Samsung might launch its own blockchain wallet alongside the Galaxy S10

Pictures posted by concept designer Ben Geskin on Twitter show off Samsung’s rumored cryptocurrency service, along with a clear image of the Galaxy S10.

The Samsung Blockchain KeyStore looks to be a blockchain wallet, which you’ll be able to either import an existing wallet or create a new wallet. According to the images, the Blockchain KeyStore only lists Ethereum as a supported cryptocurrency.

That said, a previous report from SamMobile claims that Samsung’s blockchain wallet will also support Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum-derived token ERC20 at launch.

The report also claims that Samsung won’t have access to any of the data in the Blockchain KeyStore app, which might be a cold wallet. The main way to recover your data is with the 12 to 24-word recovery phrase. The app also features a secondary layer of authentication that includes PIN and fingerprint.

Editor’s Pick

Samsung Galaxy S10: All the rumors in one place (Updated January 10)

Update, January 10, 2019 (10:38 EST): The article has been updated to indicate that Samsung has confirmed it will announce the Galaxy S10 on February 20 at a press event in San Francisco.

In 2019, Samsung will …

The images also give us the clearest visuals of the regular Galaxy S10. The phone in the images is unlikely to be the Galaxy S10 Plus, since that device will reportedly feature two front-facing cameras.

According to rumors, the Galaxy S10 features a 6.1-inch curved OLED display, an in-display fingerprint sensor, the Exynos 9820 processor (global), the Snapdragon 855 for North America, and either 128GB or 512GB of internal storage. The phone could sell for at least 799 euros (~$1,009) when it launches.

Samsung will have much to say about the Galaxy S10 on February 20, when the company will hold an Unpacked event in San Francisco.

Source: Android Zone

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New name, new layoffs: Verizon Media Group eliminating 7% of staff

It was only a few weeks ago that we were telling you about the end of Oath — the Verizon-owned media conglomerate — and the beginning of the aptly-named Verizon Media Group. Now here we are, announcing that the newly-renamed company is laying off about 800 employees, or about seven percent of its staff.

The source of this information is an anonymous person who shared an email with CNBC. The internal memo was sent to employees by VMG CEO Guru Gowrappan.

In the email, Gowrappan says that “these were difficult decisions” but “now is the time to go on the offensive, go deep on our big priorities, and do everything we can to advance the business.”

Editor’s Pick

Verizon and Amazon reportedly working on their own mobile game streaming services

The Verge

Two more major tech players, Verizon and Amazon, may be entering into the already crowded list of companies that plan to launch mobile game streaming services. According to The Verge, Verizon Wireless is already …

Verizon didn’t confirm or deny the report when questioned by CNBC. “Our goal is to create the best experiences for our consumers and the best platforms for our customers,” a Verizon spokesperson said. “Today marks a strategic step toward better execution of our plans for growth and innovation into the future.”

These unlucky employees might be kicking themselves due to the fact that Verizon recently offered buyouts for employees to voluntarily resign. The buyouts were a cost-cutting measure. Presumably, some of these new layoffs may have had the option to leave but chose not to, and now are being terminated.

Oath combined properties from Verizon-acquired AOL and Yahoo and Verizon Media Group is essentially the same albeit with a new moniker. Some of the more prominent properties under the VMG banner are Tumblr, HuffPost, and the still-around Yahoo.

You can read the full memo to employees from Gowrappan by clicking here.

NEXT: Verizon will now offer paid spam call filter for free to all customers

Source: Android Zone

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New Samsung UHD OLED 15.6-inch laptop display looks awesome (and expensive)

Samsung

Today, Samsung Display announced the launch of a new UHD OLED 15.6-inch display for laptops. Samsung refers to the display as a “world’s first,” due to there being no 15.6-inch laptops yet on the market with UHD OLED panels.

Samsung Display says the new laptop panel will go into mass production beginning sometime in February 2019.

The panels will have a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, a brightness level ranging from 0.0005 to 600 nits, and a dynamic contrast ratio of 120,000:1. When you compare an OLED panel to that of an LCD, you can see blacks that are 200 times darker and whites that are twice as bright.

The new display provides a spectrum of 3.4 million colors which is double that of similarly-sized LCD panels. However, OLED panels notoriously require more power than a comparable LCD panel, so all those colors and that high contrast ratio is going to likely come at a cost of shorter battery life.

Editor’s Pick

The best laptops of CES 2019

We’re back from the floors of CES 2019 in Las Vegas for another laptop roundup. Here we have a huge list of Windows 10 solutions divided into mainstream and gaming categories. The list is long, …

Samsung Display, though, is only really concerned about making great displays, so the power consumption is likely an afterthought. It will be up to third-party companies to figure out how to get the most power efficiency out of the unit.

Speaking of which, this UHD OLED panel is obviously geared to the ultra-premium laptop market, and Samsung Display says it will focus on selling the panel “for use in premium notebooks produced by leading manufacturers.” I guess that means we can assume we won’t see this panel in a Samsung laptop at first — and we can expect the laptops it does appear in to be quite pricey.

Samsung isn’t the only company prepping ultra-premium laptop displays for 2019 models. Dell is expected to launch the 2019 edition of the Dell XPS 15 with a 4K OLED panel in March. Being that the Dell XPS 13 and 15 are some of the highest-rated laptops on the market, this Samsung display might give Dell a run for its money.

NEXT: Folding Samsung phone tipped for two batteries to power its two displays

Source: Android Zone

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Deal: Take 60% off Cresuer Touchwave Bluetooth Earbuds

We know that great sound is important to you, so we’re always on the lookout for big deals on high-quality Bluetooth earbuds.

The Cresuer Touchwave Bluetooth Earbuds fit the bill perfectly, combining minimalist design with state-of-the-art technology. Check out the video above to see what we mean. 

Carbon nanotube diaphragms are the next generation of sound technology, allowing Cresuer to deliver superior sound to your ears. Back this up with CVC noise cancellation technology, plus further noise isolation coming via the silicone eartips, and you’ve got a pleasing all-round listening experience.

Each bud weighs in at just five grams and fits comfortably in your ear, allowing you to answer calls or skip a tune with a single tap. 

We accept that we’re hardly fashion gurus, but we think they look pretty damn stylish too.

We’re spotlighting the Touchwave Bluetooth Earbuds today because they’ve taken a considerable price drop. Previously retailing around $100, right now they’re down to just $39.99. This includes the charging case and all other accessories. At that price, they’re well worth a look.

Touchwave Bluetooth Earbuds at a glance:

• Control songs or answer calls with a simple tap, without any extra pressure on your ear.
• Make clear calls thanks to CVC Noise Cancellation technology and total noise isolation from silicone eartips.
• Keep your earbuds in place during hard workouts with three different sizes to choose from and sweat resistance.
• Listen to music for three hours on a single charge, or up to 12 hours when using the charging box.
• Charge the buds up to four full times while on the go with the wireless charging case.

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The deal ends soon, so don’t miss out. The button below takes you to it.

To the Deal

The AAPicks team writes about things we think you’ll like, and we may see a share of revenue from any purchases made through affiliate links. To see all our hottest deals, head over to the AAPICKS HUB.

Source: Android Zone

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New Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon has SD 3100, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage

Droid Life

Fashion brand Louis Vuitton is going to release an updated version of the 2017 Tambour Horizon, via Droid Life. The 2019 version of the Louis Vuitton smartwatch will pack some high-end specs — and we expect it to have a high-end price to match.

In 2017, the Tambour Horizon launched with a 1.2-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 390 x 390, a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and a 300mAh battery.

The 2019 version of the Louis Vuitton smartwatch improves on almost all of the specs: you get a 1.3-inch AMOLED display at the same resolution as the previous model, the brand new Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage. That battery size stays the same at 300mAh.

Editor’s Pick

Best smartwatches (December 2018)

Smartwatches are still a very new thing to a lot of people, and for good reason. You don’t absolutely need one to get through the day, and some of the best smartwatches are much too expensive …

Theoretically, the battery-saving advancements of the 3100 chipset should make the watch last longer on a full charge than the previous model, even though the batteries are the same size. However, the jury is still out on exactly how much the 3100 chipset actually improves battery efficiency.

The smartwatch will have an NFC chip for contactless payments but unfortunately won’t have a heart rate sensor. It will feature water resistance up to 30 meters but doesn’t appear to have built-in GPS. So while the raw specs are impressive, it’s clear the watch isn’t perfect.

However, most people who buy things from Louis Vuitton are doing so for the brand name, not the functionality. The $1,000 Louis Vuitton true wireless earbuds are a testament to that.

Louis Vuitton hasn’t released pricing for the 2019 version of the Tambour Horizon, but the 2017 model started at a jaw-dropping $2,450. We can expect the 2019 version to be a similar price.

NEXT: Louis Vuitton’s new wireless earbuds cost $1,000 — as dumb as it sounds

Source: Android Zone

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Motorola’s website leaks all of the Moto G7 phones

MySmartPrice

We know what the Moto G7 series might look like. We know what the Moto G7 series might cost. At this point, the only thing left is for Motorola to unveil the mid-range smartphones. Motorola Brazil’s website accidentally did just that last night, as spotted by CNET en Español.

The leak confirms the Moto G7’s waterdrop-style notch at the top of the display, along with the reduced bezels on the top, bottom, and sides. It also confirms the retention of the headphone jack, which you can find next to the USB-C port on the bottom of the phone.

The leak also reveals the Moto G7’s specifications. According to the Motorola Brazil website, the Moto G7 features a 6.24-inch display with Full HD+ (2,270 x 1,080) resolution, dual rear 12 and 5MP cameras, an 8MP selfie camera, Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 632 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 3,000mAh battery.

Editor’s Pick

Best Motorola phones

Lenovo-owned Motorola covers all the bases with its smartphone lineup, giving consumers choices at every price point. No matter if you’re looking for a high-end, mid-range, or a budget device, Motorola has you covered. To …

Funny enough, Motorola Brazil’s website also leaked the Moto G7 Play, Moto G7 Power, and Moto G7 Plus. All of the phones mostly feature the same specs, save for lower-resolution displays on the Moto G7 Play and Power, the huge 5,000mAh battery in the Moto G7 Power, and the slightly-beefier Snapdragon 636 and 16MP primary rear camera on the Moto G7 Plus.

Because these leaks came from Motorola Brazil’s website, we don’t entirely doubt their validity. That said, Motorola hasn’t yet officially announced the Moto G7 phones, so take any leak with a grain of sale.

The leak didn’t mention pricing details for the Moto G7 series. That said, a previous leak alleged that the Moto G7 Play might start at around $170 in most of Europe. The Moto G7 Power might start at around $238 in most of Europe.

Source: Android Zone

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Samsung working on secondary display to animate punch hole camera area?

Samsung China

Samsung may be planning on adding a second smartphone display to upcoming phones, as indicated by a recently published patent (via LetsGoDigital). The patent, filed March 2017 and published last week, shows how the secondary smartphone screen could be used in conjunction with the punch hole camera for additional effects.

According to information on the World Intellectual Property Organization, the transparent screen could be animated while covering the punch hole camera lens and other sensors. For example, a red ring could appear around the camera when it’s inoperable (in the time when launching the camera app, perhaps) while a green ring would be displayed when it is ready to go. An animated camera shutter icon could also open or close to show when the camera is in use.

Meanwhile, the patent suggests the punch hole camera area could display a heart symbol, which may be used when a biometric sensor is in use.

WIPO

Samsung already has a phone with a front-facing camera on the market, the Galaxy A8s (pictured at the top of the page), but more are expected to be on the way. Currently, the area designed for in-display cameras like this can’t be manipulated.

What’s the big idea?

Were it to come to fruition, this secondary display would likely only represent a minor improvement to current smartphones in terms of usability; I doubt anybody would rush to buy a smartphone just to see a heart icon in its front camera housing. The use cases discussed here represent only a few of the possibilities though. Samsung may have developed other concepts since March 2017 when it filed the patent, and it appears committed to optimizing the display area in new and unique ways, which is positive news.

LetsGoDigital

What’s more, manufacturers are still finding solutions to the problem of where to put the front-facing camera. At least through this method, the front camera would feel a bit more purposeful — it wouldn’t be there for the lack of another place to put it, but to fulfill this secondary display wizardry.

Editor’s Pick

Samsung’s latest camera sensor is designed with punch hole displays in mind

Samsung has announced the ISOCELL Slim 3T2, a 20MP camera sensor that’s made for punch-hole displays.

Punch hole displays represent the next phase in the move to proper full-screen smartphones, as a smaller display cutout makes …

There’s no guarantee we’ll see this idea hit the market, but if we were going to, I’d expect it to be soon. Samsung has been sitting on the idea for two years and fullscreen phones now feel like only a whisker away.

What do you think of the possibilities? Let me know in the comments.

Source: Android Zone

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Hulu lowers entry price, but raises premium pricing to as high as $50.99

• Hulu announced today that it is updating the pricing of all-but-one of its plans.
• Entry-level Hulu pricing will go down by $2 per month, while Hulu + Live TV and Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV pricing will go up.
• The mid-tier option — Hulu (No Ads) — will stay the same.

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Today, Hulu announced it will be changing some of its pricing options. The good news is that it is lowering the price of one of its plans, but the bad news is it is raising the prices of its two most premium options.

The new Hulu pricing will take effect on February 26, 2019, for all new subscribers. Existing subscribers will see the price changes on their monthly bill after that date.

If you subscribe to the base-level option the company offers — simply known as Hulu — you’ll now save $2 per month on your bill, as the pricing will drop to $5.99 from its current $7.99. The Hulu plan includes all the company’s original content as well as past and current TV favorites like Seinfeld, South Park, ER, and Curious George. However, this plan also includes advertisements interrupting your viewing experience.

Editor’s Pick

Let’s take a look at what’s leaving Hulu (January 2019)

If you’re a Hulu subscriber, there’s plenty to get excited about each month with new TV shows and movies. There’s just as much to dread, however — Hulu also removes content at the end of …

If you subscribe to one of the company’s premium options — known as Hulu + Live TV — unfortunately, your bill is about to go up. Currently, you’re spending $39.99 per month for the service, but after February 26 you’ll begin paying $44.99.

Finally, if you subscribe to the most premium option the company offers — Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV — your bill is jumping up by quite a bit from $43.99 per month to $50.99 per month. Ouch.

The mid-tier option — known as Hulu (No Ads) — will remain the same price: $11.99 per month.

Remarkably, in its press release on the matter, Hulu makes no mention of the $7 price jump for the Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV plan. We had to contact the company directly to get that info:

Good morning! The Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV plan increases from $43.99/month to $50.99/month. Let us know if we can assist with anything else.

— Hulu Support (@hulu_support) January 23, 2019

How do you feel about these price changes? Are you currently subscribed to a Hulu plan but will change it after February 26? Let us know in the comments.

NEXT: Let’s take a look at what’s coming to Hulu

Source: Android Zone

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Please don’t spend $780 on a leather wireless charger

Berluti

After spending hundreds of dollars on a new smartphone, you’re probably going to want to buy some accessories for it. At most, you’ll probably pay $100 to $200 if you want a premium case, screen protector, and a charger or two.

But if there’s one accessory that you shouldn’t buy, it’s this $780 leather wireless charger (via The Verge).

Berluti, a self-proclaimed “living legacy,” sells ultra high-end leather products with stores around the world. The charger itself is made in partnership with Native Union, which sells this same product (minus the leather) for just $60.

So why is the wireless charger being sold for so much? Well, in addition to having the French fashion house’s name stamped on it, the wireless charger itself features Venezia Calfskin while the USB-C to USB-A cable is wrapped in Venezia leather.

Editor’s Pick

Best wireless chargers — what are your choices?

Apple is finally hopping on the wireless chargers bandwagon in smartphones. The company revealed last week that the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X will all natively support the Qi wireless charging platform, which …

Oh, and in addition to spending that much money on the wireless charger, you would then have to shell out a couple more bucks for a power adapter or use the one that came with your phone. Because, you know, Berluti couldn’t include a leather-wrapped one. That probably rounded the price up to nearly $1,000.

But if you decide that you do want to spend $780 on the wireless charger, then you might as well grab the company’s matching $860 smart charger kit to go along with it.

Source: Android Zone

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Samsung Galaxy M10, M20 won’t have Android Pie at launch

Samsung

While you wouldn’t know it from all the hype, but the Galaxy S10 series isn’t the only new range of smartphones on Samsung’s imminent release schedule.

The South Korean giant is preparing to launch two new phones — the Galaxy M10 and M20 — next week targeting younger buyers in the Indian market. Thanks to Samsung itself, we also now know that neither phone will run Android 9.0 Pie at launch.

Editor’s Pick

Samsung Exynos 7904 targets India with triple camera, 4K recording support

Ahead of the launch of the Galaxy M series, Samsung has introduced its new Exynos 7904 chipset. The company claims that the system-on-chip has been designed with the Indian audience in mind and as such, has …

Samsung (accidentally?) confirmed the news in an update to the Android Pie update roadmap inside its Members app (via MySmartPrice).

The slip up confirms the name of both phones as well as the fact that the two handsets run Android Oreo out-of-the-box and not Google’s latest flagship OS.

While that’s a bit of a bummer, it’s good to know both phones will receive a hot slice of Pie further down the line. The roadmap lists both phones’ Pie due date estimate as August 2019.

We don’t have long to wait until the M10 and M20 officially break cover. The two M series phones are set to debut on Jan. 28 armed with competitive pricing intended to take on Chinese OEMs’ increasing iron grip on the India market.

As for the specs and features, promotional images have hinted at a waterdrop notch, large displays, even larger batteries, and Exynos chipsets.

Up next: India’s new e-commerce rules spell trouble for discounted phones

Source: Android Zone

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Nokia 8.1 review: A delightful package

Last month, HMD Global unveiled the Nokia 8.1, the company’s new value flagship smartphone.

The new Nokia 8.1 is not a successor to the Nokia 8 or Nokia 8 Sirocco in specifications, nor is it in the same market segment as those flagship smartphones. The name is confusing, but essentially, the Nokia 8.1 is the successor to the Nokia 7 Plus — a segment the company likes to call “affordable premium.” The new nomenclature paves way for Nokia 9 as HMD Global’s true flagship series.

When it launched, the excellent Nokia 7 Plus was one of the best smartphones in the mid-range segment. However, the mid-range internals meant it fell off the comparison charts in the later part of 2018.

The Nokia 8.1 offers much-needed upgrades to the Nokia 7 Plus in key areas, while retaining its design ethos.

Does it manage to retain the charm while upping the ante on performance? Let’s find out in our Nokia 8.1 review.

Nokia 8.1 review: Design

The Nokia 8.1 sports an elegant dual-tone design with a 6000-series aluminum frame and a sculpted glass body. The chrome trim, which we saw before on the Nokia 7 Plus, ups the aesthetics of the phone and the gently curved edges with ideal weight distribution make for a comfortable grip.

The Nokia 8.1 has a definite flair to it, without any outlandish design choices. The glass and metal are sandwiched tastefully.

The Nokia 8.1 has a definite flair to it, without any outlandish design choices. The glass and metal are sandwiched tastefully.

Even though the smartphone exudes a sense of durability, the glass back means the phone is quite slippery when placed on smooth wood or glass tables.

With the burgundy tone on steel, the Nokia 8.1 is downright gorgeous and looks every bit as premium as any flagship smartphone out there.

Nokia 8.1 review: Display

The Nokia 8.1 sports a 6.18-inch Full HD+ edge-to-edge display with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio and 420ppi. With the notch and minimal bezels, the 8.1 manages to pack in a larger display than even the Nokia 7 Plus.

It’s an HDR10-compliant display — dubbed PureDisplay — with a contrast ratio of 1500:1. It’s a beautiful and bright display that offers vibrant colors and excellent contrast levels. The viewing angles are great as well. It’s a pretty damn good LCD panel but doesn’t match up to color saturation that an AMOLED display offers.

Going as bright as 500 nits, the Nokia 8.1 offers great legibility outdoors in the sun and the new adaptive brightness feature in Android 9 Pie automatically adjusts your settings learning from your screen brightness preferences.

Nokia 8.1 review: Performance

The Nokia 8.1 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, Qualcomm’s maiden SoC in its new 700 mobile platform series. Snapdragon 710 fits comfortably between the mid-range 600 and high-end 800 series and aims to make premium smartphone features more accessible to mid-range devices like the 8.1.

The Snapdragon 710 offers a similar set of cores and nearly the same level of performance as the flagship Snapdragon 845 but at a lower price point. It also packs in the Adreno 616 GPU, which promises a 35 percent increase in performance over the Adreno 512 found in Snapdragon 660.

The AI-powered Snapdragon 710 is a solid chipset and the Nokia 8.1 could give you the impression of flagship innards in your daily drill. With 4GB of RAM, the smartphone just blazes through anything thrown at it like any flagship smartphone. Of course, you’d observe slight difference when playing demanding games for an extended duration.

There’s 64GB of internal storage (with about 52GB storage available out of the box), and although it’s expandable by up to 400GB using microSD card, many multimedia hoarders would find it a tad underwhelming. The company has shared that a 6GB RAM plus 128GB storage variant will be available in some markets like India later.

Thanks to the battery optimizations, stock Android, and the new chipset, you’d easily be able to eke out over a day of battery life with heavy usage

The Nokia 8.1 packs a 3,500mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging, and thanks to the battery optimizations, stock Android, and the new chipset, you’d easily be able to eke out over a day of battery life with heavy usage. For moderate users, the phone could even last you for two days.

Nokia 8.1 review: Hardware

The Nokia 8.1 features a hybrid tray, so you could either use two 4G nano-SIM cards or a SIM card and a microSD card. However, since the phone comes with only 64GB storage, using two SIM cards might leave you without enough space.

The Nokia 8.1 supports 18W charging, and thankfully, comes with a big 18W charger in the box. HMD Global avoids using Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology certification.

There’s no IP-rating or any kind of water or dust resistance, but that’s at par with other phones in this segment.

Nokia 8.1 review: Camera

The Nokia 8.1 sports a 12MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture and 1.4 micron pixel size combined with a 13MP depth sensor with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). The changes in the camera setup leads to much better photos in low-light scenarios.

Outdoors in daylight, the Nokia 8.1 takes some great shots with nice color saturation and good detail. In low light as well, most pictures come out to be well exposed with not much noise. The portrait shots come out great and the edge-detection is perfect in most cases.

On the front, there’s a 20MP adaptive selfie camera with pixel binning technology, which helps you take better shots in dimmer conditions.

The Zeiss optics are combined with some AI smarts like automatic scene detection and professional portrait shots, and Nokia’s Pro Camera goodness that allows you to adjust the white balance, shutter speed, exposure, and focus mode. There’s also the Dual-Sight mode that allows you to simultaneously shoot and stream from both the cameras.

The phone, interestingly, allows you to capture 4K video at 30fps. Apart from hardware stabilization, there’s also EIS which helps in those videos.

After just about on par camera performance across its portfolio so far, this is the first time HMD Global has offered something exceptional and the Nokia 8.1 sports one of the best cameras in its price segment.

Nokia 8.1 review: Software

Like other phones in HMD Global’s portfolio, the Nokia 8.1 is an Android One smartphone. It offers a clean, stock Android experience with no bloatware — there’s only Google Pay and the Support app preloaded. It is the first Nokia phone to run Android Pie out of the box.

With phones on Android 8.1 Oreo still launching in the market, HMD Global deserves big props for an up-to-date Android experience on Nokia phones with consistent updates on timely basis.

Android One certification means the smartphone will receive two years of guaranteed Android “letter” upgrades and three years of monthly security updates. Nokia 8.1 is also a part of the Android Enterprise Recommended program.

Nokia 8.1 review: Specifications

	Nokia 8.1
Display	6.18-inch (15.70cm) PureDisplay Full HD+ (2246 x 1080) 18.7:9 aspect ratio 420ppi Corning Gorilla Glass
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 8 x Kryo 360 CPU 10nm manufacturing process
GPU	Adreno 616
RAM	4GB LPPDDR4x
Storage	64GB e-MMC 5.1 Expandable up to 400GB
Cameras	Front camera: 20MP Rear camera: 12MP f/1.8 aperture primary sensor 13MP depth sensor OIS + EIS Dual Hi-Cri flash
Battery	3500mAh 18W fast charging
Audio	3.5 mm headphone jack Single speaker with smart amplifier Nokia OZO surround sound capture
Connectivity	LTE Cat. 6, 2CA, L+L, VoLTE, VoWiFi WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 5.0 GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+Beidou
IP Rating	None
Sensors	mbient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer (G-sensor), E-compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint sensor (rear), NFC
Software	Android 9 Pie Android One
Dimensions	154.8 x 75.76 x 7.97 mm 180 g
Colors	Blue/Silver, Steel/Copper, Iron/Steel

Nokia 8.1 review: Gallery

Nokia 8.1 review: Pricing and final thoughts

The Nokia 8.1 sits pretty between the mid-range smartphone segment and the “flagship killers.” It’s a well-rounded smartphone that tries to punch above the specifications sheet thanks to Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor that aces the performance bit.

The cohesive Android One experience and slick design of the Nokia 8.1 makes it the best Nokia phone since HMD Global brought the brand home. You’d have to look hard to find an issue with this one, really.

The Nokia 8.1 is for those discerning individuals who want a solid smartphone experience in a stylish chassis.

The Nokia 8.1 globally retails at 399 euros ($450) and costs 26,999 rupees ($372) in India. The smartphone delivers excellent value for your money and even though it misses out on some extra features and some gimmicks here and there, it nails the essentials.

At its price, the Nokia 8.1 faces competition from mid-range flagship smartphones like the Asus Zenfone 5Z or the Pocophone F1 with a Snapdragon 845 chipset and better RAM and storage combinations, but the performance delta isn’t much for most users to compromise on the Android One experience that only the former offers – all that packed in a stylish chassis. Most people want a great phone, not just a brilliant specifications sheet.

And that’s it for our Nokia 8.1 review! Will you buy this phone?

Source: Android Zone

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YouTube TV will go nationwide, with 98% coverage starting today

Google announced today that its cord-cutting platform YouTube TV is finally going nationwide. Starting today, YouTube TV will cover 98 percent of the United States, with the final two percent coming soon.

When YouTube TV first launched in early 2017, it was only available in a handful of markets. The service eventually spread further out with the addition of a few new markets here and there every few months.

Today, YouTube TV becomes available in 95 new markets, leaving less than 2 percent of the country without access to the service.

Editor’s Pick

NBA TV and MLB Network hit YouTube TV right before price hike

Back in February, we told you the exciting news that YouTube TV was adding a bunch more channels, but that it was also raising prices. Now, two popular sports channels, NBA TV and MLB Network, …

It’s likely not a coincidence that this new upgrade comes only a few weeks before Super Bowl Sunday, one of the biggest nights for television of the year. Since the Super Bowl airs on network TV, subscribing to YouTube TV might be one of the easiest ways to watch the big game.

If you subscribe to YouTube TV you earn access to major network channels such as ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS, etc. You also gain access to cable networks like CNN, ESPN, SyFy, and more, with the option to pay a bit extra to access premium channels like Showtime and Starz. The entry-level price for the service is $40-per-month — likely much less than you would pay for cable service with the same features.

YouTube TV also gives you access to an unlimited cloud DVR service, the ability to add up to six users to your account, and the ability to watch TV on pretty much every device you own, from smartphones to tablets to computers to — of course — televisions.

Click below to find out if YouTube TV is available in your area.

Visit YouTube TV

Source: Android Zone

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Common Gutenberg Questions Answered (WordPress 5.0+ FAQ)

WPBeginner has been helping users learn WordPress for nearly a decade. Over these years, we’ve published thousands of tutorials to help you successfully create a WordPress site and grow your business.

Over a month ago, WordPress 5.0 was released with a new content editor called Gutenberg. Since then, we’ve been receiving a lot of questions regarding the update. In this article, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked Gutenberg questions.

1. Why did WordPress introduce Gutenberg?

For a long time, WordPress used a TinyMCE based editor to create posts and pages. The Classic WordPress editor was a simple text window with few buttons on top for basic formatting options.

While it worked well, users had to learn different approaches to add images, create galleries, embed videos, add tables and other content elements. This learning curve combined with modern web standards made WordPress seem like it’s harder to use when compared to other popular website builders.

The new WordPress block editor introduces a modern streamlined writing experience where each content element is wrapped in a block. You can move these blocks around the editor, change their settings, and create engaging content layouts without writing code.

The Gutenberg editor also provides a powerful framework for theme and plugin developers to build advanced solutions for WordPress.

2. How can I check if the theme and plugins I’m using are Gutenberg compatible?

The easiest way to check if your theme and plugins are Gutenberg compatible is to find if they’re supporting WordPress version 5.0+.

Gutenberg Editor was launched as the default content editor in WordPress 5.0, so a theme or plugin that has a “tested with version 5.0” label means that they are compatible with Gutenberg.

You can find the “Tested with” label in the WordPress.org plugins directory by searching your plugin’s name.

In the results, you’ll see the WordPress version your plugin is tested with. For instance, you can see WPForms is tested with WordPress 5.0.3 at the moment.

This means that WPForms is a Gutenberg compatible plugin.

For a WordPress theme, it’s best to visit your theme’s official website and check if they’ve made any official announcement about Gutenberg support.

If you don’t see any information on their marketing page, then you can visit their blog or knowledgebase and search the ‘Gutenberg’ keyword.

For example, if you’re using Divi theme, you can search their documentation.

This will help you find articles including their official announcement on Gutenberg support.

If you don’t see any article from your theme or plugin authors about Gutenberg upgrade, then you’ll need to contact them.

Once you’ve confirmation about all your theme and plugins’ Gutenberg compatibility, you can confidently update your site to WordPress 5.0.

To prevent errors and conflicts, we have created a complete guide on how to test your WordPress site for upgrading to Gutenberg

3. How to manage my old posts in the Gutenberg block editor?

After you update your site to WordPress 5.0, your old post content will be wrapped inside the Classic block inside the Gutenberg editor.

You can edit everything just like before inside the Classic block.

You can also convert your old post content into Gutenberg blocks. Simply click the Convert to Blocks option from your Classic block’s dropdown menu, and then it’ll automatically convert your post content into appropriate blocks.

For detailed instructions, you can read our step by step guide on updating your old WordPress posts with Gutenberg.

4. How can I disable Gutenberg and bring back the Classic Editor?

A lot of users are not ready to make the switch to the Gutenberg editor due to one reason or another.

In that case, you do have the option to disable Gutenberg and bring back the Classic Editor.

All you need to do is install and activate the Classic Editor plugin.

Using this plugin, you can easily disable Gutenberg and use the classic editor on your site.

Classic Editor plugin will be available until at least 2022 or as long as necessary.

This should provide plenty of time for users to test their websites with Gutenberg and upgrade when they feel comfortable.

5. Is Gutenberg a WordPress Page Builder?

Gutenberg is a block-based editor which uses content elements called blocks to build posts and pages. Similarly, WordPress page builders also use blocks, also known as widgets, modules, or elements for creating pages in WordPress.

This has caused confusion amongst users, and we have been asked the question if Gutenberg is a WordPress page builder alternative.

The answer is ‘No, not at least in its current form’.

WordPress page builder plugins provide a lot more advanced functionalities for creating landing pages in WordPress.

Most of the page builders are frontend editors whereas Gutenberg is a backend editor. Here’s how you can edit content in Gutenberg Content Editor.

And, below is how one of the best page builders, Beaver Builder, looks like when you’re editing a page:

Page builder blocks are truly drag and drop elements which support free-form dragging and dropping. Whereas, Gutenberg blocks support drag and drop only for reordering the blocks.

In simple terms, Gutenberg is a basic editing interface whereas page builders are advanced page editors. You can use both of them for cutting-edge landing pages in WordPress.

For a more detailed answer, please see our detailed explanation of Gutenberg vs WordPress Page Builders.

6. How can I update page builder content with Gutenberg?

Updating your content created with page builders should not be a problem. The method you use to update your content may vary from one page builder to another.

Therefore, you’ll need to contact your plugin provider for an updating tutorial.

Also, you can check their official website to find their announcements on Gutenberg support.

7. Does Gutenberg support shortcodes?

Yes, Gutenberg supports shortcodes. There’s a separate Shortcode block in Gutenberg to add content with shortcodes.

WordPress blocks are defined as an evolution of the [shortcode], so using regular Gutenberg blocks is recommended instead of shortcodes.

For example, you can add your WPForms to your posts or pages using a shortcode.

All you have to do is copy the shortcode from the Forms Overview screen, and then paste it in the Shortcode block on the post edit screen.

However, the better option is to use the WPForms Gutenberg block directly instead of pasting the form shortcode in the Shortcode block.

8. Who can I contact if something is broken after upgrading to Gutenberg?

Gutenberg should not ideally break anything on your site however conflict with your theme and plugins can cause some errors.

It’s always recommended to test your site on a staging area before upgrading to Gutenberg.

However, you may sometimes find unexpected errors. If this happens, you should first disable Gutenberg and activate the Classic editor on your site.

Then, contact your theme and plugin companies to request support.

9. How can I learn more about Gutenberg?

You can learn more about Gutenberg right here on WPBeginner. We are the best free WordPress resource website on the internet.

We’ve already published a number of articles on the new WordPress Block Editor aka Gutenberg. We’ll be publishing more tutorials in the future to help you master the new block editor.

We hope this article helped you find answers to the common Gutenberg questions on your mind. If you have further questions, please reach out to us by leaving a comment or by using the contact form on our website.

You may also want to see our list of the must have WordPress plugins and tools for every successful website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Common Gutenberg Questions Answered (WordPress 5.0+ FAQ) appeared first on WPBeginner.

Source: Wordpres

The post Common Gutenberg Questions Answered (WordPress 5.0+ FAQ) appeared first on TuneMaster.ml.

Tech IRL: 16 things you need to know for Wednesday, Jan 23

Here’s your daily tech digest, courtesy of DGiT Daily, for Wednesday, 23rd January, 2019.

The big story of the day is the Xiaomi dual-folding smartphone. Hadlee Simons has the story, but just look at it!

Here’s everything else happening:

1. Honor View 20 reviews went out late yesterday, and it’s been well received – the 48MP camera is very good, still no global pricing announced (Android Authority).

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2. LG teases touchless interface for upcoming smartphone (AA).

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3. Google is looking like it will kill off ad-blockers in Chrome. For safety, apparently. Also, Google makes a rather large amount of money from ads. Expect to hear more on this! (The Register).

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4. iFixit are reporting a “flexgate” issue with the Apple MacBook Pro: “the current generation of MacBook Pro laptops (2016–present) uses flexible ribbon cables to connect the display to a display controller board.” These are pulled tight every time you open the lid on the computer, and they appear to not last. And, they’re reportedly not replaceable. Hmm! (iFixit).

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5. Fender’s acoustic-electric hybrid is a technological wonder, says Engadget.

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6. Uber Rewards is rolling out. Here’s how the perks work (TechCrunch).

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7. Netflix ‘would lose 57% of their subscribers if they added commercials’ says a new study (Netimperative). (I believe the original report website has crashed under the load)

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8. Google is retiring “classic” Hangouts in October this year, and honestly if you can keep up with what’s happening to which Google messaging service, you’re doing well (G Suite blog).

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9. Microsoft is working hard to take on Chromebooks in the education space, new push includes a “Classroom Pen” for Surface devices (The Verge). Meanwhile, Google says it has 30 million Chromebooks in the classroom (Google Blog).

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10. A solid investigation into Glassdoor reviews reveals odd, massive spikes of mostly positive reviews. What’s going on? Employers asking employees to balance bad with good, gaming the whole thing (WSJ, plus Tweet thread).

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11. Supreme Court won’t hear Yelp defamation case that would threaten the free web (Gizmodo).

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12. The secret censorship holding back the sex toy industry (The Verge).

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13. NASA will attempt to knock an asteroid out of orbit for the first time in 2022 (Business Insider)

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14. Oscar nominations announced: ‘Roma’ and ‘The Favorite’ earn 10 noms (Variety). Is it almost cheating to call your movie The Favourite? It’s like naming your greyhound She’s The Fastest.

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15. Niagara Falls is starting to freeze over again and the photos are amazing (CNET).

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DGiT Daily: Your Tech Resource

In case you don’t know, the DGiT Daily delivers a daily email that keeps you ahead of the curve for all tech news, opinions, and links to what’s going down in the planet’s most important field. You get all the context and insight you need, and all with a touch of fun, and the daily fun element that you miss missing from this

Sign up right here to get the full email with much more into your inbox.

Source: Android Zone

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Withings Move review: Fitness tracking in disguise

What comes to mind when you think of the term fitness tracker? Most likely, it’s a silicone band that may or may not have a display, and it’s probably not all that attractive to wear at all times.

Withings has always had a different approach to fitness trackers. Its latest watches — the Withings Move and Withings Move ECG — hold to the idea that not all fitness wearables have to come in one form factor. Both of these new devices look like regular ol’ analog watches, but they’re much more than that.

Read our Withings Move review to find out why I’m not taking it off my wrist any time soon.

Withings Move review notes: I’ve been using the Withings Move (non-ECG model) for roughly two weeks. It’s been paired with my Google Pixel 3 for the duration of this review.

Show More

Withings Move design: Make it yours

As helpful as fitness trackers can be, they’re not particularly attractive. Many of them look like rubbery bracelets. That’s fine for some people, but I’d rather wear something that looks good at all times, not just when I’m at the gym. The Withings Move doesn’t look anything like a traditional fitness tracker — it’s first and foremost an analog watch and also has some fitness features built in.

The Move exudes the playful design language we’ve grown to love over the years from Withings. The colorful bands and round font give the watch a sense of personality you won’t find in many other watches. It’s made almost entirely of plastic, but it doesn’t really feel cheap.

The only downside to the all-plastic casing is that it isn’t the most durable material out there. The transparent piece of plastic protecting the watch face (usually referred to as “watch glass”) scuffs pretty easily. After just a few days of wear, it managed to accumulate a handful of scuffs after I knocked it against a door a few times. If you wear it every day for tracking your fitness, it likely won’t stay scratch-free for too long.

Some might be able to look past those durability issues though, because this watch is completely customizable. If you order from Withings.com, you can choose your own dial color, case color, activity hand color, and strap color — all free of charge. I wish more companies did this.

Similar to how Moto Maker operated, Withings will fulfill all U.S. orders right here in the U.S., so you shouldn’t have to wait long between your order date and ship date. All non-U.S. orders will be fulfilled in Europe.

The customization options are only for the standard Move though. Since the Withings Move ECG needs to be approved by the FDA before coming to market, Withings only offers the pricier watch in limited color options.

See also

Best Fitbit alternatives: Garmin, Misfit, Samsung, and more

Fitbit might be one of the most popular fitness tracking companies in the world, but it isn’t the only one out there. In fact, Garmin, Samsung, Misfit, and many other companies make comparable or even …

The Move is one of the few fitness trackers out there that doesn’t need to be charged. It runs on a CR2430 button-cell battery, which you’ll need to replace after about 18 months. Obviously I haven’t been able to test whether or not it can actually last that long, so we’ll have to take Withings’ word for it.

I ran into a slight issue a few days into my testing, though I’m not sure if it was battery related. I woke up one morning and noticed the watch stopped working at 5:30 a.m. I couldn’t get it to turn on again (I pressed the side button repeatedly every few hours) until about 3:30 that afternoon when it magically sprung back to life. It’s an odd problem, since the watch is effectively always on, so for some reason it just stopped working for that period of time. Withings has been notified about the issue and is looking into it. I’m not reviewing a retail model, so it’s possible devices purchased from Withings’ website won’t have this issue at all.

Withings Move fitness and activity tracking: Accurate, but limited

The Withings Move isn’t trying to be the most feature-packed fitness tracker, and that will probably turn some people away from it. It can keep track of basic things like steps taken, calories burned, and sleep, as well as distance traveled and elevation if you use the connected GPS feature.

Frankly I’m surprised connected GPS support is here — the Withings Move doesn’t even have a heart rate sensor, which is pretty standard in fitness trackers nowadays. Sure, wrist-based ones aren’t always the most accurate, but they help users form a more well-rounded view of health and sleep metrics.

Withings had to make some sacrifices for a device that costs under $70 and has 18-month battery life.

Related

2019 will be a great year for smartwatches and fitness trackers — here’s why

Smartwatches and fitness trackers have never been as cut-and-dry as smartphones because they’re not for everyone. Not everyone needs to track how many steps they take, and most of us certainly don’t need our wrists …

Withings’ General Manager Mathieu Letombe told Android Authority adding a heart rate sensor would not only make for a thicker device, but also increase cost and decrease battery life. I suppose keeping the watch at a price this low took some sacrifices.

Despite the Move being one of the simpler fitness trackers on the market, it can track a pretty wide variety of sport profiles. It will automatically track walking, running, swimming (the Move is rated to 5ATM), and biking, but you can also record over 30 miscellaneous activities like dancing, hiking, weight lifting, and yoga. The lack of a treadmill workout option is puzzling, but I guess you can always record that in the catch-all “other” category.

It’s hard to tell if activity trackers are accurately recording your calories burned or steps taken, but the Withings Move seems to be in the same ballpark as other devices like the Fitbit Charge 3 and Garmin Vivosport.

I found sleep tracking was hit or miss. On a few nights, the Move couldn’t accurately record when I fell asleep or woke up.

In the screenshot below, you’ll see the watch recorded me falling asleep at 11:21 p.m., though it was actually right at 11 when I fell asleep. I woke up at around 6:30 a.m. that next morning, but the Move said I woke up at 5:28 a.m. I also felt like I had a good sleep that night even though the Move told me my sleep quality was bad.

Most nights, sleep tracking is spot on. Below you’ll find the Withings Move’s sleep tracking compared to the Fitbit Charge 3’s. Note that the Move doesn’t account for REM sleep, though.

Sleep duration aside, the Withings Move is a pretty insightful sleep tracker. The most useful metric is Withings’ Sleep Score feature, which is similar to Fitbit’s feature of the same name. The fitness tracker rates your quality of sleep, duration, regularity, and number of interruptions, and combines all of those ratings to give you an overall sleep score between zero and 100. I’ve found it quite helpful, aside from the occasional variation in sleep quality — some days I wake up and feel like I had a great sleep, even though the Move doesn’t agree with me.

The Move will also display your sleep statistics in day, week, and month views so you can see how your sleep quality is progressing over time.

Withings Move smartwatch features

Other analog watch-fitness trackers offer at least some smartwatch features, but the Withings Move does not. You won’t receive a buzz on your wrist when your smartphone gets a notification, and you can’t set shortcuts to different actions like any of Fossil’s hybrid watches. It has a silent alarm feature, though.

I would have liked to see support for phone notifications here. It’s a feature many people value in their wearables, and frankly it’s now nearly standard on fitness trackers. Not everyone needs notifications on their wrists, but it wouldn’t hurt to at least give users the option to turn them on.

Also read: Fitbit Versa review: Just buy one already

The company says offering smartphone notification support is not a focus for either the Move or Move ECG, but it will keep us updated if anything changes.

Withings Move specs

	Withings Move and Withings Move ECG
Materials	Case: plastic Bottom case: stainless steel Band: silicone
Storage	Free/unlimited online data storage with a Withings account 5 days of local storage of data between syncs
IP rating	5ATM
Battery	Up to 18 months (CR2430)
Connectivity	Bluetooth Low Energy Connected GPS
Compatibility	iOS 10 or later / Android 6.0 or later

Withings Health Mate app

Withings’ Health Mate app is clean and simple. Frankly it’s been a joy to use over the past few weeks.

It all starts with Timeline, the section you see when you first boot up the app. It’s a bit simpler than Garmin’s My Day view, and gives you a better view of your activity over time than Fitbit’s Dashboard view. In the Timeline, you’ll see your daily steps, sleep, and basically every other activity stat the app records. You can also keep scrolling down to see activity metrics from previous days.

The Dashboard section is simple. This is where you’ll see your most recent metrics on steps taken, sleep, weight measurements, heart rate, calorie burn, and more. Additionally, you can manually record your weight, activity, heart rate (using your phone’s camera and LED), blood pressure, and nutrition from both the Dashboard and Timeline views. Health Mate doesn’t actually have meal tracking built in, so you’ll be prompted to download MyFitnessPal if you want to record your food and beverage intake.

See also

15 best Android fitness apps for Android!

There isn’t much you can do for your body that is better than getting in shape, staying in shape, and working out. It lowers all of the bad things (cholesterol, blood pressure, etc) and heightens …

Health Mate also offers a number of programs to help you dig deeper into your health. You can join a leaderboard and challenge your Withings product-owning friends, though this ecosystem isn’t nearly as robust as the Fitbit Community. It should be just fine for the casual user, though.

There’s even a built-in pregnancy tracker to give women health advice and an easy way to track their weight throughout their pregnancy.

If you’re already invested in a health app and aren’t keen on switching to Health Mate, a limited number of third-party services are compatible with Withings’ app. You can connect your account to Google Fit, RunKeeper, MyFitnessPal, and Samsung Health if you prefer to use those services instead. Health Mate can also hook up to IFTTT and Nest if you want to, say, turn on your lights when the watch senses you’ve woken up.

Withings Move price and competition

The Withings Move shouldn’t be overlooked for those considering a cheap fitness tracker. I love the way it looks, and since it’s so customizable there’s a good chance you will too. It gets out of your way as much as possible, and I think that’s important. It doesn’t feel like I’m wearing a fitness device when I put on the Move. It feels like I’m putting on a watch — my watch — and only I know it’s actually much more than that.

The Withings Move tries to get out of your way as much as possible, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.

If you’re a runner or someone who needs more advanced features like a heart rate monitor or built-in GPS, you’ve probably already realized this device isn’t for you. If you simply want to track your daily activity and health, I don’t think you can go wrong with the Withings Move.

However, there are a few other cheap fitness trackers out there worth considering if you need something with a different set of features. The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is crazy cheap at around $30. The Garmin Vivofit 4 and Fitbit Flex 2 are also worth considering. If you don’t mind spending a little more, you might want to check out the Fitbit Charge 3, too. It has many more sensors baked in and gives you smartphone notifications.

If you’re interested, the Withings Move is available on Amazon and Withings.com for $69.95, but you’ll only be able to customize it on Withings’ site. Also, stay tuned for our full Withings Move ECG review if the idea of having an electrocardiogram strapped to your wrist interests you.

Next: Fitbit vs Garmin: Which ecosystem is right for you?

Source: Android Zone

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