smartphone News - Page 39 of 74 - CNX Software

June 22, 2016June 22, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

VLC for Android 2.0 Released with Network Shares, Multi-windows, Better Codec Support, and More

VLC / VideoLAN is a popular desktop video player for Linux and Windows, and it’s the program I go to when I want to watch a local video on my computer. VLC also has an Android version, but last time I checked VLC in an Android TV box, I was disappointed due to the lack of SAMBA support, and video decoding support was pretty poor on Rockchip RK3368 processor at the time. The good news is that the developers have now released VLC for Android 2.0, which brings several improvements including: Support for network browsing including DLNA/UPnP, Windows Shares (SAMBA), FTP(S), SFTP, and NFS Multi-windows/pop-up video with support for Samsung MultiWindow and LG Dual Window extensions New asynchronous hardware decoder, and codecs and formats support updates. Subtitle downloads via OpenSubtitles from VLC interface without having to go to the website inside a web browser Right-To-Left and Complex Text Layout subtitles […]

June 15, 2016June 15, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

OnePlus 3 Smartphone Launched Together With Source Code

Most smartphone manufacturers will drag their feet to release GPL source code, unless you go with Google Nexus or Android One smartphones. OnePlus is another exception as they have just launched OnePlus 3 smartphone, and released the source code the very same day as the hardware launch. OnePlus 3 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad core ARMv8 processor with two “Gold” cores up to 2.2 GHz, two “Silver” cores up to 1.6 GHz, Adreno 530 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.0, and Vulkan, and Hexagon 680 DSP @ up to 825 MHz System Memory – 6GB LPDDR4 Storage – 64GB UFS 2.0 flash Display – 5.5″ 1920 x 1080 optic AMOLED touchscreen display; Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Audio – 3.5mm audio jack; bottom facing speaker; dual microphone with noise cancellation; Dirac HD sound technology Cellular Networks GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz North America model: WCDMA: Bands […]

June 10, 2016June 10, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Lenovo Phab 2 Pro Tango-Enabled Smartphone to Sell for $500 in Q3 2016

Project Tango uses computer vision to enable mobile devices to detect their position relative to the world using 3D maps of the world created in real-time using 3D depth cameras. Google and Lenovo had already announced a Tango phone would be launched later this year during CES 2016, and the companies have now officially introduced Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, the world’s first Tango-enabled smartphone, scheduled to start selling worldwide in September for $499 and up. Lenovo Phab Pro 2 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 Tango Edition processor with 4x ARM Cortex A72 cores @ up to 1.8 GHz, 4x ARM Cortex A53 cores, and Adreno 510 GPU System Memory – 4GB RAM Storage – 64GB flash Display – 6.4″ display with 2560×1440 (QHD) resolution Audio – Dolby Atmos / 5.1 audio capture via 3 microphones with 360 voice noise-cancelling (Note: How can you record 5.1 audio with only 3 […]

May 27, 2016May 27, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

ZTE Axon 7 Snapdragon 820 Smartphone To Support Google Daydream VR

Google announced Daydream virtual reality platform at Google I/O 2016 a few days ago, and now ZTE has announced the first phone compatible with Daydream, namely Axon 7 powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4 to 6 GB RAM, and 64 to 128 GB flash. Their will be three versions of the phone: basic, standard and premium editions with the following key features and hardware specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad core ARMv8 processor with two “Gold” cores up to 2.15 GHz, two “Silver” cores up to 1.6 GHz, Adreno 530 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.0, and Vulkan, and Hexagon 680 DSP @ up to 825 MHz System Memory and Storage 4GB RAM, 64GB flash, and micro SD slot up to 128GB OR 6GB RAM, 128GB flash, and micro SD slot up to 128GB Display – 5.5″ 2560 x 1440, WQHD AMOLED, 2.5D; Premium: […]

May 25, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

OtterBox uniVERSE Modular Case System & Tapit Customizable Tactile Keyboard Case for Smartphones

Two innovative cases for smartphones have been introduced very recently: OtterBox uniVERSE modular case system which allows you to add various modules in a similar fashion to what Project Ara promises, and Tapit case adding a flexible keyboard on top of your smartphone case. OtterBox uniVERSE modular case system The company offers a protective case for your phone for $50 to $60, and you can add modules as needed from the following selection: Square Contactless & Chip Reader, $49.99 – To accept credit cards and contactless payments on the go olloclip 4-in-1 lens, $79.99 – Fisheye, wide-angle, 10x and 15x lens options SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive, $59.99 to $119.99 – 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of additional capacity Nite Ize Steelie Vent Mount Kit, $39.99 – Mount your smartphone to a vehicle vent for hands-free use Goal Zero Slide Battery, starting at $59.99 – Extra battery Manatee Works StingRay Barcode Scanner, […]

May 19, 2016May 18, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Android N Developer Preview 3 Adds VR Support, Instant Apps, and Sustainable Performance Mode

Google has also unveiled the third Android N Developer Preview at Google I/O 2016, and the first “beta quality” release, available on Nexus 6, 9, 5X, 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel C, and Android One as a “seamless updates” if you opt-in to the Android Beta Program in order to get an over-the-air update with the very latest firmware. Google wants Android N to be faster, safer and more productive. The first two previews addressed performance with a new JIT compiler and Vulkan 3D graphics API support, productivity with multi-window support and direct reply from notifications, as well as security thanks to seamless updates bringing the latest security patchsets to your phones in a timely manner. The third preview brings fixes, and some interesting new features: VR Mode in Android – Google has modified and augmented the Android stack in N to reduce lag between sensor data readings (e.g. head motion) […]

May 18, 2016May 18, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Programming ESP8266 Boards with a Smartphone

In recent days, I wrote about low cost MCU boards such as the $2 BluePill, and the One Dollar Board project, but several people commented that while the board themselves are very cheap, it might still be a problem in some developing countries, where access to computers cannot be taken for granted. So person suggested that such initiative would work better in some countries if programming was possible via a smartphone instead. Is that true? According to a 2014/2015 study by Pew Research Center, there is some truth to it, but it varies greatly between countries. For example, 55% of Brazilian adults own a computer at home, while only 24% own a smartphone, but in Kenya only 8% own a computer at home, while 15% own a smartphone. Some devices in the “cellphones but not smartphones” might be feature phones with WiFi and a web browser. Anyway ideally a low […]

May 12, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Asus Zenfone Go TV Android Smartphone Includes a DVB-T2 & ISDB-T TV Tuner

Asus has introduced Zenfone Go TV Android 5.1 mid-range smartphone that only stands out thanks to its built-in digital TV tuner supporting DVB-T2 and ISDB-T standards letting you watch terrestrial digital TV on the go without needing Internet connection. Asus Zenfone Go TV (ZB551KL) specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8928) quad core Cortex A7 processor @ 1.4GHz with Adreno 305 GPU System Memory – 2GB LPDDR3 Storage – 16GB/32GB eMMC Flash, MicroSD card slot up to 64 GB Display – 5.5″ TFT display with capacitive touch panel; 1280×720 resolution, Gorilla Glass 3; 450nits brightness Tuner – SONY SMT-EW100 Digital TV (DTV) tuner supporting DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-T2 Lite, ISDB-T, ISDB-Tmm Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n WiFi; Bluetooth V4.0+EDR +A2DP; GPS, GLONASS, AGPS & BDS Cellular Connectivity Dual Micro SIM card with Sual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) support Network Standard – WCDMA/TD-SCDMA/TDD-LTE/FDD-LTE Data Rate – LTE Cat4 – UL 50 / DL […]