Xiaomi unveils new Android-powered 5-inch MI3, 47-inch smart TV in China

Xiaomi unveils new Androidpowered 5inch MiPhone 3, 47inch smart TV in China

We’ve had early previews thanks to leaks, but Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi — more recently known as the new home of former Google exec Hugo Barra — just took the wraps off of a new flagship Android phone and smart TV. The MI3 candy bar phone is available with either a 1.8GHz Tegra 4 processor (on China Mobile’s TD-SCDMA network) or Snapdragon 800 CPU (China Unicom and China Telecom, which are WCDMA and CDMA2000, respectively) that provide a 40 percent performance boost over the MI2S. It also sports a 5-inch 1080p IPS LCD built by Sharp or LG with “ultra sensitive touch” that works even when the user has wet hands or has gloves on. %Gallery-slideshow79640% %Gallery-slideshow79643%

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Source: Engadget Chinese, Xiaomi (MI3), (TV)

Path adds new privacy features and Premium subscription in 3.2 update, announces Deutsche Telekom partnership

Path 32 adds Private Sharing and Inner Circle, introduces Premium subscriptions

One of the benefits of Path when compared to social networks like Facebook and Twitter is that it’s more private than public. It’s only accessible via mobile app and the service limits you to 150 friends to encourage you to add just the people you know. Yet, it’s suffered a bit of privacy-related backlash due to the occasional hiccup and a private messaging feature that wasn’t so private. However, the latest 3.2 version of Path might rectify that perception — it’s added two features called Private Sharing and Inner Circle that lets users have more control over who sees their content. We’ll detail those along with a new Path Premium subscription model and a partnership with Deutsche Telekom after the break.%Gallery-slideshow79639%

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Source: App Store, Google Play, Path (1), (2)

Samsung SPH-L520 reaches the FCC, may be a Galaxy S4 Mini for Sprint

Samsung SPHL520 reaches the FCC, might be a Galaxy S4 Mini for Sprint

We’ve only seen hints of the Galaxy S4 Mini launching in the US through AT&T and Verizon, but a new FCC approval suggests that Samsung’s mid-size smartphone could reach Sprint as well. The filing reveals an SPH-L520 device with both a Sprint-native LTE frequency and a body that’s only slightly larger than the regular GS4 Mini. That sounds like a positive ID, although we won’t make too many presumptions — this could be a carrier-specific phone that happens to sport Mini-like dimensions. If the smaller Galaxy does arrive on Sprint, though, we won’t be caught off-guard.

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Source: FCC

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 S View covers hands-on

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 S View Covers handson

The S View cover made its debut as a protective-flip-case-with-a-window for the Samsung Galaxy S 4, and the accessory made enough of an impression that the Korean manufacturer decided to give it an even bigger presence on the Galaxy Note 3, as you’ll be able to grab one in a rather wide variety of different colors designed by . Just like the GS4 version, this cover integrates a removable back as a clever way of trimming down unnecessary thickness and making the whole combo look much more elegant.

So what makes this particular case stand out from the vast ocean of third-party models that will likely start floating around in the not-too-distant future? The “window” on the front takes advantage of a special film capable of recognizing S Pen touches. When the window lights up, you have the option to look at caller ID, time, date and temperature, and the notification bar — it looks a lot like an evolved quick glance screen from previous Galaxy flagships. It doesn’t actually show any of those notifications, but it will allow you to answer phone calls; you can also slide the S Pen to unlock the device (fingers work, though we had a hard time getting the screen to recognize our touch), which then allows you to slide over to an adjacent screen that offers large buttons for camera, music player and action memo access for jotting down notes without opening the cover. There’s no word of how much these will be priced, but if the GS4 version is any indication, we’d wager that functionality is apparently worth a few bucks. Have a look at our gallery showing off some of the different cover colors and functions below.

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Alexis Santos contributed to this post.

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Qualcomm takes on AirPlay with AllPlay wireless streaming

Qualcomm debuts AllPlay wireless audio streaming, takes on AirPlay

Looks like the Toq smartwatch isn’t Qualcomm’s only announcement today. At the chipmaker’s Uplinq conference in San Diego, CEO Paul Jacobs also announced AllPlay, a wireless audio streaming tech based on Qualcomm’s Alljoyn software framework. Like Apple’s AirPlay, the technology lets the user stream music from apps to compatible speakers, receivers or other devices. One of AllPlay’s first partners is Rhapsody, and Jon Irwin, president of the music service company, came on stage with Jacobs to demonstrate streaming Rhapsody tunes to several different speakers in the room.

Other AllPlay features include the ability to play different songs on different speakers and you can even have separate volume controls for each. According to Jacobs, AllPlay-compatible audio equipment is coming and an AllPlay SDK should be out before the end of the year. There’s no word yet on which hardware maker is on board. Nevertheless, it does seem like the media streaming space just got a lot more competitive.

[Image source: GigaOm]

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Source: GigaOm, Qualcomm

This is the pink Samsung Galaxy Note 3

This is the pink Samsung Galaxy Note 3

We’ve already given full hands-on treatment to the white and black Samsung Galaxy Note 3, but there’s one other color that didn’t get its fair share of attention: pink. Thankfully, we had the chance to see this particular hue after Samsung’s Unpacked event, and while we didn’t feel a need to add thousands of words to simply describe one color, it’s worth at least giving a small bit of attention to it for the interested parties out there. Take a quick peek below at our gallery of images and comparison shots.

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Alexis Santos contributed to this post.

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Verizon announces first US pre-order date for Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear: September 6th at 9AM ET

Verizon announces first US preorder date for Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear September 6th at 9AM ET

The Big Four (that’d be Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T) have all confirmed that they’ll be stocking Samsung’s newly-introduced Galaxy Gear and Galaxy Note 3, but none of ’em have been bold enough as to give us two precious details: pricing and availability. We’re still waiting for the damage, but VZW has come forward and alerted its customers that pre-orders will open up on September 6th. Given that the Note 3 just sailed through the FCC (and that the Gear is due to land in October), we’re guessing that you’ll have to wait anywhere from one to eight weeks for shipment. We’ll keep you posted if we hear anything more concrete.

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Via: Droid-Life

Source: Verizon Wireless

WSJ: BlackBerry sale likely to be wrapped up by November

WSJ BlackBerry sale likely to be wrapped up by November

Details about an eventual sale of BlackBerry are slowly but surely starting to pick up steam. Following a confirmation from the Waterloo-based company about it being open to seeking “strategic alternatives,The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that members of the board are “aiming to run a fast auction process” which could be finalized as early as November of this year. Sourcing the well-informed people familiar with the matter, the publication goes on to say that BlackBerry has narrowed its list of potential buyers, with the sales process “expected to begin soon.” We’ll see how long it takes for Thorsten Heins and Co. to find someone interested in the troubled brand, but something tells us it won’t be much longer before this story reaches its climax.

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Source: The Wall Street Journal

ITV Player for Android v3.1 now available on all Android devices

Samsung will get exclusive access to ITV's Player app on its Android devices

Remember the three-month exclusivity deal where only Samsung tablet owners could watch ITV Player? Well, now that it’s September, anyone with a Google-powered slate can get their The Jeremy Kyle Show fix. Along with axing the manufacturer restriction, the company has fixed various glitches including slow performance and video reset after commercial breaks. It’s available gratis from Google Play right now, just in time for this week’s X Factor.

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Via: The Digital Lifestyle

Source: Google Play

Skype for Windows Phone 8 now supports video messaging

Skype for Windows Phone 8 now supports video messaging

Fans of Skype for Windows Phone 8 can now record more than just voicemail: Microsoft has updated the app to support video messaging. Like on other platforms, Windows Phone users can send an unlimited number of video clips to their Skype contacts for free. There aren’t any other new features, but Skype members who prefer visual communication will likely want to grab the upgrade today through the Windows Phone Store.

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Via: Windows Phone Central

Source: Windows Phone Store