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mardi 1 novembre 2016

‘OK Google, Lumos Maxima!’: turn your phone into a wand with Google

Google Search teaser

With Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them set to be released this month, at least in the US, we will get another chance to return to J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World. And with a little help from Google, you can now experience this magical world by turning your phone into a wand or visiting the Magical Congress of the USA on Google Maps.

You can simply say, "OK Google" on your Android phone to summon Google Search and cast your spell. For instance, "Lumos" or "Lumos Maxima" will turn your flashlight on, and you can turn it off with "Nox." Or you can say "Silencio" in order to – yes, you guessed right – silence your phone (I've tried "Wingardium Leviosa" with no success. Do let me know if you guys find another spell that works!).

But that's not all. In addition to turning your phone into a magical wand, the search giant will also take you back in time: to New York in 1926 to be precise. That's when the film takes place, and I have to say, Google has done a tremendous job with this one. You can visit major locations from the film as well as explore the city in Street View:

Fans can visit MACUSA (Magical Congress of the USA); Steen National Bank, where Newt first meets Jacob Kowalski; the underground speakeasy The Blind Pig; and the magical apartment of Tina and Queenie Goldstein, two of the film's key characters.

Once Google's Daydream View VR headset becomes available some time this month, you will also be able to explore Newt's case, filled with magic spells and puzzles that will allow you to retrieve all the escaped creatures. If texting is more of your thing, don't worry because Fantastic Beasts inspired stickers are coming to Google Allo.

What do you think about Google's new promotion? Excited for Fantastic Beasts? Let us know by leaving a comment down below!

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Xiaomi’s Mi Note 2 sells out in just 50 seconds

xiaomi-mi-note-2-hands-on-first-look-aa-18

Xiaomi's latest smartphone, the Mi Note 2, reportedly sold out 50 seconds after it launched earlier today in China. The new phablet, which features a curved display similar to the Galaxy Note 7, was available through a flash sale on Xiaomi's official website for those who had pre-registered to buy the device. This would make the Mi Note 2 one of the fastest Xiaomi phones to sell out ever.

While such a fast sell out is no mean feat, it's true that Xiaomi's phones regularly sell out quickly, as it forms part of Xiaomi's hunger-marketing sales strategy. Essentially, Xiaomi always aims to supply less than what the market wants and the (simplified) result is decreased inventory and shipping costs, and increased demand.

xiaomi-mi-note-2-hands-on-first-look-aa-12

We caught our first glimpse of the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 at its Beijing launch event on October 25. The handset features a 5.7-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 821 processor and 4 or 6 GB or RAM. We had the chance to go hands-on with the Mi Note 2 later and our initial impressions were positive.

This was Xiaomi's first flash sale for the Mi Note 2, with the second expected to occur on November 8. Meanwhile, Xiaomi's Mi MIX – which also grabbed headlines at Xiaomi's recent launch event thanks to its eye-catching near bezel-less design – will go on sale on November 4. It's possible that it will sell out equally fast.

Is the Mi Note 2 on your radar? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

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Asus ZenPad 3S 10 coming to the US, possibly for $299

At IFA 2016, Asus showed off its high-end Android tablet called the ZenPad 3S 10. With its 4:3 aspect ratio, aluminum body with a thickness of only 5.5 mm and the "world's thinnest bezel", it offers a great alternative to Apple's iPad Air for the Android crowd. According to Asus North America, the ZenPad 3S 10 will launch Stateside "this month".

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro with Google’s Tango 3D camera now on sale with over 35 AR apps

Lenovo PHAB2 6

After years of waiting, the first smartphone with Google's Tango 3D mapping camera, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, is finally on sale to the public. The phone, which costs $499.99 unlocked, also comes with over 35 augmented reality apps in the Google Play Store that work specifically with the Tango camera.

The 6.4-inch Lenovo Phab 2 Pro has a 2560×1400 display, and inside you'll find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage, along with an 8MP front-facing camera, with Android 6.0 Marshmallow holding it all together on the software side. However, the most unique feature of the phone is the 16MP Tango-based rear camera, which Google developed for years under the code name "Project Tango". It has a depth sensor that can "see" its outside surroundings and create detailed 3D maps that could be used for augmented reality games apps and more.

hot-wheels-project-tango

As you might expect, many of the apps that work with the Tango camera are games. In a blog post, Google points out some of the more interesting Tango-supported titles, One of them is Hot Wheels Track Builder, which lets kids (and their parents) build virtual Hot Wheels tracks that appear in the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro to be in their living room. Players can race their Hot Wheels cars in these AR tracks.

Get it at Google Play

lowes-vision-tango

Not all of the Tango-based apps are game related. There are a few that actually help get some real work done. An example of this is the Lowe's Vision app from the well-known home products retailer. The app allows owners of the Phab 2 Pro to measure rooms in their house to see if they can put in new furniture and appliances. That info can be saved and shared so the home owner can go to their nearest Lowe's to get the right products for their house.

Get it at Google Play

Since this Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is the first smartphone with Google's Tango technology, it will be interesting to see how many consumers decide to buy the phone, even with its unlocked higher price. The phone's listing shows that shipments will arrive in about four to five weeks, which means the first units may not get to buyers until early December.

Do you think that AR-based camera like the one on the Phab 2 Pro will become more popular on smartphones in the near future? For even more details on all the great apps that are coming out, be sure to head over to the official blog post from Google.

Get it at Lenovo

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Googler explains why Nexus phones won’t get Pixel fingerprint gestures

nexus 6p vs nexus 5x aa (14 of 25)

The grand conspiracy to leave Nexus owners high and dry when it comes to fancy new Google Pixel features like fingerprint gestures has finally been exposed. But as with most conspiracies, the explanation is far more pedestrian than the conspiracy nuts would have you believe.

Far from an elaborate scheme to force Nexus owners into the more expensive realm of Pixel phones, the simple answer seems to be that bringing fingerprint gestures to the existing Nexus devices just wasn't a priority at Google, even though it is apparently "doable".

google pixel xl initial review aa (18 of 48) fingerprint nexus imprint

In case you need a little refresher on the whole thing, a while back it became evident that the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X likely wouldn't get the fingerprint swipe gestures included on the Google Pixel phones. Googler Ian Lake told disappointed Nexus fans on Google+ that:

The fingerprint swipe requires specific hardware which unfortunately is not present on the Nexus 5X and 6P AFAIK.

That "AFAIK" at the end is critical here. Unfortunately, Lake's "missing hardware" speculation was taken to be fact and when teardowns later revealed that the 6P/5X and Pixel phones used the exact same fingerprint scanner, Reddit blew up with outlandish claims of Google lying to its customers.

google pixel xl vs nexus 6p quick look aa-6

Lake has now come out and explained, apparently only to Android Police, that it is not a hardware issue (as he erroneously speculated), but a firmware issue, admitting that "same hardware doesn't mean same capabilities, alas." The Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X simply use older firmware than the Pixel phones which doesn't support swipe gestures.

Updating the firmware used and HAL and some other stuff will take some effort. Doable.

Firmware is indeed updatable, but as a Pixel kernel developer noted on Reddit a week and a half ago: "bullhead and angler use similar hardware but older versions of firmware that don't have gesture support. Updating the firmware used and HAL and some other stuff will take some effort. Doable."

While this is far from a guarantee that the Google team will update the firmware on the 6P and 5X to support swipe gestures, it does indicate that it is at least possible – if Google deems it worthwhile.

GOOGLE PIXEL PHONES:

However, updating the firmware of hardware components isn't a walk in the park and Google may very well stick to its apparent position that an update is out of the question. This might change if enough people demand it, but it just as easily might not. If it would take too much time, effort or money to achieve you can see why Google might pass on it.

If the update would take too much time, effort or money to achieve you can see why Google might pass on it.

What's important to note here though is that, just like the original comment, none of this is officially from Google. If a Googler makes an "AFAIK" comment on social media it should not be taken as an official statement from Google.

When the inevitable petition springs up on this issue, I'd suggest you sign it, if for no other reason than you will make your feelings known. Just don't bank on Google doing anything about it. In the meantime, seek solace in the fact that there is a clever workaround available.

Do you think Google should make the effort to deliver scanner gestures to Nexus phones?

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Amazon launches curated holiday gift guides and Black Friday deals store

amazon-curated-gift-guide

Amazon has launched a selection of curated holiday gift guides and a dedicated Black Friday deals store in preparation for the holiday season. The deals store will be home to "thousands" of sales between now and December 22, while the curated gift guides will help customers find the right products for them.

The Black Friday Deals page is what Amazon calls its "leading deals destination" for customers – this is where its thousands of site-wide sales are displayed. Amazon says it will deliver as many as 20 "Deals of the Day" products in a single day and new offers could arrive to the store as frequently as every five minutes.

Meanwhile, Amazon's curated lists cover a number of categories like Electronics, Home, and Handmade, providing a tailor-made space for Amazon-selected items. The electronics guide features more than 500 gifts across 10 subsections including Smart Home, Wearables, Photography, Gaming and Gadgets, plus it provides "expert reviews and product demonstration videos" for certain items. The methodology behind how it curated the lists and prioritized products isn't made clear in the press material.

Amazon is also providing Alexa support for the first time this year. Exclusive to Prime members, customers will be able to ask Alexa about current deals and make complete purchases through Alexa-enabled devices.

Last week, Amazon posted its Q3 2016 financial results, reporting a 29 percent increase in net sales against the previous year, reaching $32.7 billion in Q3 2016, compared to $25.4 billion in Q3 2015.

Amazon listed a number of its achievements this year in its announcement but its founder and CEO Jeff Bezos highlighted Alexa as one of its most successful ventures. "Alexa may be Amazon's most loved invention yet — literally – with over 250,000 marriage proposals from customers and counting," he said, referring to the number of people who have asked its voice-enabled digital assistant to marry them.

You can view the items currently on sale at Amazon here. Let us know in the comments what's worth checking out.

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The super-affordable Meizu M5 is official

meizu-m5

Meizu is one of those Chinese manufacturers worth keeping an eye on. The company is best known for offering well-built devices with an excellent price–performance ratio, following the same basic recipe that made several other Chinese OEMs into household names. Meizu is already quite successful on its home turf but so far hasn't been able to make a real impact in North America or in Europe.