch controllers for $399. In other words, the Rift is now on par with Sony’s PlayStation VR in terms of pricing and significantly undercuts the HTC Vive.

The Oculus Rift isn’t a perfect VR device by any means, but as the list of supported games grows and especially with the new price tag, this might be a hard bargain to pass up on.

To mark the historic meeting of Trump and Putin, a Russian company is selling a Putin-Trump edition of the Nokia 3310 for a whopping $2,500.

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VPN use on the rise in the aftermath of Trump administration privacy rollback

VPN use on the rise in the aftermath of Trump administration privacy rollback

April 16, 2017

All eyes are on the G-20 summit right now: after all, it marks the first official in-person meeting of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, perhaps two of the world’s most infamous autocrats. Well, of course, a Russian luxury company decides to celebrate this occasion by releasing a special edition Nokia 3310 with the faces of two world leaders with the lowest confidence rating.

The phone features hardened titanium with a pattern of “Damascus steel” which apparently represents the protection of justice.

Caviar Royal Gift, the company behind this creation, says that the gold plaque containing the portraits of the two presidents symbolizes their “common desire for progress in US-Russia relations.” The phone also features hardened titanium with a pattern of “Damascus steel” which apparently represents “the protection of justice.” The asking price? 149,000 Russian Rubles, or roughly $2,500.

Given that the specs remain exactly the same as the ones found inside the regular Nokia 3310 reboot, which costs around $55, dropping over two grand on a gaudy phone with Trump and Putin permanently engraved on it might honestly be the most asinine thing to do, if you ask me. But hey, to each their own! So if you want to place your order, follow the link below:

According to the company, its June revenue was the highest since last December, and it’s thanks to the increasing popularity of the HTC U11.

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HTC previews upcoming Edge Sense features that will be added to the U11

HTC previews upcoming Edge Sense features that will be added to the U11

3 weeks ago

If you’ve been in the Android world for some time, you probably know a thing or two about HTC’s unfortunate history: from a dominant market player with beautiful aluminium phones to a struggling company reporting loss after loss. In fact, in 2016, apart from one month, every month saw a year-over-year decrease as big as 79 percent. When it launched the HTC U Ultra earlier this year, not only was it disappointing for many, but it had people doubting if HTC actually wanted to get back into the game. Well, its evolved sibling, the HTC U11, is an entirely different story, it seems.

According to HTC, its June revenue saw a 52 percent month-over-month increase and an 8 percent year-over-year increase to NT$6.89 billion or roughly $225.2 million. This is the highest in six months, and had HTC not manufactured the Pixel phones (which helped it cross the NT$7 billion mark in September, October, and November of last year), this figure would’ve been the highest in over a year. While $225.2 million is nothing to boast about considering HTC used to rake in over $680 million in a month during its golden age, the fact of the matter is that people are actually buying the HTC U11.

In fact, Chang Chia-lin, president of the company’s smartphone division, previously stated that the latest squeezable flagship from HTC outsold its predecessors in less than a month on the market, and we are seeing reports that the Taiwanese electronics company may ramp up its inventory levels to meet increased sales in the summer months. Not only that, Google’s upcoming flagship phones are rumored to be manufactured by HTC for the second time, which would help boost its revenue even further.

HTC’s incessant innovation as well as its unparalleled fan base might just prove to be a tipping point for the struggling company.

HTC’s current flagship certainly isn’t without its flaws, but HTC’s incessant innovation as well as its unparalleled fan base might just prove to be a tipping point for the struggling company. What are your thoughts on the HTC U11? Will it be enough to help HTC recover? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below!

According to the official Google France blog, Google Home will be available starting August 3, and of course, this means every Google Home device will soon speak French as well.

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Google Home review – the future of the home?

Google Home review – the future of the home?

November 18, 2016

For quite some time now, Google has been saying that French would be the next language that Google Assistant will pick up. It’s true that since the launch of Google Home in Canada, users have been able to communicate with the smart speaker in Canadian French, but now it’s time for French French. As promised at Google I/O this year, France will indeed be the next country to get the Google Assistant-powered speaker.

Google Home will be available for €149 online in France starting August 3, and it’ll be available offline in select stores starting August 8.

Google France just announced that Google Home will be available for €149 online in France starting August 3, and it’ll be available offline in select stores starting August 8. Of course, apart from some localized radio stations like Europe 1 and Radio France, it will work just like its English-speaking counterpart in the US, UK, and Canada. Well, except in French.

Other Google Home devices around the world should be getting an update in the future which adds French to the list of languages that your Assistant can speak. That might be before the official launch date, but at least judging by my Google Home, French French is not available just yet.

The next few countries to get Google Home should be Australia, Japan, Germany, and South Korea, all within this year. We’ll be sure to keep you updated!