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Monday, 8 September 2014

Asus reveals VivoTab 8 with Intel Bay Trail, expected to cost below $200

Following the VivoTab 8 Note, Asus also revealed the VivoTab 8 (M81C). The Windows 8.1 tablet features an 8″ IPS display with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and an amazingly low under-$200 price tag.

Inside, there’s an Intel Bay Trial Atom Z3745 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM (2GB also available as an option) and 32GB of storage. At the back and front, there are identical 2MP cameras as well as stereo speakers.

Mystery 7-inch LG Tegra-powered tablet spotted with Google branding

An upcoming 7-inch tablet listing has been spotted on the US FCC website that indicates that LG is readying a new Nvidia Tegra-powered tablet in the compact range.

This could very well be the next coming of Google’s Nexus 7 tablet, as the Google branding is clearly evident as well.

Infographic details Samsung’s VR headset, the Gear VR

The Samsung Gear VR debuted last week at IFA and is Samsung’s foray into the world of virtual reality. It’s in partnership with Oculus, the team behind the best known VR headset on the market. Samsung already has game devs lined up to develop content for the Gear VR and the Galaxy Note 4 to power it.

Here’s an infographic that will introduce your to just what the Gear VR does.

Microsoft jumpstarts MSN by rebranding Bing apps

Microsoft aims to bring new life into its aging MSN portal with a shiny new homepage alongside plan to rebrand several of its Bing-powered applications.

Not only will Windows Phone apps like News, Finance, Travel, Sports and Weather be rebranded to MSN, but Microsoft is also planning to release iOS and Android versions as well.

‘Valiant Hearts: The Great War’ for iOS game review

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a 2D action/puzzle game that originally debuted on the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and the PC, and has now made its way to iOS.

Valiant Hearts takes place during World War I, and you play as four characters and try to get a soldier back to his wife and child. The game is known for its art style and storytelling. The simple gameplay style always made it conducive to touchscreen devices and now it’s finally here, so let’s take a look at it.

Sony Xperia Z3 launcher ported to Android 4.2+ Xperias

Sony unveiled the new Xperia Z3 on Wednesday, which brought some improvements over the Xperia Z2. The changes weren’t groundbreaking though (the 6-month update schedule means smaller upgrades) and now Z2 owners have even less to feel envious about since the Xperia Z3 launcher and widgets have been ported to Android 4.2 and above.

Owners of other Sony smartphones can join the party too, it’s not a flagship-only event.

Apple iWatch will reportedly run optimized apps from a dedicated store

According to a new report, the upcoming Apple iWatch will run optimized third-party apps. The latter will be available from a dedicated section in the App Store.

Apple has allegedly seeded its dedicated SDK for wearable devices to high profile app developers. We are likely to see third-party apps demoed on Cupertino’s smartwatch during the September 9 launch event.

Legendary industrial designer Mark Newson joins Apple

Apple’s already talented design team got even deeper. According to a new report, the legendary industrial designer Mark Newson has joined the ranks of the Cupertino giant.

Mark Newson will work under Apple’s chief of design, Jony Ive, though it is yet to be revealed what projects he will undertake. Mr. Newson will be working out of the UK, as well as Apple’s HQ in Cupertino.

Jony Ive and Mark Newson have been close friends for quite some time. The talented duo have collaborated on many design projects in the past, including this one-off, gorgeous Leica camera.

Apple Reaches Agreements with American Express & MasterCard to work on iPhone payments system

A report in May revealed that Apple was expected to launch an iPhone payments system with the iPhone 6 and iOS 8.

Subsequent reports echoed that same Information including naming Visa as a partner. Re/code today reports that Apple has signed up a major American financial institution to work on its iPhone wallet program.

Five-year-olds will learn fractions and computer coding, while those in early secondary school will have to study at least two Shakespeare plays.

The curriculum is being implemented for most year groups simultaneously.

Teachers' leaders say the timetable is unrealistic, but the Department for Education said its aim was to prepare children for "life in modern Britain".

"There's a thousand thin notebooks out there. If you want one, there's plenty of options," says Alienware's Frank Azor. Here at E3, the company's announcing the first new industrial design for its laptops in four years... and yet where most firms are focusing their efforts on ever-thinner machines, all of Alienware's latest products are actually thicker than their predecessors.

Amazon Fire Phone launches in the UK and Germany on Sept 30

Amazon Fire Phone has been available for purchase in the USA for a while - it was announced last June and launched in July. The unique smartphone didn't make a huge impact on the market despite its interesting interface and services. According to a recent study the company may have sold only 26,000 Fire smartphones.

Well, we can't be sure if Amazon is happy with the sales of the Fire Phone or not, but it certainly hasn't given up on it. Amazon UK and Amazon DE will be launching the smartphone on September 30, while the pre-order campaign is on as of today.

In the UK Amazon Fire Phone will be available exclusively via O2 and only with a contract. It will cost £0 with tariffs starting at £33/month. In Germany it will be offered by Deutsche Telekom for €1 with monthly tariffs starting at €44.95.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Active coming soon to Europe, to cost €629

Samsung Galaxy S5 Active was launched exclusively on AT&T in May and it has only been available through the US carrier retail stores since. It seems the AT&T exclusivity is going to expire soon and the Galaxy S5 Active will be heading to Europe.

According to inside sources, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active will soon launch in European markets with an asking price of €629. If AT&T's exclusivity was for a 6-month period, then probably the Galaxy S5 Active will be hitting the shelves throughout the old continent in October.

For AT&T
GENERAL 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
4G Network LTE 700 / 850 / 1700 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 / 2600
SIM Yes
Announced 2014, May
Status Available. Released 2014, May
BODY Dimensions 145.3 x 73.4 x 8.9 mm (5.72 x 2.89 x 0.35 in)
Weight 170.1 g (6.00 oz)
- IP67 certified - dust and water resistant up to 1 meter and 30 minutes
- MIL-STD-810G certified - salt, dust, humidity, rain, vibration, solar radiation, transport and thermal shock resistant

5.5" iPhone 6 to run iOS optimized for landscape apps

The upcoming 5.5" Apple iPhone 6 will ship running iOS 8 and the company could potentially make use of the larger screen and make it run apps in landscape. Using the Apple SDK iOS simulator, developer Steven Troughton-Smith has managed to run it at 736 points x 414 pixels (1472 x 828 at 2x or 2208 x 1242 at 3x) and shared screenshots.

iPhone 6 Plus to be the name of the 5.5-inch model

Tomorrow, as you may know, is the big day - Apple will hold an event during which it's widely expected to unveil two new iPhones. There will be a 4.7-inch model, and a bigger 5.5-inch phablet. These two have been rumored and leaked a lot over the past few months. And now that we're close to them getting official, we've seen a huge number of leaks in the last few days. Images, videos, even more videos, take your pick.

One thing that strangely hasn't been addressed head-on by all the speculation is what the two devices will be called. We've been using the generic iPhone 6 moniker for both, while at one point the 5.5-incher was said to be sold as the iPhone Air.

Now though a Japanese source claims the smaller, 4.7" phone will simply go by iPhone 6, as we were expecting, while the larger, 5.5" device will be called iPhone 6 Plus.

Xiaomi 'Mi In-the-Ear Headset' Goes on Sale on Flipkart at Rs. 999

Xiaomi might be making headlines in India for its smartphones, the Mi 3 and Redmi 1S, but the Chinese manufacturer products aren't just limited to handsets.
After introducing the Mi Flip Cover and Mi Screen Protector Guard for the Mi 3 smartphone, as well as two new power banks, the company has now launched the new Mi In-the-ear Headset (Piston Design) on Flipkart, priced at Rs. 999.

Singapore-based Creative is popularly known for making competent audio products. Some of its recent desktop speakers have eschewed the separate subwoofer in favour of a 2.0 setup with each speaker sporting two drivers. Creative also makes Bluetooth speakers for portable devices. In an effort to merge the best of both worlds, Creative has tweaked the design of the popular Gigaworks T20 series II speakers and come up with the T30 Wireless. The T30 Wireless doesn't have the Gigaworks branding but it promises support for NFC and Bluetooth. This unique blend should make things interesting.

Among those who buy wearable fitness trackers, as many as 85 percent stop using the products within the first few weeks, Martyn Molnar, the CEO of Dubai-based wearable tech firm Tupelo, claimed while launching the Mymo fitness tracker in India. To tackle this problem, Mymo has adopted a unique strategy - offering users real-world rewards for activity.
The tracker awards each user a certain number of MyMiles for activity. These can be redeemed against rewards such as free talk time or groceries, Mymo claimed in a statement on Friday. Mymo charges a minimum of Rs. 3,999 (base plan) for a 12-month device and rewards package, in which users can get rewards against MyMiles for a year.

Motorola at its September 5 event in India has finally showcased the Android Wear-based Moto 360 smartwatch in all its glory, and put up all its specifications. While the company hasn't yet provided India pricing, it has detailed US pricing to $249 (roughly Rs. 15,000). Motorola says will be made available in India later this month.

The consumer electronics giant announced the Moto 360 will be available from Friday in black leather and a limited edition gray leather with suede finish in the US, starting at 12:00pm EST for motorola.com, Google Play (US), and through Best Buy stores and BestBuy.com.

Nokia has announced a new slate of Lumia smartphones that conspicuously move away from the high-end specifications of the Icon, 1520 and 930 into an upper mid-range slate that include flagship features at a much lower outright cost than previous flagships.

Google Glass Explorer Edition goes on sale in the Play store

Google Glass Explorer Edition is now available for purchase in the Play store in the United States. The move follows the expanded availability of the device’s beta program back in May.

Pricing of the futuristic gadget hasn’t changed. You will still need to part with $1,500 in order to get your hands on it, thus meaning that it is hardly going to be a mass-market item.

Of course, the familiar array of additional accessories is also available. It includes shades, prescription frames, and in-ear headphones.

Sony is giving away the entire Xperia Z3 family along with a SmartBand Talk

Sony has started a new contest over on its Facebook page, and the prize for this one is rather insane. One person will win the entire Xperia Z3 family, and a SmartBand Talk on top of that.

So this lucky individual will get the Xperia Z3, the Xperia Z3 Compact, and the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, as well as the new wearable.

Alcatel Hero 8 tablet brings LTE-connected Android in 8″ metal body

Alcatel brought out a new Android tablet at IFA, the Alcatel Hero 8. With an 8″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200px) screen it will compete with the likes of the Lenovo Tab S8. The tablet has an aluminum body that’s just 7.3mm thick though (vs. the 7.9mm plastic body of the Lenovo).

The Alcatel Hero 8 is LTE-enabled and supports voice calls. You may want to use the new Sidekick 2, a phone-shaped Bluetooth headset.

HP announces new Envy x2, Pavilion x2, and updated Chromebook 11 and Chromebook 14

Not wanting to let other companies have all the device-launching fun these days, HP decided to introduce four new or updated products of its own. First up, we have the new Envy x2, coming to succeed the detachable tablet of the same name that was introduced back in 2012.

The new Envy x2 comes with Intel’s Core M processor, and will get both 13.3″ and 15.6″ screens. The keyboard dock has been redesigned, now coming with a fabric wrapping.

A 7-seat private plane that took off from Rochester, New York this morning and heading to Staples, Florida, is currently flying over Cuban airspace with the plane occupants not responding to attempts to communicate.

CNN reports that two fighter jets trailed the plane, which is a Socata TBM-700 light business and utility aircraft, but stopped when it crossed over into Cuban territory.

The Somali prime minister said on Friday that Ahmed Godane, head of the Islamist militant group al Shabaab, was killed in a U.S. strike on Monday, although the group that is waging an insurgency against the government has yet to comment.

U.S. officials had said on Wednesday that they were still checking to see whether Monday's U.S. missile strike on an al Shabaab encampment had killed Godane, who was appointed leader in 2008 after his predecessor was killed in a U.S. attack.

"We tell the Somalis that Godane is dead," Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed said on his Facebook page, the first government confirmation of his death. (Reuters)

Pics: Beyonce celebrates birthday with Jay Z & Blue Ivy on a beach in France

Beyonce turned 33 yesterday September 4th and celebrated her with her husband, daughter, mum and a few other family and friends on a beach in the South of France. See more photos after the cut...

Five years after their divorce, Tameka Raymond is still using Usher's last name. In a recent interview Usher says his Tameka needs to give it up.

When asked how he feels about his ex-wife still using his last name in an interview with Dish Nation Usher admitted he felt some kind of way about it.

Usher tells Dish Nation,

“She married me...I’ll marry again...And when I do, I don’t want to have a harem. I just hope that when I do, it will be a departure.”

'Go ahead and sue me' - Australian negotiator tells Alimodu Sheriff

Australian negotiator Stephen Davis has dared former Borno state governor, Alimodu Sheriff to sue him for saying he's one of the sponsors of Boko Haram. Mr Sheriff had threatened to sue at a press conference on Wednesday.

Speaking with TheCable today, Davis said if Alimodu Sheriff goes to court, evidences to prove he has connections with the sect will be produced.

Floyd Mayweather's ex-fiancee Shantel Jackson (pictured above with her lawyer, Gloria Allred at a press conference yesterday) is suing the boxing champ for assault, battery, defamation, invasion of privacy, false imprisonment, and claimed he forced her to return her engagement ring at gun-point…

From TMZ

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Jackson claims Floyd first got violent with her back in 2012 ... right after he was released from the slammer in a domestic violence case involving another woman. Jackson claims the two were arguing when "He twisted [her] arm, choked her and forcibly took her phone away from her to look through it.". Continue...

Jackson claims Mayweather got violent again in April 2013 ... when during another argument, he "bent her arm, restrained her, and pointed a gun at her foot, asking 'Which toe do you want me to shoot?'"

In her suit, Jackson claims he then demanded her to remove her 17 carat diamond engagement ring at gunpoint.

Jackson also claims Mayweather invaded her privacy when he posted photos of her sonogram on social media -- and claimed the "real" reason they broke up is because she "killed our twin babies."

There's more ... Jackson claims Mayweather struck again in Feb. 2014 at his condo at the Ritz in L.A. Shantel claims she was trying to leave following yet another argument -- when Floyd grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back inside. She claims Floyd blocked her from leaving for more than an hour.

At the press conference, Shantel said

"There was a point in my relationship with Floyd that I thought we would be together forever. I loved him so much and I made sure that I took care of him the best I knew how.

I tried my best to make our relationship work by compromising and going to relationship counseling, but I finally realized that there was no hope and our relationship could not continue.

I loved Floyd deeply but he continued to disappoint and intentionally hurt me. I have been embarrassed and humiliated more than I can ever imagine by Floyd whom I once called my best friend and fiancé.

I have tried everything that I could and I have given Floyd every opportunity to do the right thing. Unfortunately, he has refused every opportunity to make things right. It is with a heavy heart that I finally realized that the only way to set the record straight to achieve justice for what he has done to me is through the filing of this lawsuit.

Twin boys stabbed to death by their brother who then killed himself

9 year old twin brothers Patrick and Thomas O'Driscoll were stabbed to death yesterday September 4th by their older half brother Jonathan, 20, who then killed himself about an hour later. Read the full story below...

The third American doctor to be diagnosed with the Ebola virus arrived Nebraska about an hour to begin his treatment. Dr Richard Sacra (pictured above) contracted the deadly virus while working in Liberia. Dr Sacra wasn't treating Ebola patients when he was infected.

He was today flown to the Nebraska Medical Center's biocontainment patient care unit, one of the four facilities in America designed specifically to treat patients exposed to extremely dangerous infectious organisms.

Two other Americans were recently treated of the deadly virus using the experimental drug, ZMapp.

HTC won’t make a smartwatch after all, rumor says

According to the ever-present “sources familiar with the matter”, HTC has decided to give up on the idea of creating its very own smartwatch.

In an age in which seemingly every Android smartphone maker has branched out into this new wearable category (undoubtedly helped by the existence of the Android Wear platform), this might sound like an odd decision.

Moto Hint Bluetooth headset brings hands-free voice operation for your phone

Along with the Moto X, Moto G, and the Moto 360, Motorola also announced the new Moto Hint. It is a tiny Bluetooth headset that plugs into your ear and is barely noticeable.

The main feature of the Moto Hint is being able to control your phone with your voice. Want to call someone, send a message, locate an address, update your Facebook status, or just check the weather? Just say “Ok Google” followed by your query the way you would in Google Now.

Motorola Turbo Charger gets you 8 hours of battery life in 15 minutes

With things already quieting down at IFA, it’s Motorola’s new gadgets that are the talk of the town. Thenew Moto X supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 standard and Motorola will be releasing a compatible charger soon, the Turbo Charger.

The charger can breathe 8 hours of battery life into a Moto X with a completely flat battery.

To do that Quick Charge 2.0 pushes a whopping 60W of power to the device and charges its battery 75% faster. The Motorola Turbo Charger can be used on unsupported devices too but for those it only delivers 15W of power.

The charger is priced at $35 and should be available soon.

Google details Android Wear updates for the rest of the year

Today Google has posted an official list of features it will add to the Android Wear platform before 2014 ends. The company has also confirmed once again that all smartwatches running Android Wear will get the updates as soon as these are going to be ready.

This is no surprise, as Google is pretty much in charge of the update process for Android Wear devices, looking to avoid the fragmentation situation that’s persistent in its smartphone and tablet operating system.

Lenovo unveils Horizon 2s and 2e tabletop PCs

Lenovo unveiled the Horizon 2s and Horizon 2e, two tabletop PCs. Both have screens around 20″ big and can work as an All-in-one PC or you can lay it flat on a table so that up to four gamers can use it simultaneously. Yes, gamers, the two Horizons are particularly well inclined to playing games.

The Lenovo Horizon 2s is the slim option of the two. It is 15mm thick and weighs just over 2.2kg, barely a third of the previous Horizon 2 device.

Samsung announces Galaxy Tab Active

Samsung has announced the new Galaxy Tab Active, a ruggedized version of their Galaxy Tab 4 8.0. The tablet features an anti-shock covering that protects it from drops as high as 1.2m. It is also dust and water resistant with IP67 certificate.

The Galaxy Tab Active has a 8.0-inch, 1280×800 resolution LCD, 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, 16GB internal memory with microSD card slot, 3.1 megapixel rear camera, 1.3 megapixel front camera, C-Pen stylus, 4,450mAh replaceable battery, and Android 4.4 KitKat.

LG starts mass producing rounded P-OLED displays for its G Watch R smartwatch

LG Display has announced today that its has started development of the “the first circular Plastic OLED” display to be featured in their G Watch R smartwatch.

The rounded P-OLED display is set to have a diameter of 1.3 inches and a thickness of just 0.6mm.

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Monday, 8 September 2014

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