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6 things Amazon’s Fire Phone can do that your smartphone can’t

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Jeff Bezo's Fire Phone may look gimmicky, but it's got some cool tricks the iPhone doesn't
Jeff Bezo's Fire Phone may look gimmicky, but it's got some cool tricks the iPhone doesn't. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

Amazon introduced its first smartphone to the world this morning and while the jury is still out on whether its incredible Dynamic Perspective feature is a UI revolution or just another 3-D gimmick, Jeff Bezos and the Amazon team have pumped Fire Phone full of features that could make it more than just the world’s best buying machine.

From Firefly’s compulsive-purchasing features to Mayday’s instant tech-support tether, Fire Phone has a few tricks up its sleeve that we weren’t expecting. But will that be enough to convince consumers to buy one of the AT&T-exclusive phones?

Check out these six things your iPhone and Android can’t do, but Fire Phone can:

Amazon’s Fire Phone is ready to roast Apple

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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveils the Fire Phone at a press event Wednesday in Seattle. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveils the Fire Phone at a press event Wednesday in Seattle. Photo: Roberto Baldwin/The Next Web

Years of speculation are finally over: Amazon is taking on the iPhone with a handset of its own that offers advanced features and a tight integration with Amazon Prime.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos triumphantly pulled the new Fire Phone from his pocket this morning in front of a Seattle crowd of 300 reporters and Prime fanatics, revealing a new handset that looks like an iPhone but houses tons of Amazon special features to set it apart from Apple’s and Samsung’s top wares.

To do battle with the iPhone and Apple’s enormous ecosystem, Bezos says Amazon chose a 4.7-inch screen for the device after testing models between 4.3 inches and 5.5 inches. Like the iPhone 5s, the Fire Phone uses Gorilla Glass 3 for the front display, but Amazon has wrapped the enclosure in an injection-molded rubber frame.

Déjà vu: Apple and Samsung working together to end patent war

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Like warring divorcees who are trying to make it work “for the kids” Apple and Samsung are reportedly attempting to find “common ground” that will let them end their ongoing legal battles.

The report comes from the Korea Times, which cites sources “familiar with the negotiations.” According to the newspaper, both sides are trying to be “more practical” about finding a solution, since Apple would ideally like to continue using Samsung as one of its main parts suppliers — possibly for the long-awaited iWatch.

Sunrise calendar lets you connect Songkick, Evernote, Tripit and more

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If you aren’t already using Sunrise to manage your calendars on Android and iOS, then you’re doing something wrong. It’s the prettiest (certainly on Android) and most impressive calendar app, and it just got even better.

A new update that’s rolling out today lets you connect to services like Songkick, Evernote, Tripit and more to automatically add upcoming tasks and events to your schedule.

Like the original iPhone, Amazon’s smartphone will be an AT&T exclusive

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We’ve been waiting years for Amazon’s challenger to the iPhone to finally surface, but unless you’re on AT&T you’ll have to wait a while to get Amazon’s crazy 3D phone in your pocket.

Like the original iPhone before it, Amazon plans to launch its first smartphone as an AT&T exclusive, reports the Wall Street Journal who has talked to “people familiar with the plans.”

The best in PC gaming finally arrives for your tablet

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If you’re ready to play big-name triple-A PC games on a mobile tablet, gaming companies WikiPad and OnLive have you covered.

Using game-streaming technologies from OnLive’s CloudLift service, the Wikipad 7 will allow you to play full high-end PC games, both single and multiplayer from any digital download service like Steam. The service will extend to the just announced Wikipad Gamevice controller, which will give you the same controller system for Apple’s iPad mini, letting you play games you never thought you’d be able to on a smaller mobile device.

Samsung’s virtual reality headset could be named Gear VR

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Samsung’s scattershot business plan of trying to come out with its own version of whatever tech other companies are working on meant that it was only ever going to be so long before Samsung announced its entry into the virtual reality headset market.

Sure enough, last month we reported that the South Korean company is in the process of developing VR technology that will work alongside Galaxy devices — and how it is desperate to get the product to market before Facebook and Sony launch their Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus headsets. Now it seems that Samsung’s plans are taking shape, as the company has filed an application to trademark the name “Gear VR.”

Parallels Access remote is now available on iPhone and Android

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As one of the best-known remote-desktop clients for the iPad, Parallels Access has now expanded into the iPhone and Android space with Parallels Access 2.0.

Described by Parallels president Yakov “Jack” Zubarev as “the most reliable way to to remotely access all Windows and Mac applications from your phone or tablet,” apps accessed via Parallels Access should provide the same experience as a desktop computer — only on a smaller screen and using the taps, swipes and pinch-to-zoom gestures you’re used to dealing with on mobile.

Nest Protect smoke alarm back on sale for $99

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Nest Labs’ smoke and carbon monoxide detector, Nest Protect, was recently recalled due to a potential safety issue which meant that the alarm could be unintentionally deactivated.

Jump forward a few months and Nest has resumed sales of the device — fixing the problematic feature via both a hardware and software update. Even better, the units now cost just $99, down from the previous price point of $129.

Daily Show ‘investigates’ why people hate Google Glassholes

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Google Glass “explorers” have not integrated well into society.

There have been bar fights, street fights and subway nightmares thanks to the awkward face computers unleashed by Google, but Sarah Slocum and a group of Glassholes are convinced they’ve been unfairly targeted in hate crimes that had nothing to do with being a rude techies.

The Daily Show sent Jason Jones to investigate the group’s claims, who in turned tried to convert Jones with the joys of browsing the internet on your face. Jones of course had to try to the tech for himself, but at $1500 a pop, opted for a more homemade solution.

Watch the hilarious segment below:

Beats Music updates its Android app, despite Apple ownership

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Apple may have bought Beats, but that’s apparently not enough to stop Beats cutting support for its Beats Music Android app, which just received a notable update.

The update adds a new landscape mode, as well as the ability to save offline downloads to an external SD card, and transfer offline downloads between an SD card and internal device storage.

Google to invest ‘hundreds of millions of dollars’ in Virgin Galactic

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Google is planning to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Virgin Galactic to gain access to satellite launch technology and an equity stake in the company, Sky News reports.

The deal, which is believed to be in its final stages, is thought to be part of Google’s plan to put hundreds of satellites in space that will provide Internet access to billions of people.

Amazon integrates Audible into Kindle for Android and iOS

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Amazon today introduced Whispersync for Voice to its Kindle apps for Android and iOS, allowing users to switch between reading and listening inside just one app. The feature combines Kindle ebooks with their companion Audible titles using Amazon’s one-click Matchmaker service, and upgrades will cost as little as $0.99 per title.

Samsung plots to beat iPhone 6 with high-end Galaxy F

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All is fair in love, war, and smartphone launch dates!

According to a new report, Samsung is rushing ahead with its Samsung Galaxy F smartphone in order to release it at the same time as Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 6, which is set to debut this September.

The Galaxy F — which will be the premium model of Samsung’s flagship Android phone — will feature major improvements in screen resolution, processing speed and the camera, with 1440 x 2560 QHD resolution on its 5.3-inch screen, a quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor under the hood, and a 16MP rear-facing camera with OIS.

Uber rich: App-based taxi service is valued at $17 billion

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Want proof of just how much app-based solutions can disrupt established businesses? Try the fact that Uber, the Android- and iOS-based alternative to traditional taxi services, has just been valued at $17 billion.

The valuation comes on the back of a new round of venture funding for the 5-year-old company, which saw investors pour in another $1.2 billion. This makes Uber one of the most valuable startups in tech history.

You’ll need a Yahoo account to use Flickr from June 30

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If you’re a Flickr user you might be annoyed by Yahoo’s latest power play, which removes third party logins — meaning that from June 30 you’ll no longer be able to log in to your account using your Facebook or Google ID.

Yahoo claims that it’s so that the service can offer “the best personalized experience to everyone,” but it seems a pretty shameless way of getting users to sign up for Yahoo accounts (which you’ll now need to sign up to, or keeping using, the service). While Yahoo announced that this would be happening earlier this year, this is the first time we’ve had an actual date to put with the report.

You can finally control music volume from your Pebble

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You can now use your Pebble to control music volume on your smartphone and tablet, thanks to a new Pebble app update that’s available now on iOS (and coming soon to Android). It’s accompanied by a version 2.2 firmware update for Pebble watches, which also adds the ability to reorganize the Launcher Menu.

Google and Apple fight to make it harder for the NSA to take your data

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One year on from the Edward Snowden NSA leaks, a group backed by tech companies including Google and Apple, called Reform Government Surveillance, is publishing a letter demanding that the Senate strengthen its NSA reform bill as recently passed through the House.

In addition to Google and Apple, CEOs who signed the letter include the heads of AOL, Dropbox, Yahoo, Twitter, Microsoft, Facebook and LinkedIn. The letter, which will be published tomorrow, notes that the upper chamber of Congress has the “opportunity to demonstrate leadership and pass a version of the USA Freedom Act that would help restore the confidence of Internet users.”

iPad comes first in Pornhub tablet stats

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Apple has always been keen to point out that iOS users spend more time with their devices than those who choose Android, but what exactly are they doing with them? According to statistics from Pornhub, one of the biggest and most successful free porn sites with 38 million users a day (did it need an introduction?), many of them are enjoying porn.

Motorola to close Texas smartphone factory

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Motorola has confirmed it will close its smartphone factory in Fort Worth, Texas, The Wall Street Journal reports. The plant, which employed 700 staff and was responsible for the assembly of devices customized with Moto Maker, is unsustainable due to weak sales and high costs.