One cold, dreary afternoon in 2014, Jordan Temkin took his drone to Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado. He put on a pair of goggles that filled his view with the live video feed from the drone’s tiny camera.
He’d built the drone frame from scratch…
Google has a history of not playing nicely with Microsoft. The company has previously posted publicly about their competitor’s software vulnerabilities, and understandably, Microsoft hasn’t been very happy about it. But now, the company has turned th…
On October 16th, Huawei announced its latest smartphone, the Mate 10, alongside a Porsche Design-ed version of the same device. In previous years, the phone might have been seen as little more than a me-too clone of Samsung’s Galaxy Note. But these d…
Google announced last year that it was going to add support for Visa Checkout to Android Pay. It didn’t say when the integration was live as the company was still working on integrating the two services back then. Almost one year after the initial announcement was made, Visa Checkout is finally supported on Android Pay.
The company was aiming to have the services integrated by early this year but that didn’t happen for some reason. Perhaps it took more time than expected or the company just put it on the back burner and worked on more important things.
Visa Checkout was spotted in a demo at Google’s I/O Developers Conference earlier this year in May but even then it wasn’t confirmed when Visa Checkout would be available for Android Pay users.
The screenshots that are now available online show that Android Pay users can go through the process and setup Visa Checkout with Android Pay. This will enable Android Pay users to use Google’s payment service where there’s a Visa Checkout button when they’re shopping online on their smartphone.
Their billing and shipping information will be added automatically and they will just have to complete the purchase by authorizing it with a touch on the fingerprint scanner.
Android Pay Visa Checkout Integration Is Finally Live , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Lenovo-owned Motorola launched its Moto X4 mid-range smartphone at the IFA 2017 trade show in Berlin this September. The handset’s availability is limited in the United States. Motorola did say that it will be available unlocked via the company’s website. There’s also an Android One version of the Moto X4 that’s available on Project Fi. Starting today, there’s also an Amazon Prime-exclusive version of the Moto X4.
Amazon sells several handsets under its Prime Exclusive brand. They’re priced slightly lower than what they would normally cost but there’s a reason for that. Customers who pick up Prime Exclusive devices have to see ads on the lock screen. If they are comfortable with making this trade-off in exchange for a lower price, then Amazon will happily sell them a discounted handset.
These Prime Exclusive smartphones aren’t bootloader unlocked so it’s not terribly easy to flash a custom ROM or modify the firmware in a way that no ads are displayed on the lock screen but it’s not like people don’t try to find a way around that.
Customers will need an Amazon Prime subscription if they want to purchase this variant of the Moto X4. It’s going to be available for purchase from Amazon starting at 10 PM PST for $329. Amazon is selling the handset at a $70 discount from the usual price. The handset is going to work on all major carriers in the United States, that includes Verizon and Sprint.
Moto X4 Is Now An Amazon Prime Exclusive , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
LG revealed its high-end tethered virtual reality headset at the Game Developer Conference early this year. The company didn’t say what the headset would be called once it got out of the prototype stage and was actually made available to customers. The prototype was referred to as the LG VR HMD or head mounted display. A trademark filing has now been discovered which might reveal what this headset is actually going to be called.
LG has filed a new trademark application with the European Union Intellectual Property Office for the term “LG UltraGear.” The description reveals that this trademark is being sought for a “Head-mounted holographic displays; Virtual Reality headsets.”
LG’s new virtual reality headset will be tethered, meaning that it’s going to require a PC to function, much like the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. The headset is going to leverage the SteamVR tracking technology from Valve.
The prototype’s specifications included two 3.65 inch OLED display with 1440×1280 pixel resolution and a refresh rate of 90Hz. The resolution will be higher than what you get with the Vive and the Rift. However, whether or not the figures will remain the same for the consumer version remains to be seen.
LG hasn’t really said much about the LG VR HMD since unveiling it earlier this year so it’s unclear when the company is going to launch it and how much it’s going to cost when it finally does arrive.
LG’s Upcoming High-End VR Headset Might Be Called LG UltraGear , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
The Android 8.0 Oreo update has been out for a while now. However, given the fragmented nature of Android, it’s going to be a while before most devices get the latest iteration of Google’s mobile platform. Sony has now confirmed when the Xperia XZ Premium Android Oreo update is going to be released. Those who own this handset will have to wait until December to get a taste of Oreo on the Xperia XZ Premium.
Sony launched the Xperia XZ Premium earlier this year in February. The handset features a 5.5 inch 4K HDR display with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor under the hood. It also features 4GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage as well as a 19 megapixel rear and 13 megapixel front camera.
The confirmation comes from Sony Japan so it’s likely talking about the release timeframe for the Xperia XZ Premium Android Oreo update in Japan only. However, it’s quite possible that the handset will receive this update in other markets around the same time as well.
All features and improvements that are part and parcel of the Android 8.0 Oreo update will be included in this release. Some of the software features that Sony introduced with the Oreo-powered Xperia XZ1, like the 3D creator, will be landing on the Xperia XZ Premium as well with the Oreo update.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium Android Oreo Update Will Arrive In December , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Google normally promises Android device owners OS updates for two years. This means that the handsets are eligible for two major Android platform releases from the day they’re released. However, it seems like the company is relaxing the rules a bit for its new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL flagship smartphones. Google Pixel 2 OS updates will actually be supported for three years.
Other Android devices have only been promised security patches for three years. So they may only get two major Android platform upgrades in the two years after they’re released, but users can rest assured that their devices will receive security patches for at least three years.
Google has updated its support page to confirm that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will receive three years of OS and three years of security updates.
This is a great way for Google to boost the competitiveness of its hardware. Users who want to get the maximum OS support for their handsets will now be enticed to purchase the Pixel 2, given that they will be promised three years of OS support.
Whether or not Google will extend the same courtesy to OEM devices remains to be seen, though I’m sure all Android users would want the same guarantee as well.
Google Pixel 2 OS Updates Will Be Supported For Three Years , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Verizon confirmed earlier this year that it’s going to launch an online TV streaming service that’s going to compete with the likes of Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, and DirecTV Now. Many had expected that the company would roll out its very own standalone TV streaming service this year but that’s not likely now. According to a new report, Verizon has decided to delay the launch of its live TV streaming service.
Bloomberg reports that the timing of the launch is tentative and that Verizon is now looking to launch its TV streaming service in spring 2018. There’s also the possibility that the launch could be postponed further if negotiations for streaming rights, as well as technology reboots, require additional time.
The scribe also mentions that while Verizon has shared its online TV service plans with the networks, it hasn’t finalized the agreements that it needs with them. Until there are no agreements, Verizon’s live TV service is not going to have any content.
Previous reports have also suggested that the launch has been delayed. The scribe mentions that these repeated delays have started giving the impression that Verizon has strategically drifted from these plans. With no agreements in place with top media companies, one can argue that this seems to be the case now.
There hasn’t been any update from Verizon on the matter as yet so nothing is set in stone so far.
Verizon’s Online TV Service Reportedly Delayed , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
It was first rumored last month that Google’s parent company was thinking about investing in ride-hailing platform Lyft. The rumors have turned out to be true. CapitalG, Alphabet’s growth investment fund, is leading a $1 billion investment round in Lyft. This latest financing round puts Lyft’s post-money valuation at $11 billion. Post-money valuation is a company’s value after financing from outside sources is added to its balance sheet.
This isn’t surprising at all. Google starting developing its self-driving car technology pretty early on. The autonomous driving efforts are now concentrated under Waymo, a division that’s now a part of Alphabet.
Alphabet is clearly interested in self-driving cars. Waymo previously confirmed that it’s going to work on a self-driving car project with Lyft. The $1 billion injection goes to show that the two companies are committed to taking their relationship forward.
It’s not like Google hasn’t invested in Uber as well. The company poured nearly $250 million in Uber back in 2013. The two companies though about collaborating on self-driving car technology back then. Things between Google and Uber have taken a turn for the worse, though.
Waymo and Uber are involved in a legal dispute as Waymo alleges that Uber is using its trade secrets for its self-driving car sensors.
Lyft has achieved new milestones this year. The company completed its 500 millionth ride this year and it’s service is now available to 95 percent of the U.S. population. The figure was at 54 percent at the start of this year.
Lyft Gets $1 Billion From Google’s Parent Company , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
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