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vendredi 30 septembre 2016

Panasonic unveils bendable, twistable battery for smart products

panasonic-flexible- battery

Panasonic has announced its latest flexible battery innovation, which it will be showing off at CEATEC in Japan next week. When combined with flexible displays, printed electronics, and increasingly small processing packages, this could be the technological breakthrough that bendable smartphone enthusiasts have been waiting for.

According to Panasonic, the battery can be bent and twisted up to a radius of 25mm, with a maximum angle of 25 degrees,  over 1000 times, while still retaining 99 percent of its charge. Importantly given recent other battery related problems in the news, twisting the cell is completely safe as well. To obtain these properties, Panasonic has custom designed a laminated outer layer to prevent leakage and over-heating, and newly developed internal structure, but the real secrets are hidden away in the company's patents.

Panasonic flexible battery test results

Unfortunately, as always seems to be the case with these flexible technologies, there's still more work to be done before this is ready for powerful pieces of technology, such as smartphones. Currently, the batteries are only designed to hold charges between 17.5 mAh and 60 mAh each. That's a long way behind the 3,000 mAh cells that we're used to in top of the line Android phones. However, tens of milliamp hours is enough to power some low power wearables, and these cells might be able to be chained together, say in a smartwatch strap, for some extra battery life.

Panasonic is targeting its batteries to power pieces of smart clothing, smart cards, and key cards. For starters, Panasonic's flexible lithium-ion battery will most likely make its way into small form factory IoT devices and cards, but there's the possibility that this technology could be scaled up for larger flexible electronics in the future.

After showing off its batteries at CEATEC JAPAN 2016 from October 4 to 7, Panasonic plans to begin shipping out samples by the end of October.



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Report: Xiaomi Redmi 3S Plus to go on sale in Indian retail stores from Saturday

 

xiaomi-redmi-3s-16x9-720p

Xiaomi looks determined to expand its offline presence in India. The Chinese phone maker is said to be preparing to kick off the sale of Redmi 3S Plus in Indian retail shops beginning on Saturday, according to sources cited by Gadgets 360.

The planned distribution of Xiaomi Redmi 3S Plus by retailers in India will mark the company's first foray into an offline, retail-only business model. The goal is to let the country's retailers avoid the risk of online competition and, therefore, gain a level of flexibility on the handset's pricing.

That means the Redmi 3S Plus is primarily intended to serve Xiaomi's purpose of gaining more offline traction in India rather than offering products with diversified specifications. In fact, Redmi 3S Plus doesn't deviate much from its sibling Redmi 3S Prime in terms of key specs, except for the presence of 2GB of RAM in Redmi 3S Plus.

Xiaomi Redmi 3-13See also: Xiaomi Redmi 3 review38

Redmi 3S Plus bears the same display and under-the-hood specs as the Redmi 3S and the Redmi 3S Prime. Thus, it will sport a 5-inch 720p display, pack a 32GB of internal storage (expandable to 128GB via a microSD card) and run on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with MIUI 8 on top.

The handset will be powered by the 1.1GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC and juiced up by a 4100mAh non removable battery. Redmi 3S Plus will also boast a 13-megapixel rear shooter and a 5-megapixel front camera. The ubiquitous fingerprint scanner will be seen on the device as well.

Retailers are expected to pin a Rs. 9,499 (~$142.5) price tag on the device once it goes on sale, with a best buy price of Rs. 8,799 (~$132).

It may not sound practical to buy the Redmi 3S Plus if you already own a Redmi 3S or Redmi 3S Prime, but do you find the handset worth the price? Share your thoughts in the comments!



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Gionee launches its first VR-ready smartphone, the S6 Pro, in India

gionee-s6-pro

Looking to strengthen its S Series portfolio, Gionee has announced the launch of the Gionee S6 Pro in India, entering the Virtual Reality space with its first ever phone for VR enthusiasts. The S6 Pro was first unveiled in China in June this year.

The S6 Pro boasts of a metallic unibody design with a 3D camber line back and sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display. It comes pre-loaded with Gionee's VR app for an immersive VR viewing experience and sports a Split Screen feature allowing users to continue watching a video while they receive notifications from messaging apps. Gionee also offers several games in the G-Store for virtual reality experience and entertainment. There's also inbuilt apps like Video Editor with themed and professional edits, Desktop Editor, Image+ to record your life, Video beautification, Time lapse, Text Recognition, et al.

The S6 family has focussed on selfies with its 'selfie flash' for the front camera, and the S6 Pro too packs in an 8MP, f2.2 front camera with screen flash.

gionee-vr-glass

Gionee S6 Pro Specifications

  • Operating System: Android Marshmallow 6.0 with Amigo 3.2
  • Display: 13.97cm (5.5) Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS | 2.5D curved edge display | Gorilla Glass protection
  • Processor: Octa Core 1.8GHz MediaTek MT6755 Helio P10
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Internal Storage: 32GB; expandable up to 128GB with microSD card
  • Rear Camera: 13MP with LED flash
  • Front Camera: 8MP with Screen flash
  • Battery: 3130mAh
  • Dimensions: 153 x 75.3 x 7.6 mm
  • Weight: 170 g

The Gionee S6 Pro goes on sale across stores in India tomorrow at a price of ₹23,999 ($360) in two color variants – Gold and Rose Gold. The VR set will be separately available for ₹2,499 ($38). As an introductory offer, Saavn will provide a free three months' subscription of 'Saavn Pro' to S6 Pro users.



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Samsung unveils Galaxy A8 (2016) in South Korea, pre-orders start tomorrow

Screen Shot 2016-09-30 at 02.36.22SK Telecom

We saw the leaked renders, and we saw the leaked manual. Well, the wait is now officially over as Samsung and South Korea's SK Telecom have finally unveiled the Galaxy A8 (2016).

As you see above, the 2016 edition of the Galaxy A8 is undeniably a Samsung device: from the rounded corners to the home button, the design hasn't changed much since last year's Galaxy A8. Though we can't see the back of the device, SK Telecom describes it a "full-metal" device, so we might be looking at a similar design as last year's Galaxy A8.

Samsung Galaxy A8-11See also: Samsung Galaxy A8 review29

In any case, there are some significant changes inside the device. The screen size and resolution remain unchanged, but this year's Galaxy A8 has Samsung's Always On Display feature. Since the device is running on Grace UX found on the Galaxy Note7, we are guessing that the A8 (2016) will have the upgraded AOD instead of the one found on the Galaxy S7 siblings. With a slight bump in the battery capacity from 3,050 mAh to 3,300 mAh, the Galaxy A8 (2016) should be able to handle AOD without giving up on you midday.

Under the hood, Samsung has revamped its internals: it now has 3GB of RAM instead of 2GB, and uses the same Exynos chipset found in the Galaxy S6 family, which is the octa-core Exynos 7420. If the Galaxy S6 is any indication, the upcoming Galaxy A8 (2016) should have no problem handling demanding tasks.

As for the camera department, the rear camera seems to be unchanged. Although we don't know what sensor it uses, according to SK Telecom, it will have a 16-megapixel shooter just like last year's model. The front-facing camera, however, has been bumped from 5-megapixels to 8-megapixels. That's something that we are seeing from other manufacturers, so it's good that Samsung is following suit.

One biggest addition is Samsung Pay. Just like its other 2016 Galaxy A series siblings, the Galaxy A8 (2016) now supports Samsung Pay out of the box. And of course, along with that comes a fingerprint scanner embedded into the home button.

One biggest addition is Samsung Pay. Just like its other 2016 Galaxy A series siblings, the Galaxy A8 (2016) now supports Samsung Pay out of the box.

If you are in South Korea, the Galaxy A8 (2016) will be exclusively available in blue with SK Telecom, for now at least. Pre-orders start tomorrow on October 1st, and for those who place an order before October 4th, SK Telecom will be offering a free phone case, a screen protector, and a micro-SD card. Currently, there's no official word on when it will launch outside Korea, but we will keep you posted!

What are your thoughts on the Galaxy A8 (2016)? Let us know by leaving a comment below!



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jeudi 29 septembre 2016

LG X Power and LG G Pad X II are now available with U.S. Cellular

LG X Power

If you are a U.S. Cellular customer and looking for an affordable device with a behemoth battery, then you're in luck: the American carrier just announced that the LG X Power will be available for $0 down along with the LG G Pad X II.

ZTE ZMAX Pro Review 16See also: Best smartphones under $10019

The LG X Power is a pretty attractive device, I must say. Though it may not be boasting an all-aluminum body or a sleek glass design, it has a simple, minimalist look with a nicely curved back. Also, it comes in a deep black color option, which seems to be a new trend in the smartphone market.

In terms of its specs, the LG X Power, as the name may suggest, has a humongous 4,100 mAh capacity battery. Given its 5.3-inch HD (1280 x 720) display and the relatively low-power Snapdragon 210 processor, this should get you through a full day and much more. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow right out of the box and features a 5-megapixel front camera for all the selfie-lovers out there. The only disappointment may be its rear camera, which is "only" 8-megapixels. The phone will be available for $0 down with the carrier's installment pricing, which ranges from 20 months to 30 months. If you're planning to buy the phone off-contract, it will set you back $149.99.

The LG G Pad X II (that's a mouthful) will also be available at U.S. Cellular with similar pricing. It's $0 down with installment pricing – either 24 months or 30 months – or if you opt for a 2-year contract, the device will cost $149.99. The tablet is very much a midrange offering from LG with a 10.1-inch TFT display, and its resolution of 1200 x 1920 is nothing to brag about. Under the hood, we find the Snapdragon 617 processor with 2GB of RAM, powered by a 6,000 mAh battery.

Are you interested in getting the LG X Power or the LG G Pad X II? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

Show Press Release

U.S. Cellular Offering LG X Power and LG G Pad X II

The LG X Power has up to 2 days of battery power, so users can enjoy a movie marathon, take photos and videos all day long or play music on a long road trip, all while not worrying about their battery dying. It has a 5.3-inch HD display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.3GHz Quad-Core processor, all in a slim arc design that is easy to use.

The all-new LG G Pad X II is a great multimedia and entertainment hub for the entire family to use. It has a 10.1-inch Full HD Display and a built-in kickstand, making it an ideal device for books – with its Reader mode reducing eyestrain – gaming and movies. Multitasking is a breeze – Dual Window lets you split the screen to open your photo gallery and share in email side-by-side.

Consumers and businesses who purchase these devices from U.S. Cellular can choose the best monthly payment option to meet their needs – from 20, 24 or 30 monthly payments. For a limited time, anyone who switches to U.S. Cellular can get

a plan that includes 7 GB of data for only $49 – perfect for sharing data between the X Power and G Pad X II. In addition, customers who port their number from another carrier and trade in their device – even one with a cracked screen – can receive an unlimited buy-out of their current contract after they submit their final bill from their carrier.



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10 best new Android games of August 2016!

Android gaming is getting bigger and better every month it seems and there is always a slew of new titles coming to Google Play. Whether you're a casual gamer or you want something with a beat more meat on its bones, there's usually a game coming out to suit everyone's taste. Let's take a look at the best new Android games from the last month! You can watch the videos on YouTube from passed months by clicking here!


animation throwdown best new android gamesAnimation Throwdown

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Animation Throwdown is a fun little card game that features characters from a variety of cartoon TV shows. Your goal will be to collect various character cards and battle them against opponents. There is a PvP combat mode where you can face off against real people or you can take part in a 25 chapter campaign that features moments from the various TV shows featured in the game. It's a freemium title which isn't ideal, but if you can get passed that, it's a fun game to play for a while.

Download now on Google Play!

auralux constellations best new android gamesAuralux: Constellations

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Auralux: Constellations is a minimal real-time strategy game that puts you in the middle of a big space fight. You'll control planets and then send your attacks over to other planets to conquer them. The winner is the first person to control all of the planets. It features 150 levels, Android TV support, and online multiplayer. There are additional features for Nvidia Shield owners, including two free multiplayer maps and native 4K resolution. It's free to play with some additional stuff available as in-app purchases.

Download now on Google Play!

bulb boy best new android gamesBulb Boy

[Price: $2.49]
Bulb Boy is a point-and-click adventure game that has you playing as a little green light bulb named Bulb Boy. The premise is that he awakens from a nightmare and there are bad guys everywhere. Your goal will be to slay the bad guys and save the day. You'll use your powers to light up rooms, beat up bad guys, light up the darkness, and solve various puzzles. There are secrets galore and, best of all, it's a pay-once game with a cheap price tag.

Download now on Google Play!

hovercraft takedown best new android gamesHovercraft: Takedown

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Hovercraft: Takedown is a racing fighter where you'll be driving at high speeds while doing battle with bad guys. It's reminiscent of the old Road Rash series of games where you'll have a vehicle and weapons in order to take down opponents. This one features tons of customizations to your ride and your weaponry along with retro graphics, tons of glorious explosions, tons of loot, and more. About the only downside is that it's a freemium game, but it's still worth playing at least for a little while.

Download now on Google Play!

kerflux best new android gamesKerflux

[Price: Free / Up to $7.99]
Kerflux is a minimal puzzle game where you'll be lining up a bunch of different waves. The way it works is you have a few waves that you can move and you must do so in such a way that it matches up with the final wave. It sounds easy in practice but it does get quite difficult as you progress through the levels. The game is completely free to play with the in-app purchases representing optional donations you can pay to the developer if you want to. It should also work well on low end and older devices.

Download now on Google Play!

best non-freemium Android gamesSee also: 10+ best free Android games with no in app purchases36

lifeline crisis line best new android gamesLifeline: Crisis Line

[Price: $2.99 with in-app purchases]
Lifeline: Crisis Line is the latest game in the Lifeline franchise. For those who have never played, Lifeline is a text-based game where you read what's going on and then make decisions based on that. In Crisis Line, you'll play the role of a HelpText volunteer and you'll be helping a detective solve a particularly bizarre murder. There will be clues to discover, puzzles to solve, and people to interview. It's a pay once game but you can buy hints if you really need them.

Download now on Google Play!

orbit best new android gamesOrbit

[Price: Free / Up to $10]
Orbit is a gravity simulating puzzle game where you must make planets orbit around a focal point. As you progress, new mechanics are added in to make the game more difficult. The free version version of this game gives you 45 levels to complete and each level allows you to launch as many planets as you want. There is also a sandbox mode in the pro version that lets you create your own levels. The graphics are simple and minimal, but it's definitely a lot of fun.

Download now on Google Play!

particular best new android gamesParticular

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Particular is a platform runner where your goal will be to escape prison. It features minimal graphics, obstacles, and various other puzzles inside of each level to try to hinder your progress. You'll be asked to not just complete each stage, but to complete it within a certain time limit in order to master each level. There are 65 levels to play which should keep you busy for a while. This one is still struggling through some early release bugs, but it's also free to play so there's no harm in trying it out.

Download now on Google Play!

particular best new android games

titan hd best new android gamesTitan HD

[Price: $4.99]
Titan HD is a new board game for Android and it's a digital release of an already popular board game. In Titan HD, you'll be managing units, attacking opponents, and trying to take control of the game board. The board itself frequently changes for an added challenge. It supports between two and six players and you can play local (offline) multiplayer or online multiplayer if you'd like. It's a pay-once game with no in-app purchases and a fun experience if you like board games.

Download now on Google Play!

vg vulkan beta best new android gamesVainglory: Vulkan Beta

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Vainglory: Vulkan Beta is actually a variant of the same MOBA that we all know and love. The difference is that this version comes with Vulkan API baked right in. As many of you know, this is a feature in the latest release of Android and on some other devices. You'll need one of those devices to play this version of the game and there are some bugs because it is in beta. However, it should still work well for the most part if you want to try it out.

Download now on Google Play!

Related best app lists:

If we missed any great new Android games, tell us about them in the comments! To see our complete list of best app lists, click here.



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10 best new Android apps of August 2016!

App developers are pushing the envelope on a daily basis trying to improve and enhance our smartphone and tablet experiences. In fact, so many Android apps come out every day that it's difficult to keep track of them all. It's difficult to usurp the best of the best but if you're getting bored with what you've got and want to try something new, check out the best new Android apps from the last month! You can watch the videos from passed months by clicking here!


deskdock best new android appsDeskDock

[Price: Free / $5.49]
DeskDock is a unique Android app that allows you to share your mouse from your computer. Once you've connected your device using the app, you'll be able to move your mouse from your monitor straight over to your Android screen. You can think of it like making your Android device into another display. Along with mouse functions, you'll be able to copy and paste text between your two devices and more. Those who go pro will also be able to share their keyboard. It should also be compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Download now on Google Play!

fox sports vr best new android appsFox Sports VR

[Price: Free]
Fox Sports VR is a fun little app that lets you watch sports in VR. It puts you in a large VIP-style suite like you would get if you were an executive at a football stadium. You'll be able to watch live games on the TV inside of the set up. It works surprisingly well and you'll also have the ability to watch the game from various angles and views. The app is totally free, but you will need a cable provider login in order to watch any games.

Download now on Google Play!

fox sports vr best new android apps

google allo best new android appsGoogle Allo

[Price: Free]
Google Allo was released in September to heavily mixed reviews. On the one hand, Google Assistant is totally awesome and is capable of doing all kinds of things which you can utilize in any non-incognito chat. On the other hand, the app doesn't offer a whole lot of functionality just yet and some are concerned with Google logging conversations in non-incognito mode chats. It is worth noting that it's an early release and more features are definitely coming. For now, though, its a solid, if fairly basic messaging service. It's free to use if you want to check it out for yourself.

Download now on Google Play!

google trips best new android appsGoogle Trips

[Price: Free]
Google Trips is a travel app that can help you plan an entire trip from beginning to end. You'll have the ability to include things like your itinerary directly from Gmail along with any restaurant reservations and other plans you may have. Those who are traveling somewhere and don't know what to do can access a list of popular landmarks and tourist attractions that you can check out. It also includes an offline mode so you can check your plans even if you're somewhere without a Web connection. It's also completely free.

Download now on Google Play!

google trips best new android apps

muviz best new android appsMuviz

[Price: Free / $1.99]
Muviz is a nav bar customization app that puts music visualization right there on the nav bar. The way it work is you go in and turn it on and then put on some music. From there, you'll be able to see this visualization no matter what you're doing. Muviz also allows you to customize the visualizer by changing its shape and color. There is even an option to have it work on apps that may not use the nav bar properly like Google Chrome and Spotify. It's free to check out with the pro version going for $1.99.

Download now on Google Play!

samsung galaxy note 7 vs nexus 6p quick look aa-4See also: Best Android phones!543

navbar best new android appsNavbar Apps

[Price: Free / $0.99]
Navbar Apps is another nav bar customization tool that allows you to customize your navigation bar. It comes with a variety of options including images, solid colors, and you can even turn your nav bar into a battery gauge to see how much longer you have left. Perhaps the best part is that the app doesn't require root access but you will need a fairly recent version of Android in order to use it. You can get most of the features for free or fork out $0.99 for the pro version.

Download now on Google Play!

navbar apps best new android apps

nick jr best new Android appsNick Jr

[Price: Free]
Nick Jr released their official app this month and their programming is still about as good as it gets for kids. The app contains tons of clips, shows, games, and various other content from the network. However, in order to get most of it, you will be required to login with your cable provider. It is suffering from some early release bugs which should be kept in mind, but it'll no doubt be a solid app after a few more updates.

Download now on Google Play!

paper planes best new android appsPaper Planes

[Price: Free]
Paper Planes is a proof-of-concept app where you build paper airplanes and throw them into the Internet. The idea is that you put your location stamp on an airplane and then throw it. Someone else finds it, puts their stamp on it, and sends it out again. You can also catch planes thrown by other people and the location stamps show you where all of these planes went. It's not useful for anything in particular, but it's a fun little experience and interesting to see where the planes you catch come from.

Download now on Google Play!

paper planes best new android apps

swipe widget for facebook best new android appsSwipe Widget for Facebook

[Price: Free / Optional in-app purchases]
Swipe Widget for Facebook is from the same developer who did Swipe for Facebook which is one of the better third party Facebook apps out there. This is simply a collection of Facebook widgets that allow you to check out various things on Facebook. There are options for notifications, messages, and others. To top it off, you can even customize the widget to work better with your home screen. Most of the features are free with the pro version coming in the form on in-app purchases but you can decide how much you spend. The lowest available is $1.50.

Download now on Google Play!

swipe widget for facebook best new android apps

taskbar best new android appsTaskbar

[Price: Free / $1.99]
Taskbar is one of the most interesting Android apps released in September. It's a launcher that gives you a taskbar similar to what you would see on Windows or MacOS. You can launch apps from there quickly and easily. If you're running Android Nougat, the app can even open apps into windows. This isn't great for phones but it could be a lot of fun if you use it on a tablet. It's surprisingly fun to use and it's completely free. You can pay the $1.99 if you'd like to as a donation.

Download now on Google Play!

Related best app lists:

If we missed any great new Android apps, tell us about them in the comments! To see our complete list of best app lists, click here.



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