Dec 28

OnePlus Teases Oreo Open Beta For The OnePlus 5T

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Recently OnePlus started to roll out the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the OnePlus 5 and for those who are using the OnePlus 5T, it looks like it could soon be your turn. In a tweet sent out by OnePlus’ Germany account, it seems that they are teasing that the open beta for Android 8.0 Oreo for the OnePlus 5T could be coming soon.

Note that this is the open beta and not the final build, which means that there could potentially still be some bugs left, but at the same time the company seems to be pretty confident enough to open up the beta to OnePlus 5T users who wouldn’t mind participating in it. No word on when it will be released, but based on the image in the tweet (see above) it looks like it should already be available, or at least not too far off.

So far only the Germany account has tweeted this piece of news, but we expect that once it starts rolling out it should eventually reach to other markets that the OnePlus 5T is available in. There is no telling when the final build will be made available following the open beta, but hopefully it won’t be too long, assuming that the beta testing goes according to plan.

So far Android 8.0 Oreo isn’t off to a great start, having only been installed on 0.5% of Android devices to date, but we are seeing more OEMs starting to push out the update so hopefully those numbers will increase the next time Android’s stats are updated.

OnePlus Teases Oreo Open Beta For The OnePlus 5T , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

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Dec 28

Netflix Teams Up With WhatsApp To Communicate With Customers

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While WhatsApp has been used by certain businesses to communicate with their customers, this is done in an unofficial way. However in recent times we’ve started to see WhatsApp introduce new features to cater to businesses, such as giving verified business accounts a green tick.

Now over in India, we’re starting to see real-world applications of how businesses could communicate with users over WhatsApp, starting with Netflix. It seems that in India, Netflix has started to use WhatsApp to reach out and communicate with their customers where they will use the platform to send account-related messages and also to make suggestions.

Given that some companies such as banks already use SMS to reach out to customers, the use of WhatsApp doesn’t seem all too different, although it seems that not many users on Twitter are too thrilled about Netflix reaching out to them every now and then. Right now it also appears that users can only receive messages from Netflix and cannot actually chat with the company through WhatsApp, at least for now, thus making it a little less useful than it could be, but perhaps that could change in the future.

In the meantime what do you guys think about this feature? Do you relish the idea of companies being able to reach out to you via WhatsApp to send promotional messages?

Netflix Teams Up With WhatsApp To Communicate With Customers , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

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Dec 28

Nintendo Thinks That DLCs Are A Good Fit For The Switch

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While Nintendo still has a very “Nintendo” way of doing things, the company is starting to change and listen to what their players want. For example they’ve started developing games for mobile after holding out for years, and with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, they actually introduced not just one, but two DLCs for the game.

This is something Nintendo has never done for the Zelda franchise before and certainly marks a shift in the way the company is approaching its games. While DLCs aren’t new territory for Nintendo, the company believes that DLCs are actually a great fit for the Switch. This is according to Shinya Takahashi, Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning and Development Division general manager who spoke to IGN in an interview.

According to Takahashi, “I think that titles that you download when you purchase have a very good compatibility with the idea of additional content. I believe the Nintendo Switch, compared to most of our recent hardware, makes some of the best use of the ability to download titles in their entirety, since it’s a console that you can also carry as a portable. We certainly like to think about which software titles would have a great value for additional content to be added.”

So far the Nintendo Switch has been off to great success, having managed to sell 10 million units worldwide in less than a year, as well as being named TIME’s top gadget of 2017.

Nintendo Thinks That DLCs Are A Good Fit For The Switch , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

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Dec 28

Nintendo Eyes Possibility Of New Joy-Con Designs, Switch Attachments

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The Nintendo Switch is a rather clever console, being able to dock to be used as a home console, while at the same time being small enough to be brought around as a portable console where thanks to its detachable Joy-Con controllers, it allows more than one player to play on the console at a time.

However it seems that Nintendo could have plans to expand on the console’s functionality in the future. Speaking to IGN, Shinya Takahashi, Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning and Development Division general manager has stated that it could be worth considering for the future different attachments that could be made for the console, or maybe even different Joy-Con designs.

This is reportedly after seeing the various fan-made mods and customizations that have been done for the Joy-Cons. “One of the great strengths of the Nintendo Switch is that though you can play it as a console, you can also separate these two controllers from the hardware. This gives us a lot of possibilities that we could consider for the future in terms of what you could attach. I think that that would be a really good time for us to think about some very different colors or designs applied to [Joy-Cons]. That might be interesting.”

Of course whether or not Nintendo goes through with this remains to be seen, but we certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Nintendo come up with some new attachment ideas for the Switch in the future.

Nintendo Eyes Possibility Of New Joy-Con Designs, Switch Attachments , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

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Dec 28

Man Accidentally Falls And Kills Himself While Playing A VR Game

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We’re sure many of you guys have come across hilarious videos on the internet of people playing virtual reality (VR) games, where they fall over themselves due to them being so into it. However it seems that over in Russia, one man actually ended up accidentally killing himself while playing a VR game.

According to the report, it seems that the 44-year old was playing a VR game when he tripped and fell through a glass table. Due to the wounds he suffered as a result of his accident, he died on the spot due to loss of blood, according to Yulia Ivanova, Senior Assistant to the Head of the Russian Investigative Committee.

“According to preliminary information, while moving around the apartment in virtual reality glasses, the man tripped and crashed into a glass table, suffered wounds and died on the spot from a loss of blood.” Additional reporting from RT World News claims that Russian news website Lentu.ru says that the man would have survived, had he not continued to play the game after suffering from his injuries, or so the medical examiner claims.

That does seem to be a bit odd, but regardless it does highlight the need to be careful and mindful of your surroundings when using technology as immersive as VR.

Man Accidentally Falls And Kills Himself While Playing A VR Game , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

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Dec 28

Blizzard Giving Away Five Free Overwatch Loot Boxes For The Holidays

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If you don’t relish the idea of spending money on purchasing loot boxes in Overwatch, you’ll be pleased to learn that Blizzard has announced that to celebrate the holidays, they will be giving gamers five free loot boxes each as long as they log into the game from now until the 1st of January, 2018.

However these aren’t your regular loot boxes because according to Blizzard, these are the winter loot boxes which are part of the game’s Winter Wonderland event. What this means is that there is now a chance for you to unlock the holiday-specific skins for your characters, so if you haven’t managed to collect them all yet then now is a good time to do so.

That being said, loot boxes have been under the spotlight in recent times and not necessarily in a good way. Games like EA’s Star Wars Battlefront 2 are being investigated by the authorities over allegations that the concept of loot boxes might be considered gambling, in which some authorities in Europe claim it to be.

Of course there are also others who argue that it isn’t and Blizzard themselves are no exception. Gamers have been complaining about the RNG nature of Overwatch’s loot boxes, although to Blizzard’s credit they have acknowledged it and did say that they are looking into it.

Blizzard Giving Away Five Free Overwatch Loot Boxes For The Holidays , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

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Dec 28

LG ThinQ Speaker With Google Assistant Announced

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When it comes to smart speakers, right now the major players are both Amazon and Google, where devices like the Amazon Echo Dot proved to be Amazon’s best-selling product across all categories during the holiday season. Both Apple and Samsung are expected to follow suit with their own devices as well.

However it looks like LG has beaten both companies to the punch as they have announced the LG ThinQ Speaker with Google Assistant. According to LG, “LG teamed up with Google to ensure that the LG ThinQ Speaker delivers all the conveniences that come with having a digital assistant at your side. And LG ThinQ Speaker isn’t only a smart companion, it is also a personalized voice-activated interface for LG’s smart home appliances.”

The company is also boasting that it will offer up “high quality” sound, but we reckon this will most likely be based on personal preference. Details and features about the ThinQ Speaker are scarce, but presumably it should be able to do pretty much what Google Assistant can do, which means that it should be similar in functionality to the Google Home lineup of smart speakers.

There is no word on pricing or availability just yet, but presumably additional details will be shared at CES 2018 which kicks off in the next week or so.

LG ThinQ Speaker With Google Assistant Announced , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

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Dec 28

LG Unveils New SK10Y Soundbar For The Home

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Just last week Samsung took the wraps off a new soundbar designed for the home, and given that LG and Samsung seem to compete more or less in the same space (think TVs, smartphones, displays, home appliances, and so on), we guess we can’t say we’re too surprised to learn that LG has announced a new soundbar of their own.

Dubbed the SK10Y, this is a new soundbar from LG that together with the company’s partnership with Meridian Audio, the speaker “benefits from innovative audio enhancements designed to deliver an unsurpassed listening experience”. It will be capable of putting out 550W of output and is supported by 5.1.2 channels, thanks to the use of Dolby Atmos technology.

According to LG, “A unique aspect of the technology is that ‘sound objects’ can be precisely placed anywhere in a three-dimensional space for an immersive sound from all directions, including the ceiling, which enhances realism and the effect of being in the middle of the action.” LG is also boasting that its design will allow the SK10Y to sit underneath LG’s OLED or Super UHD TV models seamlessly, while also offering access to a variety of connectivity options.

The company has not mentioned anything regarding price or availability, so if you want to learn more, do check back with us at CES 2018 where LG is expected to share more details.

LG Unveils New SK10Y Soundbar For The Home , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

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Dec 28

Arizona Can’t Ban Mexican-American Studies Anymore, Judge Says

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Dec 28

Force Media JF-PEACE 8K2660 Mobile Battery Charger

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Force Media JF-PEACE 8K2660

Force Media is bringing you their newest mobile battery charger, the JF-PEACE 8K2660. Designed for your smartphone, tablet and notebook, this mobile battery charger is equipped with a sturdy aluminum casing, a 4 stage battery level LED indicator, 1x USB Type-C in/out port, 2x USB Type-A out ports and a high-capacity 26800mAh battery.

Not to worry, the JF-PEACE 8K2660 also comes with various protection functions including overcharge, discharge, overheat, overcurrent, overvoltage and short-circuit. Measuring W188mm x D87.4mm x H23.4mm and weighing 640g, the JF-PEACE 8K2660 is available now for 14,800 Yen (about $130). [Product Page]

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