Yahoo makes its Livetext app official for the US, four more countries

Earlier this month we saw a new mobile app by Yahoo go live in the iTunes App Store in a few markets - namely Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Ireland. And now the company is ready to launch Livetext in five additional countries.

This is notable because the US and the UK are among those, as are Canada, Germany, and France. So for many people this will be the first time they can use the app. That said, intentionally limiting a new app's geographical reach like this is a bit baffling.

Livetext pairs one-to-one text messages with a video live stream, as showcased in the screenshots above and the video presentation below. You chat with your friends as you would in other messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, or Facebook Messenger. But what's unique here is that the text is overlaid onto a live video stream from the person you're talking to.

Windows 10 is here, free as promised

The wait is finally over and as promised today is the day Windows 10 finally rolls out to eligible PC's. Chances are that like most Windows users you are in line to receive the next big OS version which is free of charge!

If you are on a Windows 7 or 8.1 PC just look in the bottom right corner and it will most likely it will all come back to you. Yes, that little update notification logo has been sitting there for quite some time now but today the rollout finally started. And if you opt to update in the next year or so, then Windows 10 is absolutely free.

German regulator says Facebook can't force users to use real names

A German privacy watchdog has said that Facebook cannot force users to use their real name on the social networking website. In addition, the Hamburg data protection authority also said that the company cannot ask users to provide an official ID.

Google Now on Android lets you speak your WhatsApp or Viber messages

Ever since it launched on Android, Google Now has allowed you to send texts with your voice. But so far this has used Hangouts, Google's default texting application on Android. Up until today you have not been able to use Google Now's voice recognition features to send messages to your contacts on WhatsApp, Viber, or other third-party apps.

Now though you can do just that. The new feature currently works with WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, Telegram, and NextPlus.

To send a message in one of these apps by using your voice, simply say something like "OK Google, send a WhatsApp message to Joe" - after which you will be asked to dictate the contents of that message.

Twitter updates its iOS app with interactive notifications

Twitter's iOS app has received an update, bumping it to version 6.33. The update brings along a couple of new features, including support for interactive notifications and the ability to access saved drafts while composing a tweet.

The interactive notifications that the update brings "let you engage on Twitter while using other apps," the company says. The alerts now feature new buttons, allowing you to easily favorite or reply to a tweet - this is all thanks to the new APIs Apple introduced with iOS 8.

Meizu m2 Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Available. Released 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 140.1 x 68.9 x 8.7 mm (5.52 x 2.71 x 0.34 in)
Weight 131 g (4.62 oz)
SIM Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~71.4% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Dragon Trail Glass
  - Flyme 4.5

Motorola Moto X Style Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, September
BODY Dimensions 153.9 x 76.2 x 11.1 mm (6.06 x 3.00 x 0.44 in)
Weight 179 g (6.31 oz)
SIM Nano-SIM
  - Water repellant nano-coating (IP52 certified)
DISPLAY Type Capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.7 inches (~74.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1440 x 2560 pixels (~520 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

OnePlus 2 Specifications

Also known as OnePlus Two
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, August
BODY Dimensions 151.8 x 74.9 x 9.9 mm (5.98 x 2.95 x 0.39 in)
Weight 175 g (6.17 oz)
SIM Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
  - Fingerprint sensor
DISPLAY Type LTPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.5 inches (~73.3% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 4
  - Oxygen UI

Cat S40 Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, August
BODY Dimensions 144.9 x 74.1 x 12.5 mm (5.70 x 2.92 x 0.49 in)
Weight 185 g (6.53 oz)
SIM Nano-SIM
  - IP68 certified - dust and water proof (up to 1m for 60 mins)
- Drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.8 m
- MIL-STD-810G certified - salt, dust, humidity, rain, vibration, solar radiation, transport and thermal shock resistant
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 4.7 inches (~56.7% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 540 x 960 pixels (~234 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 4

Motorola Moto X Play Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, August
BODY Dimensions 148 x 75 x 10.9 mm (5.83 x 2.95 x 0.43 in)
Weight 169 g (5.96 oz)
SIM Optional Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
  - Water repellant nano-coating (IP52 certified)
DISPLAY Type Capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.5 inches (~74.4% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels (~403 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Motorola Moto G (3rd gen) Specifications

Also known as Motorola Moto G (Gen 3), Motorola Moto G3
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Available. Released 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 142.1 x 72.4 x 11.6 mm (5.59 x 2.85 x 0.46 in)
Weight 155 g (5.47 oz)
SIM Optional Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
  - IPX7 certified - water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~67.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

Samsung Galaxy Folder Specifications

Also known as Samsung G150N0
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Available. Released 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 122 x 60.2 x 15.3 mm (4.80 x 2.37 x 0.60 in)
Weight 155 g (5.47 oz)
SIM Micro-SIM
DISPLAY Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 3.8 inches (~56.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 480 x 800 pixels (~246 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

Micromax Canvas Xpress 2 E313 Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, August
BODY Dimensions -
Weight -
SIM Dual SIM
DISPLAY Type Capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

Sony Xperia C4 Dual review

The Sony Xperia C4 is one odd member of the company's lineup. It's not very close to the flagship in terms of specs, yet it's ruling the phablet division with a 5.5-inch FullHD display. The T2 and T3 are both showing signs of age, not to mention they have less than half the pixels. Meanwhile the Z-series have been stuck at 5.2 inches for a while, leaving little options to those looking for a pixel-rich phablet.

The Xperia C4 builds on the proven concept of the C3 with the same 5MP front camera with an LED flash to please the narcissistic folk and allow shooting in less than ideal conditions at that (the frowned upon flash selfie at the club a prime example).

The Xperia C4 then goes on to add a few key improvements that position the smartphone firmly in the upper segment of the midrange. The 1080p display resolution is one we already mentioned, but there's also a higher count 13MP primary camera, for those that will buy the C4 not for the selfie capabilities.

BlackBerry Leap review

Many thought the days of BlackBerry were numbered yet the company is still here, pushing new phones. The Canadians might not be the leading smartphone manufacturer that it once was, but it's still got a loyal fanbase that the BlackBerry Leap comes to cater to.

You get a 5" HD display, dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, an 8MP shooter and a rich connectivity package - not the kind of specs to make a geek's pulse race, but adequate for the mid-range that the Leap is targeting. The design is instantly recognizable - square edges, plastic unibody and dotted rear panel with a huge BlackBerry logo. It's more of the classic kind, rather than modern or fresh, but that's a good thing to say for a business-oriented phone.

Vivo X5Max Review

It's not every day we have a true record holder in our hands, and that's exactly what we were getting ready for waiting for the vivo X5Max to arrive. The slimmest smartphone in the world for more than six months now, the 4.75-mm X5Max snatched a crown that had been tossed between the Gionee Elife S5.1 and the Oppo R5, each of them holding it for a fleeting month or so.

You can then imagine our disappointment when it turned out we have the global version, which is "only" the third-slimmest phone in the world. A fraction of a millimeter thicker than the China model, the vivo X5Max is an extraordinarily slim device nonetheless, most certain to impress with a profile you wouldn't normally attribute to a smartphone.

It really looks almost like a planar object, its two dimensions much greater that the third, so to speak, in math terms.

In terms of hardware, the X5Max is less exciting, relying on the now ubiquitous midrange Snapdragon 615, coupled with the equally commonplace 2GB of RAM. It doesn't skimp on features though sporting a 13MP primary camera behind a fast f/2.0 lens, as well as a 5MP front-facer.

Twitter starts cracking down on tweet thieves, deletes stolen tweets

Twitter has had a problem of stolen content since pretty much its inception. More often than not, that funny tweet you read was stolen from someone else, which was stolen from someone else, which was probably stolen from someone else.

So far there didn't seem to be much users could do about this problem, and not much Twitter was doing about it either. But now Twitter has started cracking down on stolen content, either automatically or based on registered DMCA takedown complaint by the owner of the original tweet. It's unclear how Twitter verifies the original tweet was indeed original and wasn't just lifted off from elsewhere outside Twitter.

Lava Pixel V1 Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Available. Released 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 152.1 x 76.3 x 8.5 mm (5.99 x 3.00 x 0.33 in)
Weight 135 g (4.76 oz)
SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.5 inches (~71.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~267 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Dragon Trail Glass

MTV's programming president Susanne Daniels joins YouTube

YouTube has hired MTV's programming president Susanne Daniels as the vice president of its Originals division that, as the name suggests, focuses on bringing original content onto the video sharing website.

Asus Zenfone 2E Specifications

For AT&T
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 148.1 x 71.4 x 10.9 mm (5.83 x 2.81 x 0.43 in)
Weight 155.1 g (5.47 oz)
SIM Micro-SIM
DISPLAY Type IPS capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~65.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
  - Asus ZenUI

Samsung Galaxy Tab A & S Pen Specifications

Also known as Samsung SM-P550
This is not a GSM device, it will not work on any GSM network worldwide.
NETWORK Technology
No cellular connectivity
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 242.5 x 166.8 x 7.5 mm (9.55 x 6.57 x 0.30 in)
Weight 487 g (1.07 lb)
SIM No
  - S Pen stylus
DISPLAY Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 9.7 inches (~72.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 768 x 1024 pixels (~132 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

LG Tribute 2 Specifications

Also known as LG Tribute Duo, LG LS665 for Boost Mobile
NETWORK Technology
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Available. Released 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 129.9 x 64.9 x 10.9 mm (5.11 x 2.56 x 0.43 in)
Weight 138.9 g (4.94 oz)
SIM Micro-SIM
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 4.5 inches (~66.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 480 x 854 pixels (~218 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

HTC One E9+ review

If you want HTC's highest-specced, big-screened QHD smartphone, the One E9+ is very likely the one you're looking for. Only the lack of the signature all-metal unibody saves the company's reigning flagship a good deal of embarrassment.

It's quite hard to actually decide which precise model sits atop HTC's 2015 One lineup, and there may well be more than one correct answer. You have the M9, obviously, which has Qualcomm's latest chipset inside and the metal design to appeal to your sense of style, but sticks with a FullHD 5-inch screen.

Midway up the size ladder, you'll find the 5.2-inch QHD M9+, which retains the metal unibody and adds a second camera on the back, as well as a fingerprint sensor, but opts for an arguably inferior Mediatek chipset. There's an almost identical ME version, which comes with a single rear camera, and comes with a polycarbonate body.

Skype for Android gets updated looks for better usability

Skype for Android has received an update today, which should already be rolling out through the Google Play Store.

Skype 5.6 for Android brings with it a refreshed design that aims to make the app even easier to use than before.

First off, you can now see more chats at a glance in the Recent tab. And obviously you can still jump back into one of those chats with just a tap.

Microsoft unveils Send, a simple email client for quick chats

Today Microsoft has announced a new email app called Send. It's available already for iOS, and will come to Android and Windows Phone too in the future.

Send is very simple, being aimed at "in-and-out email". In other words, it looks like a chat client, but works with your Outlook email account and surfaces your Outlook contacts.

For now Send is working in the US and Canada for people with Office 365 business and school email accounts. It's supposed to become more broadly available at some point "in the coming months".

Now you can access your Google Drive documents directly from Microsoft Office

If you store your files on Google Drive but use Microsoft Office to get work done, here is some good news: the search giant has launched a new plug-in that lets you access your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents stored in the company's cloud storage service directly from within Microsoft's apps.

In addition, you can also save a locally-stored document, spreadsheet, or presentation to Drive, directly from the Office apps (see image below).

New Google Maps feature lets you view all the places you’ve been

Google has released a new feature for Maps that lets you easily view all the places you’ve been on a given day, month, or year. Dubbed Your Timeline, the feature is only available on desktop and Android, and is gradually rolling out.

Toshiba CEO, top execs resign in wake of $1.2 billion scandal

Toshiba's CEO Hisao Tanaka has resigned following a recent revelation that the company overstated as much as $1.2 billion in profits over the past six years. In addition to Tanaka, two other top executives, including vice-chairman Norio Sasaki and former president Atsutoshi Nishida have also stepped down.

Google+ Photos shutting down from August 1 onwards

Google announced its plan to start winding down Google+ Photos and replace it with the recently introduced Google Photos. From August 1 onwards, Google+ Photos will stop working on Android, and soon afterwards on the web and iOS.

Motorola Moto G (3rd gen) Specifications

Unofficial preliminary specifications
Also known as Motorola Moto G LTE (3nd Gen.)
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced Exp. announcement 2015, Q3
Status Rumored. Exp. release 2015, Q3
BODY Dimensions 141.5 x 70.7 x 11 mm (5.57 x 2.78 x 0.43 in)
Weight 149 g (5.26 oz)
SIM Micro-SIM
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~68.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels (~441 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3

ZTE Axon Lux Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 154.5 x 75.3 x 9.7 mm (6.08 x 2.96 x 0.38 in)
Weight 168 g (5.93 oz)
SIM Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
  - Fingerprint sensor
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.5 inches (~71.7% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1440 x 2560 pixels (~534 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

Huawei Honor 4A Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, July 28th
BODY Dimensions 7.8 mm thickness
Weight -
SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
  - Emotion 3.1 UI

Xiaomi Mi 4i Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, April
Status Available. Released 2015, April
BODY Dimensions 138.1 x 69.6 x 7.8 mm (5.44 x 2.74 x 0.31 in)
Weight 130 g (4.59 oz)
SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~71.7% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels (~441 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning scratch-resistant glass
  - MIUI 6.0

LG Bello II Specifications

Also known as
LG Prime II in Brazil and Chile
LG Max in Mexico, India and CIS
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 140.8 x 71.6 x 9.6 mm (5.54 x 2.82 x 0.38 in)
Weight 155 g (5.47 oz)
SIM Optional Dual SIM
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.0 inches (~68.3% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 480 x 854 pixels (~196 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
  - LG UI 4.0
PLATFORM OS Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop)
CPU Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 Specifications

Available as Wi-Fi only (SM-T810) and 3G/LTE models (SM-T815)
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, August
BODY Dimensions 237.3 x 169 x 5.6 mm (9.34 x 6.65 x 0.22 in)
Weight 389g (Wi-Fi) / 392g (LTE) (10.51 oz)
SIM Yes
  - Fingerprint sensor
DISPLAY Type Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 9.7 inches (~72.7% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1536 x 2048 pixels (~264 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

YU Yureka Plus Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, July 24th
BODY Dimensions 154.8 x 78 x 6-8.5 mm
Weight -
SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.5 inches (~69.1% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  - Cyanogen 12

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 Specifications

Available as Wi-Fi only (SM-T710) and 3G/LTE models (SM-T715)
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Coming soon. Exp. release 2015, August
BODY Dimensions 198.6 x 134.8 x 5.6 mm (7.82 x 5.31 x 0.22 in)
Weight 265 g (Wi-Fi) / 272 g (LTE) (9.59 oz)
SIM Yes
  - Fingerprint sensor
DISPLAY Type Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 8.0 inches (~74.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1536 x 2048 pixels (~320 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Specifications

Unofficial preliminary specifications
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced Exp. announcement 2015, August
Status Rumored. Exp. release 2015, September
BODY Dimensions -
Weight -
SIM Yes
  - Fingerprint sensor (PayPal certified)
- S Pen stylus
DISPLAY Type Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.7 inches
Resolution 1440 x 2560 pixels (~515 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 4

ZTE Boost MAX+ Specifications

NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced 2015, July
Status Available. Released 2015, July
BODY Dimensions 165.1 x 82.6 x 10.2 mm (6.5 x 3.25 x 0.40 in)
Weight 194.8 g (6.88 oz)
SIM Yes
DISPLAY Type IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.7 inches (~65.7% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels (~258 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass

OnePlus 2 Specifications

Also known as OnePlus Two
Unofficial preliminary specifications
NETWORK Technology
GSM / HSPA / LTE
LAUNCH Announced Exp. announcement 2015, Q3
Status Rumored. Exp. release 2015, Q3
BODY Dimensions 152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm (6.02 x 2.99 x 0.35 in)
Weight 166 g (5.86 oz)
SIM Dual SIM (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
  - Fingerprint sensor
DISPLAY Type LTPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 5.5 inches (~71.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution 1440 x 2560 pixels (~534 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes, up to 10 fingers
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 4
  - CyanogenMod UI