Moto Z pre-orders appear on Amazon UK

The Moto Z doesn't have an official launch date in the UK yet, but the device has just appeared for pre-order on Amazon UK for £610.19. Previously expected to launch in early September (via Clove) for £495, this new pre-order page is a little unsettling, most notably for the massive price hike from Clove's listed price.

See also: The Moto Z and Moto Z Force will get Google's security patches10

Another thing worth noting is the absence of any images, leading us to believe that this might not be as final a page as you might typically expect. Whether or not that means the price may change as well we're not sure, but the page does offer the Amazon pre-order price guarantee, meaning that if you pre-order and the price drops before your unit is shipped, you'll be charged the lower of the two prices.

The Moto Z ships from Amazon with free delivery in the UK (but no release date is given). Considering you can also pre-order the Moto Z on Clove for £495, you might be better off picking it up from there if you're looking for a little magnet-assisted smartphone love. Of course, the Amazon page might be revealed to include bundled Moto Mods or larger internal storage at a later stage.

PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON PRE-ORDER FROM CLOVE

What are your thoughts on the Moto Z?

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Microsoft’s version of IFTTT, called Flow, arrives on Android

Fans of automation will already be intimately familiar with IFTTT. The idea is simple: create basic recipes for actions based on particular triggers. Microsoft Flow does much the same thing, although it has a natural predisposition toward Microsoft products. An open Android beta is now available, so you can install and try out Microsoft Flow for yourself.

See also: 10 best productivity apps for Android42

The premise is familiar: connect several accounts to Flow including cloud services, email accounts, Slack, Twitter and so on. Then create simple recipes for what to do with them. As Microsoft notes, Flow is designed to deliver notifications, organize data, synchronize files, automate processes and more.

For example, you can be notified in Slack whenever a tweet containing a specific hashtag gets posted (great for entering Nexus season). Or you can receive push notifications whenever Android Authority posts new articles. You can even use Flow to automatically create tweets from your Facebook posts. Or receive an SMS when your boss emails you. Or save Instagram photos to Google Drive. The list is pretty much endless.

Microsoft Flow is clearly targeted at enterprise and business thanks to its Office 365, Github, MailChimp, Dynamics CRM, Salesforce and Yammer integration. But there's no reason you can't utilize the same tools for your own non-business needs. The mobile app, which you can download below, is used for tracking the recipes you'll need to first create on the web.

INSTALL MICROSOFT FLOW

You can sign up to use the service for free on the official Microsoft Flow website. You can also learn more out Microsoft's voice-controlled Conditional Action Programmer.

Do you use IFTTT, Tasker or Flow? How do you automate your Android?

Up next: IFTTT rolls out third-party app integration

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You can now download the 2016 Nexus ringtones and notification sounds

For two unannounced devices, the 2016 Nexuses are enjoying a leak fest that would make HTC proud. Oh wait, they're being made by HTC, so it all makes sense. The latest leak is of the 2016 Nexus ringtones and notification sounds, which will reportedly appear on Marlin and Sailfish alongside Android 7.0 Nougat at the end of the month.

See also: 2016 Nexuses to gain Huawei-like finger scanner gesture controls37

Android Police is behind the leak, providing the zip files for both the ringtones and notification sounds below. All you need to do is download and unpack the zip, then move the files to the relevant folders on your phone with a file manager.

• Download 2016 Nexus ringtones
• Download 2016 Nexus notification sounds

There's eight notification sounds and ten ringtones but don't get too excited – they're actually kind of terrible. Perhaps the best part of this is that it will remind everyone just how easy it is to get custom ringtones and notification sounds on your phone. Meanwhile, feel free to install the Nexus Launcher and download the 2016 Nexus wallpapers while you're at it.

What do you think of the new ringtones and notification sounds?

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OnePlus 3 update fixes auto-restart bug, but brings LTE problems and breaks Android Pay

The OnePlus 3 is currently receiving a hotfix patch for a pesky auto-restart bug and issues with call quality. Unfortunately though, the update to OxygenOS 3.2.4 seems to deliver more bugs than it squashes. Don't expect any new features or even the August security patch.

See also: ZTE Axon 7 vs OnePlus 390

Besides call quality and auto-reboot, the 26 MB update changelog also mentions "various fixes and carrier optimizations". Unfortunately, users are reporting that the front-facing cameras auto-focus issue has not been fixed, Android Pay no longer works and Doze still breaks notifications. The Quadrooter vulnerabilities also remain unchanged as they will come in the August security patch.

Oddly, multiple users are also reporting constant drops from LTE, with their devices dropping to 3G and even 2G within minutes of acquiring an LTE signal. If this issue affects you, you can lock your OnePlus 3 to LTE by opening the dialer, entering *#*#4636#*#* and then in Phone information, tap Preferred network type and select LTE only. Although even this workaround isn't working for some in the OnePlus forum.

One can only assume OnePlus is now working on a new hotfix patch to solve this new batch of issues. There is a new thread for reporting problems with OxygenOS 3.2.4 and the community is getting pretty shirty about other long-standing issues with the OnePlus 3 that still haven't been fixed. And constantly asking for the OnePlus 2 update. And Marshmallow for the OnePlus X…

If you dare to install the update, you can grab the full flashable ROM or OTA zips here. Otherwise just keep an eye out for the update notification or check manually through settings (try checking with a VPN activated if you can't get the OTA in your region).

Have you seen these problems on your OnePlus 3? Thoughts on OnePlus' software updates?

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North Korea’s Olympians never received their Olympic edition Galaxy S7 Edges

In what can only be described as unsportsmanlike conduct, the 'Olympic edition' Galaxy S7 Edges destined for the 31 North Korean Olympians never made it to the finish line. Close to 12,500 other Olympians received their commemorative gift on behalf of the South Korean tech giant, but not their northerly neighbors.

See also: Google celebrates Olympics with 2016 Doodle fruit-themed mobile games16

To be clear, it wasn't some kind of political snub. Samsung actually tried to deliver the phones to their intended recipients. But, according to sources inside the Olympic Village, the North Korean team's manager confiscated the devices. Apparently the North Korean Olympic Committee decided the athletes shouldn't receive the phones because they might provide access to, you know, the outside world or something.

As Radio Free Asia reports, an "IOC press official speculated that the manager took the phones out of concern that the North Korean athletes would gain access to the Samsung exhibition where the company displayed South Korean electronics." According to South Korean athletes that have competed against North Koreans in the past, managers frequently intercept gifts intended for the players, whether they are of South Korean origin or not.

Did you see this one coming?

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Report: two new HTC Desire phones coming in September

We're not expecting too much from HTC at IFA 2016 next month, but the company still has a couple of desire models to get out later this quarter: the Desire 10 Pro and Desire 10 Lifestyle. The information comes from Evan Blass, who reports both devices will be released in late September.

See also: T-Mobile drops the HTC 10 like it's (not) hot105

Blass was only briefed on the Desire 10 Lifestyle specs (the more mid-range of the two, apparently), which reportedly includes a 5.5-inch 720p display, an unnamed quad-core Snapdragon chipset, 2 GB/16 GB and 3 GB/32 GB RAM and ROM options (market dependent), and a 13 MP/5 MP camera combo using BSI sensors.

BoomSound is reported to be present on the Desire 10 Lifestyle (and thus, likely also on the Desire 10 Pro). The BoomSound Hi-Fi speakers on the Lifestyle reportedly support 24-bit audio and it will ship with higher quality earbuds. The naming scheme for the new handsets follows the lead of the current HTC flagship, the HTC 10.

According to Blass, the Desire 10 Lifestyle will "feature a metallic gold trim on the edges and around key hardware elements like the camera lens, flash, and antenna cutouts." The speckled appearance of recent Desire devices is being traded in for a matte solid finish. Both devices will run Android Marshmallow with the HTC Sense UI. The Desire 10 Pro is obviously a more high-end variant.

Are you looking forward to new Desire phones?

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Spotify Gaming hub launches library of video game OSTs, curated playlists

Sometimes, the soundtracks to video games are memorable enough to snag Grammy awards and earn relistens outside of your play sessions. And other times, it's up to a custom playlist to take the place of a mediocre score and to set your gaming sessions to music. The Spotify Gaming section has solutions for both occasions.

The new Spotify Gaming hub is home to community-crafted playlists, Spotify curated collections, and even guest submissions from the likes of Polygon and Games Beat. While you might already have great collection of gaming playlists, these might help you discover new music while you're exploring new worlds.

See also: Apple Music vs Spotify vs Google Play Music85

Want to take out tangos in your favorite fps? Consider Spotify's Electronic Gaming, Heavy Gamer or Hip Hop Gaming playlists. Got an adventure game you want to point, click and puzzle your way through? You might want to take a listen to the Indie Gaming, Mellowed Out Gaming, or Soundscapes for Gaming playlists.

The hub also houses original soundtracks from a list of games that includes Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 3, The Last of Us, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Sword & Sorcery, Bastion and a whole lot more. So far, there are 120 official soundtracks for games lauded for their music.

So far, there are 120 official soundtracks for games lauded for their music.

Spotify Gaming is live now. You can explore the musical gaming hub through its web portal or you can locate it in the Browse section on all supported platforms. That includes Android, iOS, PlayStation and desktop.

So what do you think about letting Spotify DJ your gaming sessions? If you count yourself among the purists who are against playing music in the background while you game, are you at least exciting about having access to so many official video game soundtracks?

Get it in the Play Store Next: Spotify's family plan is now just $15 and covers 6 users5

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