CES has brought us a whole host of new TVs that support HDR video, but like 4K, the content isn’t easy to come by right now. Fortunately, Google is going to change that by making HDR video available through YouTube.
Sprint will stop offering two-year contracts to smartphone customers
Sprint is set to match Verizon and T-Mobile by stopping offering two-year phone contracts to new customers, although two-year contracts for tablets will remain.
Bluetooth luggage lock will keep the TSA out of your pants
We can officially add luggage locks to the list of things we kind of never expected to get smart versions.
Case and lock maker Dog & Bone is bringing out a keyless, TSA-approved, Bluetooth travel padlock that’s designed to keep unwanted people from getting their dirty hands on your underwear and hoard of duty-free booze. The company is showing off their new device at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.
HTC answers rose gold iPhone 6s with pink One A9
HTC’s iPhone clone was missing one thing when it made its debut last October: a pink paint job. Now it’s gone one, giving Android fans a near-identical alternative to the rose gold iPhone 6s.
Razer’s first smartwatch isn’t quite as smart as it could be
Razer may be best known for its gaming accessories, but the company just launched its latest creation: an activity-tracking, notification-giving Nabu Watch, which works with both Android and iPhone.
Just don’t call it a smartwatch!
Remix OS is the freakin’ awesome Android desktop you’ve been waiting for
Android has long been available on desktops in some form, but it has never been done right. That’s going to change later this month with Remix OS, a platform that brings Android to almost any Mac and PC — and makes it usable by adding a familiar desktop interface.
Samsung confirms its Gear S2 watch will support iPhone
Samsung is making its Gear S2 smartwatch compatible with iPhone to give it an even great chance at competing with Apple Watch and Android Wear. Its latest wearable will get an update later this year that will make it iPhone-friendly.
Fitbit steps up its game to tackle Apple Watch, Android Wear
Fitbit has upped its game to take on Apple Watch and Android Wear with a brand new fitness tracker called Blaze. It packs a premium, smartwatch-like design with color display, and it promises to run for up to five days in between charges.
LastPass gets a fancy new look, emergency access, Sharing Center
LastPass, one of the best and most popular password-management clients, just got a major upgrade that brings a fancy new look, emergency access for trusted friends, and revamped password sharing through the new Sharing Center.
Smart gadgets are getting their own Wi-Fi standard in 2018
Which makes this the perfect time for the announcement of a new type of Wi-Fi called Wi-Fi HaLow, which is an extension of the upcoming 802.11ah Wi-Fi standard, designed to end up inside fitness trackers, home sensors and other smart gadgets.
Chief exec admits Samsung is in trouble this year
In a not-exactly-happy New Year message sent to employees, Samsung chief executive Kwon Oh-hyun has warned that growth will continue to slow over the course of 2016 — with the reason being weak global economies and increased competition from the likes of Apple.
Ford is bringing CarPlay and Android Auto to its newest vehicles
Ford has announced that both Apple’s CarPlay and Android Auto are set to be available for all its 2017 vehicles equipped with SYNC 3, beginning with the new Ford Escape.
Android’s design guru says iPhone interface is ‘heavy and burdensome’
The iPhone may have fundamentally changed Google’s plans for its Android smartphone platform, but according to Google’s design chief, the iOS homescreen layout — consisting of grids of apps icons — is disappointingly stagnant.
“[The iPhone] crystallised a lot of other things that were kind of stayed even by that point, like the rows of icons, which don’t scale very well,” Matias Duarte, Google’s vice president of design, told Wired. “This idea of a tiny grid that you manually curate starts to feel very heavy and burdensome.”
Apple could ink deal with Samsung and LG for future OLED iPhones
We’ve heard for years that Apple could incorporate OLED displays into next-generation iPhones, but over the past few months, those rumors have ramped up, suggesting that the power-sipping display technology could land as early as the iPhone 7.
Now, a new report buttresses those rumors, saying Apple is close to finalizing a supply agreement with Samsung and LG to give future iPhones OLED displays.
Here’s what the new, better Google Glass looks like
The FCC has given us our first glimpse at Google’s next-generation Glass headset today, thanks to a public filing that includes detailed photos of the new glasses aimed at enterprise.
Tony Fadell was put in charge of redesigning Google Glass into something non-nerds would actually want to wear, and based on the FCC’s images, it looks like his team has done just that. Not only is the new Google Glass slimmer and durable, it also touts a bigger display prism while packing a hinge that will allow wearers to fold it up during travel.
We still don’t know when or if Google will officially announce the headset, but based on the FCC documents, it appears that the device is nearly ready to launch.
Take a look at its internals:
Verizon’s new deal showers switchers with cash, data
Verizon Wireless is just about matching the deal other carriers have offered for a while to entice customers on other networks. It’s essentially offering to buy you out of your contract with up to $650 per line, less the trade-in value of your current device. But Verizon also has a few extra bonuses to brag about.
iPhone 6s Plus vs. Nexus 6P vs. Lumia 950 XL: Who wins the smartphone NASCAR?
If all of the big boys’ flagship phones – the iPhone 6s Plus, the Google Nexus 6P and Microsoft’s Lumia 950 XL – raced in NASCAR, which would be the fastest phone around? This speed-test video puts that concept to the test, making all three phones “run laps” to see which is the fastest.
Merry Christmas, Samsung! Apple wants another $180 million in damages
Although Samsung has vowed to take its patent fight with Apple all the way to the Supreme Court after welching on a deal to pay Cupertino $548 million in damages, Apple isn’t letting up its assult on the Galaxy-maker. As a Christmas present, Apple just asked for an additional $180 million in damages.
Trippy game Katamari Damacy rolls onto mobile at last
Describing the funky weirdness of Katamari Damacy has always been somewhat of a challenge. You play a pill-headed little person who must roll a big sticky ball around various environments, picking up weird stuff like rice candy, cows, and pencils, while taking your quests from some odd king-looking dude who speaks in an odd, english as a second language-flavored patois.
It’s bizarre, but super fun, and its coming to a mobile phone near you as Tap My Katamari on iOS and Android. Check out the teaser trailer below.
China defends its new anti-encryption law
China’s Foreign Ministry said today that U.S. tech companies have nothing to fear from the country’s new anti-terrorism law, which could require companies to create “back doors” in products, or to hand over encryption information to the Chinese government.
You’ll soon be able to listen to The Beatles on Apple Music and Google Play
Forget The Ed Sullivan Show, The Beatles are coming to Apple Music, Google Play, and a variety of other online streaming music services — and just in time for Christmas, too.
Starting Christmas Eve, the Fab Four will be available for your listening pleasure on Apple Music, Spotify, Slacker, Tidal, Microsoft’s Groove, Rhapsody, Deezer, Google Play, and Amazon Prime.
Judge rules in Apple’s favor in lawsuit about disappearing Android texts
Apple has claimed final victory in a lawsuit arguing that the company was purposely intercepting and failing to deliver texts sent from iPhones to Android owners.
The case was related to Apple’s iMessage service, which posed a challenge to Apple-to-Android switchers up until 2014, when Apple finally issued a fix for the problem.
Google’s new login feature replaces passwords with your phone
Remembering passwords is one of the biggest pains of modern tech living. Hundreds of geniuses at dozens of companies have been searching for an easier solution, but Google may be ready to unleash a new solution that uses your smartphone to replace passwords all together.
Google and Ford may be teaming up to build self-driving cars
Google is reportedly teaming up with Ford for a self-driving car project that will combine Ford’s vehicles with Google’s technology.
According to sources supposedly familiar with the plans, the deal will be announced at next year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January.
Target hopes for bull’s-eye with its mobile wallet
Target is reportedly looking to become a player in the mobile wallet game. The fourth largest retailer in the U.S. would be joining a market that’s quickly becoming pretty crowded. The next mobile payment solution on your smartphone very well could be Target Pay, though it can’t be confirmed at this time.