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mercredi 16 novembre 2016

Android 7.0 Nougat update for the HTC 10 is “close” according to @LlabTooFeR

HTC 10 UI

HTC 10 UI

According to noted HTC leaker @LlabTooFeR, the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the HTC 10 is close to being released. The ROM developer tweeted today to say that the current EU build (meaning: unlocked international version) is stable and posted several screenshots of the new firmware.

See also:

Android Nougat review: an Android version for Android fans

4 weeks ago

The screenshots show HTC's Sense interface hasn't changed much since Marshmallow, but Nougat is clearly in effect, as evidenced by the six mini Quick Settings toggles in the notifications shade, new top level layout in the Quick Settings (which includes Night Mode), and a more compact Settings menu and home screen layout that fits more on screen, which is likely a result of Nougat's screen DPI settings.

android-7-0-nougat-update-htc-10-sense-8-0

android-7-0-nougat-update-htc-10-sense-8-0

@LlabTooFeR previously tweeted to say the HTC 10 Nougat update was due either at the end of November or in early December. While that timeframe may not have changed, if the ROM is stable already we might see the official update roll out sooner rather than later. There's no word yet on a U.S. carrier-branded release or whether or when the HTC One M9 will get Nougat.
android-7-0-nougat-update-htc-10-sense-8-0-quick-settings

android-7-0-nougat-update-htc-10-sense-8-0-quick-settings

What is your favorite Nougat feature? What could HTC add to make the HTC 10 even better?



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BMW and SK Telecom reveal world’s first 5G car

aa-5g-connected-car

aa-5g-connected-car

This article originally appeared on our sister site, Charged.

BMW Korea and SK Telecom, a South Korean telecommunications operator, have introduced the world's first 5G connected car. Known as the T5, the vehicle can recognize road conditions like accidents and heavy traffic in just 0.1 seconds, and can relay UHD video in real-time over a 5G network.

The T5 was introduced at a BMW driving center in Incheon, South Korea, to explore the possibilities of state-of-the-art camera technology and 5G connectivity. The 5G coverage spans all of the driving tracks inside the BMW driving center, which cover 240,000 square meters, and supports "more than 20 Gbps peak data rates" with "sub-millisecond latency", according to SK Telecom.

See also:

Android Auto is rolling out for all Android phones to expand its reach to more cars

1 week ago

Connected cars make use of internet access to gather real-time information which can, among other things, improve road safety; they can communicate with each other and interpret information from the environment. 5G technology, which succeeds 4G/LTE mobile connectivity, is expected to greatly extend the possibilities of connected cars, but it's unlikely to be commercially available until 2020.

"5G will offer much more than just faster data speeds. It will serve as a true enabler for a whole new variety of powerful services," said Alex Jinsung Choi, CTO and Head of Corporate R&D division at SK Telecom. "Today's demonstration of 5G-based connected car technologies marks the very first step towards achieving fully autonomous driving in the upcoming era of 5G," he added.

In related news, Huawei announced today that it had conducted the world's first large-scale 5G trial in partnership DOCOMO – learn more about that at the link.



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Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 smartwatch will work with all Android 4.4+ devices

Back at IFA 2016, Samsung recently announced the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier smartwatches. In addition to the built-in GPS, IP68 rating, optical heart rate sensor and other bells and whistles, the devices also support Samsung Pay, the payment service that turns your smartwatch into a wallet.

For those of you who are thinking of picking up a Gear S3 and see yourself using Samsung's mobile payment system, we have some good news. According to a recent post on Reddit, Samsung Pay has been confirmed to work on the Gear S3 when paired with any – not just Samsung's — smartphone running Android 4.4 and above.

See also:

Android Pay vs Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay Overview

April 27, 2016

It looks like the South Korean tech giant has delivered on its promise to offer its payment service to all users, and not just those using their devices. From a business perspective, that obviously makes a lot of sense.

Samsung is trying to gain traction in a highly lucrative market where it competes with the likes of Apple and Google. And by continuing to limit the service to its own customer base, it wouldn't be doing itself any favors. Especially considering that LG will also be entering the market soon with LG Pay.

If you are interested in getting your hands on Samsung's latest smartwatch, we suggest you head over to their website for a great Black Friday Deal. Samsung is offering the Gear S3 Frontier for $299,99, which is 50 bucks off its regular retail price. The deal starts on Sunday, November 20th.

So, what do you guys think? Does the option of using Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 with any Android device (4.4+) make you want to buy one? Let us know in the comment section below.



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Which Fitbit is right for you? (November 2016)

Fitbit, currently one of the most well-known names in the fitness tracking world, has seven different trackers on sale right now. Which one is right for you? Should you pick up one of the new fashion-forward devices like the Alta or Blaze, or should you consider an older one like the Surge or Charge 2?

With devices ranging anywhere from $60-$250, there's certainly a wide range of options from which to choose. So with that said, read on to find out which Fitbit is right for you.

Related:

The best fitness trackers

6 days ago
Update, November 2016: This month we removed the Fitbit Charge HR from our list to make room for the Charge 2.

Upcoming

Fitbit Flex 2

Fitbit Flex 2_Lineup

Fitbit Flex 2_Lineup

Unveiled alongside the Charge 2, Fitbit's new Flex 2 brings a swim-proof design and a focus on fashion. It's also the successor to the super popular Fitbit Flex from 2013. We're currently working on our full review, and we can't wait to tell you all about this new wearable.

Be sure to head to our official announcement post to get all the details, or follow the Amazon link below to get one for yourself!

Buy now from Amazon

Best all-around Fitbit device

Fitbit Charge 2

Fitbit Charge 2 review AA 9Fitbit Charge 2 review AA 9

If you're buying a fitness tracker in this price range, it's hard not to consider the Charge 2.

It's clear Fitbit really focused on design when making the Charge 2. This device not only looks more like a piece of jewelry and less like a standard fitness tracker this time around, you also have the option to change out the bands if you'd like.

The Charge 2 also has a bigger display this time, meaning you get more room for smartphone notifications. Plus, Fitbit also introduced a few new features to the Charge 2 that should help users stay healthy and relaxed overtime: Cardio Fitness Level, which will give you a cardiovascular rating based on an estimate of your VO2 Max, and Relax, a new on-device guided breathing feature that will walk you through short breathing exercises to help you lower blood pressure, reduce stress and lessen anxiety.

Overall, it's an all-around great fitness tracker, especially considering its $150 price point.

Buy the Fitbit Charge 2 from Amazon

Best all-around Fitbit device (runner up)

Fitbit Alta

Fitbit Alta review AA 2Fitbit Alta review AA 2

This is the Fitbit you should buy if you don't need a heart rate monitor.

Fitbit released two new products this year — the Blaze and the Alta. With a fashion-forward design, these two products mark the beginning of a more stylish future for the company. The Alta, in particular, looks great with just a silicone band, but you can also buy a metal or leather band separately if you'd like it to look a little more high end.

More: Fitbit Alta review

Aside from looks, the Alta comes with all the same activity tracking features as the other devices on this list. It doesn't have a heart rate monitor, though, nor does it have a GPS. So what makes it so special? While it doesn't have a ton of extras, this is one of the best all-around trackers on our list. It's great at just about everything — step, distance, calorie and sleep tracking. It also comes with a big display that's incredibly easy to read in outdoor light, which is a huge plus in our book.

Buy now from Amazon

Everything but the kitchen sink

Fitbit Surge

Fitbit Surge AAFitbit Surge AA

Need a Fitbit with GPS tracking, heart rate monitoring and much more? The Surge may be your best bet.

Instead of calling it a simple fitness tracker, Fitbit refers to the Surge as a fitness super watch… and that's not actually too far off. It features a touchscreen display, continuous heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking capabilities, music control and notifications and all the other fitness tracking features other Fitbit devices have. It might be a little big for some folks out there, but if you want something with this many features and are serious about tracking your workouts, the Surge will definitely do the trick.

You can find the Fitbit Surge on Amazon for a little over $200 nowadays. And considering the price of other GPS-enabled devices out there, this is pretty much a steal.

Buy now from Amazon

Best for notifications

Fitbit Blaze

Fitbit Blaze review AA 7Fitbit Blaze review AA 7

The Blaze might not be our favorite Fitbit device out there, but it's still darn good at a handful of things.

This is Fitbit's most smartwatch-y device on the market. It has a touchscreen display, interchangeable bands, and it arguably looks more like a smartwatch than it does a fitness tracker. It can also feed you notifications from your smartphone via Bluetooth. You can get call, text and calendar notifications, though you aren't able to get Facebook, Twitter, email or basically anything else. Not that anyone needs Twitter mentions on their wrists when they're on a run, but the option would be nice, at least.

More: Fitbit Blaze review

Other than notifications, the Blaze does a lot of other things right. It'll get you 5 days of battery on a single charge, features a display that's bright and clear enough to see outdoors, and it's comfortable enough to wear all day. There are also leather and metal band options if you're looking to wear it to work or out to dinner.

Buy now from Amazon

Best on a budget

Fitbit One

Fitbit One pressFitbit One press

Aren't interested in a wrist-mounted Fitbit? The One is for you.

Announced way back in September 2012, the Fitbit One is definitely not the newest out there. It still has some notable features, though, and the price is under $100 — perfect for those interested in testing the fitness tracking waters. It sports a clip design that allows the device to be clipped pretty much anywhere. Whether it's on your shirt, bra, in your pocket or on your belt, the One should stay put no matter what you do throughout the day.

The Fitbit One can track your steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, floors climbed, active minutes and even your sleep. It has a built-in silent alarm, too. Fitbit is offering the One for about $100, but you can find it on Amazon for about $75 these days.

Buy now from Amazon

It should also be noted that Fitbit also has another budget-friendly device called the Zip. The Zip is another clip on device, but doesn't have sleep tracking, a silent alarm, nor can it track your floors climbed. It's also not too much cheaper than the One, which is why we decided not to feature this device on our list.


So there you have it — our guide to all things Fitbit! Are we missing something? Have you tried Fitbit products in the past? If so, what are your experiences? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!



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Amazon officially kicks off its massive Black Friday sale

amazon-underground-app-icon-samsung-galaxy-s7-edge

amazon-underground-app-icon-samsung-galaxy-s7-edge

As you've probably heard, Amazon is doing Black Friday a little differently this year. Rather than just offering deals on November 25 and the Monday following, Amazon has 35 days of deals available, starting today and ending on December 22.

There's a massive list of the best deals available here, but do note that they aren't all live now. There will be a steady stream of new deals going live as often as every five minutes, so be prepared to have a permanent Amazon tab open in your browser or download the Amazon shopping app from Google Play.

Amazon does note that "many of the best Black Friday deals on Amazon heat up during the 'Turkey 5' – those five popular days of online shopping starting on Thanksgiving Day and continuing through Cyber Monday". So if you want to avoid completely destroying your bank balance, you may want to restrict your impulse shopping to that time period.

amazon-black-friday-deals

amazon-black-friday-deals

Some of the nicest deals on offer include big savings on various Kindles and Fire tablets, $40 off the Amazon Echo and more Amazon gear reductions. If you're in the market for a new TV there's plenty on offer from the likes of Samsung, Sony and LG. There's also a bunch of discounts on toys, tools, kitchen appliances, pet products, video games, sports equipment and of course: books.

Stay tuned for our mammoth roundup of all the best Black Friday deals from around the internet.



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Uber’s “misrepresentation” of its service may get its apps banned in Taiwan

Uber icon

Uber icon

If you asked the average man on the street what Uber is, nine times out of ten they'd tell you it's a transportation service. I suspect very few – if any at all – would tell you it's an internet-based technology platform. But that seems to be the tax-dodging wool Uber is trying to pull over Taiwan's eyes. But Taiwan isn't having any of it and is planning to ask both Google and Apple to pull all Uber apps from their respective Taiwanese app stores.

See also:

Uber starts rolling out a simpler design for its Android app

2 weeks ago

Taiwan's government has already accused Uber of misrepresenting its services in the country and ordered it to pay back taxes as a transportation company. Uber claims it is in compliance with all local regulations and is refusing to pay up. Taiwan's not buying the story and will now attempt to have Uber's apps banned.

Liang Guo-guo, a spokesman for Taiwan's Directorate General of Highways, told Reuters that "Uber has not done what it says it will do, so we are looking at another way by requesting its apps be removed from Apple and Google (app stores)". The move would not only affect the ride-hailing app, but also UberEATS.

Uber has not done what it says it will do, so we are...requesting its apps be removed from Apple and Google (app stores).

While there would be nothing to stop Taiwanese locals from sideloading the Uber app, having it removed from the official Google Play and Apple app store would put a dent in Uber's expansionist ambitions in the island nation. Sideloading would deny users the benefits of automatic updates as issued by Apple and Google's app stores, as well as increasing the risk of users installing malicious apps posing as Uber APKs.

Taiwanese police have already begun issuing fines to Uber riders delivering food for UberEATS customers and suspending licenses for between two to six months. The murky legality of Uber's status in Taiwan may temporarily shield them though, with Google indicating to Reuters that it will only remove apps that are illegal in nature.

Uber is under scrutiny in several other Asian countries for similar claims of misrepresentation.

Do you think Uber is being sneaky? Would you sideload Uber if it were banned in your country?



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Download the OnePlus 3T wallpapers from the artist who designed them

android-authority-one-plus-3t-wallpapers

android-authority-one-plus-3t-wallpapers

OnePlus announced the OnePlus 3T yesterday and with it arrived some colorful new wallpapers. Hampus Olsson, the artist who created them, has subsequently uploaded them to his blog for everybody to enjoy.

Olsson has collaborated with OnePlus on wallpapers for all its devices from the OnePlus 2 onward, following an accidental meeting with OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei in Goa.

His latest creations were developed while he was on vacation in Europe. After working on paintings in Paris, Olsson said he flew to Berlin where he spent most of his free time Cafés "cutting, pasting, morphing, wrapping the pieces together to the final digital wallpapers" which eventually shipped with the device.

android-authority-one-plus-3t-wallpapers22

android-authority-one-plus-3t-wallpapers22

You want to check out the full collection of wallpapers over at Olsson's website.

Find out everything we know so far about the OnePlus 3T at the link, and if you're interested in learning more about how Olsson got the OnePlus wallpaper gig, head to the OnePlus Blog.



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