Xiaomi’s Christmas sales in India might be what you were waiting for

The company is offering decent price cuts on its smartphones, power banks, and much more during this holiday season. So if you're looking for a good deal on a Xiaomi device, the company's Very Mi Christmas might just be the perfect opportunity!

See also:

Xiaomi is a huge hit in India, but not everyone is happy

November 21, 2016

Xiaomi's Christmas sales have begun. In terms of smartphones, the Chinese tech company is offering a Rs 3,000 discount on its flagship the Mi 5. That brings the price down to Rs 19,999 this holiday season. The Mi Max is priced at Rs 14,999 for the lower configuration (3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage) and Rs 19,999 for the higher one (4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage). There are also others including the Redmi Note 3 or the Redmi 3S, all of which come with a free Hungama subscription.

Aside from smartphones, Xiaomi is probably best known for its power banks. I'm personally a huge fan of the company's offerings, and if you've been looking for a way to keep your phone last all day, this might come as good news. The 20,000 mAh Mi power bank is now Rs 600 cheaper, priced at Rs 1,899, and the 10,000 mAh variant is now just Rs 999.

And that's not all. The Mi Pro headphones are now Rs 200 cheaper, down to Rs 1,599 this holiday season, and if you're looking for an out-of-ear audio experience, the Mi Bluetooth speaker is Rs 2,499. The sales also include the company's official Redmi 3S and Note 3 flip cases, the Mi Band, band straps, the Mi USB fan, the Mi VR Play, and more, so be sure to check out the company's official website.

The sales also include the company's official Redmi 3S and Note 3 flip cases, the Mi Band, band straps, the Mi USB fan, the Mi VR Play, and more.

Will you be buying a Xiaomi device this holiday season? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment down below!

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2hcCdwK
via IFTTT

Hologram porn coming to your phone; start thanking CamSoda

Studies can't seem to agree on just how big porn is in America, but one thing is for sure: the industry is making bank! Everyone needs some sexy time, right? And the cool thing is the industry is known for adopting and pushing new technologies forward, and it's time for a new era. Today CamSoda is taking things to a whole other level by introducing hologram porn. They call it Holo-Cam.

More specifically, CamSoda wants to introduce holographic live cam content. This means you can either join one of the interactive live cam sessions or request a private 3D show (as long as the girl lives in the CamSoda house). Of course, these will have their cost, but they will host free weekly interactive show for the first month.

You will definitely need to get yourself a hologram pyramid display, which can be used with your smartphone, tablet or PC. Those can be purchased for real cheap online. It shouldn't be a problem to find one.

"We're thrilled to announce the launch of Holo-Cam, which allows users to interact with cam girls in an immersive experience like never before. Now users can interact with cam models right in their very own environment by beaming a live cam girl through their own phone/tablet. This is a huge milestone not only for us but the industry at large, and we're excited to be leading the charge. We encourage our fans to check out the Holo-Cam shows over at CamSoda." – Daron Lundeen, President at CamSoda

CamSoda will be showcasing this technology at the yearly AVN Adult Entertainment Expo. This takes place in Vegas during January 18-21. The company will have demo hologram content from famous porn stars like Gianna Michaels, Tori Black, Teagan Presley, Brandi Love and others.

We won't ask who is interested or who will be signing up, but the comments section is there in case you want to share any thoughts!

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2hVL0lm
via IFTTT

Acer pulls out of the world’s second largest smartphone market

We should've seen this coming, to be honest. India has surpassed the US to become the second largest smartphone market in in the world, and that's why so many manufacturers have been flocking to the country. The competition has increased dramatically, and without a proper grasp of the particularities of the Indian market, you're bound to be forced out of the playing field. And that's exactly what happened to Acer.

See also:

Huawei reiterates the importance of India's emerging market for the company

4 weeks ago

India has over a billion people, and the use of smartphones among those people is increasing at a rapid rate. 4G is finally replacing 3G, and as the demand for affordable smartphones skyrockets, especially among the nation's youths, major manufacturers have been rushing to get in on the action. However, when you have electronics giants battling to remain pertinent, it's inevitable that some will be pushed out of the game.

Acer's presence in India may have a relatively long history – after all, the company started selling smartphones there six years ago – but the Taiwanese company has announced that it will be pulling out of the Indian market, at least for now. With Chinese OEMs dominating the market, even big names like Samsung and Apple seem to be struggling to stay competitive. And given Acer's range of products (or the lack thereof), closing its businesses in India may make sense.

As Harish Kohli, Acer India's managing director, explains, India's nascent market is very much price-centric. Affordability, in many cases, supersedes functionality:

Today, mobiles have become a commodity from a price-point basis, rather than an experience basis. There are very few products based on experience. When you are into that kind of a space, it is a decision you need to take, whether to produce a quality product and bleed or just copy others and make a product for a particular price-point.

Interestingly, Kohli also adds that because of the government's Make in India initiative, larger electronics brands find it harder to compete in the market. That may be true and could explain why corporations like Samsung and Apple have been performing poorly compared to companies like Huawei or Xiaomi (that is, in addition to the obvious price difference).

However, in Acer's case, a lot of it has to do with its understanding of the Indian market. The successful brands – Vivo or Huawei – have been taking advantage of so-called flash sales, something that have worked well with Indian consumers for quite some time. Acer, on the other hand, didn't do much to attract online consumers. That lack of a clear grasp of the unique characteristics of the Indian market may have been the primary cause behind Acer's withdrawing from the world's second largest smartphone market.

However, in Acer's case, a lot of it has to do with its understanding of the Indian market.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2idkDdv
via IFTTT

Flashtool update includes Android 7.0 Nougat support

No one will blame you if you haven't heard of Flashtool. This is because the software only supports Sony devices (Xperia Z10 to Xperia Z Ultra), and it is only relevant to tinkerers. The helpful tool can be used to unlock bootloaders and flash custom ROMs. It cool can be really easy and convenient, but until today it didn't have support for Nougat, Android's latest version.

See also:

Android 7.0 Nougat review

October 21, 2016

Today Flashtool gets upgraded to version 0.9.23.0, which does include compatibility with Android Nougat. And while that is the most exciting improvement in this update, there are a few other things to enjoy. These include TA raw backup for devices exploitable by the dirtycow vulnerability, a more accurate USB log parse, a notice that will inform you whether you can use Flashtool Script and more. You can see the changelog here.

0.9.23.0 is out :) it supports Nougat

— Androxyde (@Androxyde) December 21, 2016

Ready to download? Just keep in mind tinkering with your smartphone's software can harm your device and/or void your warranty. The team does mention C4, C5 and M5 devices could be bricked when using this tool. Just be careful and do your research before attempting anything. If this disclaimer doesn't scare you, the download link is right below.

Download Flashtool

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2heWnrn
via IFTTT

Google looking into reported issues with Pixel’s Double-tap to wake feature

If you own either the Google Pixel or Pixel XL, and have had issues getting the smartphone's Double-tap to wake feature to work regularly, you are apparently not alone. Google is now looking into a number of reports that claim the popular feature is not working consistently.

See also:

Best Google Pixel and Pixel XL cases

November 7, 2016

Some of those online reports claim that the feature has issues when the Pixel is in its Doze power saving mode, with the Double-tap feature working only after owners move the phone slightly. 9to5Google reports there is a small workaround that allows Double-tap to engage more accurately if the owner changes the Pixel's lock time to 'immediately' after sleep.

In any case, it appears that Google knows there is a problem with the Pixel's Double-tap feature. A company product manager has confirmed that the team is "working towards a future fix." Hopefully that can be made available soon.

In the meantime, if you do own a Pixel or Pixel XL, have you experienced any issues with getting the Double-tap to wake feature to work on your device? If that's the case, feel free to let us know and post your impressions in the comments, along with if the workaround actually does work for you.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2ihgrp9
via IFTTT

Latest Fitbit Charge 2 update adds workout pause, do not disturb mode, and more

We're big fans of the recently released Fitbit Charge 2, as we indicated in our recent review. Today, Fitbit gave owners of the device a nice early holiday present with a firmware update that brings several much-requested new features.

See also:

Fitbit Charge 2 vs Garmin vívosmart HR+

1 week ago

Perhaps the most handy new feature in this update is the ability to pause a workout at any time, right from the Charge 2. All you need to do is press the button on the side of your device while you're in a workout, and your Charge 2 will pause your workout. Pressing on the same button again resumes the mode. We're not sure why this feature wasn't available previously, but we're sure happy it's here now.

A new guided breathing feature is also available when the tracker is in Relax mode. When you look away from the Charge 2 or just close your eyes, it can create a vibration that is supposed to tell you when you can inhale and exhale.

The Fitbit Charge 2's firmware update also brings two ways to turn off all notifications in its new Do Not Disturb feature (yes!). You can activate DnD mode by holding down the side button when the device shows its main clock face. You can also activate it by pressing the side button until you're at the notifications screen, then pressing and holding it until your notifications are turned off.

The update also brings enhancements to the Charge 2's heart rate sensor. Users will now be able to see which heart rate zones (fat burn, cardio, or peak) they're in during a fitness session.

In addition, the Charge 2 is getting a dedicated battery life screen, as well as a new clock face that shows the hour, minute and seconds.

Finally, Charge 2 owners will notice some other improvements, such as being able to view workout recaps up to one hour after they are finished, along with a plus sign indicator if you have more than one notification to check out. If a caller doesn't show up in your contact list, the device will show that number as coming from an "unknown" source.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2iclkE0
via IFTTT

Google Drive adds annual payment options for bigger discounts on storage

Sometimes you know you want to keep a lot of cloud storage on hand, but don't want to fool around with paying for it month to month. Thankfully, Google is adding new payment options to two of its Google Drive storage tiers that will allow users to pay with one annual fee.

See also:

Best free Android apps

3 weeks ago

The new annual payment options are only available, at least for now, for the 100GB and 1TB tiers in Google Drive. You can pay just $19.99 a year for the 100GB tier, which saves you 16 percent versus paying at $1.99 a month. The 1TB option is also available for $99.99 a year, a 17-percent savings compared to its normal $9.99 a month plan.

So far, Google has not yet extended these annual payment plans to the other Google Drive storage tiers. They are already pretty expensive with their current monthly options, with the 10TB tier costing $99.99 a month, the 20TB tier costing $199.99 a month and the big 30TB option costing a whopping $299.99 a month.

Just for comparison's sake, you can also get 1TB of cloud storage on Dropbox for $99.99 a year, or you can get the same amount on Microsoft's OneDrive service for as low as $69.99 a year if you sign up for Office 365 Personal.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2i2whEW
via IFTTT