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ZTE now offers Verizon-compatible version of its Spro 2 pico-projector/LTE hotspot

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The ZTE Spro 2 is an odd (but probably useful) pairing between a pico-projector and an LTE hotspot. Oh, and it runs Android. With full access to the Google Play Store. And it has a 5-inch touchscreen. You’re probably intrigued by now.

Well, if your interest has been piqued, you should know that starting today there’s a version of the Spro 2 out which works with Verizon’s network. Up until this point you were only able to get an AT&T-compatible model, which retails for $499. Read more »

Facebook News Feed Preferences change to give you more control over what shows up

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The News Feed is one of the most important parts of Facebook, so this is pretty big news. The social network has announced that it’s giving its users more ways to tweak what shows up in the News Feed.

This comes by way of a revamped News Feed Preferences menu, which launches on iOS today and will become available for Android and the Web “over the coming weeks”. Read more »

Google just outed an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast

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Many competitors have been launched recently, but Google’s Chromecast streaming HDMI stick still rules this market, having netted 10 million sales last year alone. And today the company behind it has revealed an accessory that has the potential to make the Chromecast even more useful.

What you see above is an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast. Without it, the stick can only connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi. But if you don’t have Wi-Fi, or it simply isn’t convenient to connect your Chromecast to it for whatever reason, this neat little adapter is the solution. Read more »

LG G Pad F 8.0 arrives at US Cellular too

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After having so far made its way to both AT&T and T-Mobile, the LG G Pad F 8.0 has landed at yet another carrier. The company we’re talking about is US Cellular, which has started selling the tablet today.

It is priced at $129.99 with a new two-year contract. Alternatively, you can get it through an installment plan, in which case you shell out nothing upfront, followed by 24 monthly payments of $10.50. There’s no possibility to purchase the G Pad F 8.0 on a prepaid basis (at least not yet). Read more »

Apple is raising App Store prices in some countries and introducing new low-cost tiers

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Apple has sent an email to registered developers letting them know of some upcoming changes to pricing in certain territories. In four countries, prices in the App Store will increase within the next 36 hours.

These are Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey. In South Korea, the move is made because of a 10% value-added tax (VAT) which is now included in app prices. For developers based outside of South Korea, Apple will collect and pay that tax. Developers who are in South Korea will need to take care of this themselves. Read more »

Oppo Find 7 and Find 7a get big price cuts in the US until July 14

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Oppo’s Find 7 and Find 7a aren’t new devices anymore, as they were last year’s flagships for the Chinese company. That said, Oppo is still selling them, but at a steep discount – at least if you choose to buy one before July 14.

This applies if you’re in the US and order from Oppo’s official online store. If so, you can purchase a Find 7a for only $289, and the higher-end Find 7 for just $329. Read more »

Samsung is shaving $200 off the Galaxy Note 4′s full price until July 26

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If you’re in the US and are after Samsung’s top of the line phablet at the moment, here’s a deal that might interest you. The Korean smartphone maker has started a new promotion in the States today, one that will last until July 26.

It goes something like this. You purchase a Galaxy Note 4 at full retail price, and then Samsung will give you back $200 out of what you paid. Read more »

LG attaches a G4 to a drone, promo video ensues

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LG’s arm in Israel has decided to film a new promotional video for the G4. That in itself would be nothing out of the ordinary. What is a bit special in this case, however, is that most of the video is actually shot on the G4 itself. Which is strapped to a drone.

Now that drones are so hip and fashionable, LG thought its G4 should get some of that flying action too. Furthermore, the handset is filming its travels, so it can document what it’s seen. The music is dramatic, and the scenery is certainly spectacular. Read more »

AMD warns its Q2 sales are lower than anticipated

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AMD has issued a sales warning for the second quarter of this year. What this means is that the company expects its results for Q2 to show lower sales than initially forecasted. AMD is now advising investors that its actual sales for Q2 will be down 8% compared to the first quarter, more than the previous guidance which hovered around 3%.

If you’re wondering what may be to blame for the situation, it’s all apparently related to weaker than expected demand for PCs, according to the chip maker itself. Hence, its APUs (Accelerated Processing Units) have not sold as well as expected. Read more »

Withings adds automatic swim tracking to the Activite and Activite Pop

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If you love swimming as well as Withings-made activity trackers, this will be very good news for you indeed. The company has announced that it’s bringing automatic swim tracking to its Activite and Activite Pop models. This has apparently been much-requested by owners of the two watches.

According to Withings, these are the first activity trackers (from any manufacturer) to sport this particular feature. “Automatic” in this context means that you don’t have to select a special swim mode before you dive in. The trackers will just automatically recognize your movements as a swim workout. Read more »

HTC has people ‘blind test’ the One M9 compared to its competitors in new ads

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Blind tests have now reached mobile device related marketing. HTC has taken exactly this approach in three new ads for its One M9. The handset maker’s representative has regular people test three aspects of smartphone use by using three devices which are fully covered by big, bulky cases – so as not to give away what they are.

If you’ve guessed that the HTC One M9 wins every single one of these tests, you were right, amazingly. App opening speed? Check. Sound quality? Check. Low-light selfies? Check. Read more »

OnePlus Cardboard can now be ordered for free, though you do pay shipping

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Back when it revealed that it would launch its next smartphone in VR, OnePlus also made its own version of Google’s Cardboard official. The Chinese company promised to make this available to people before its grand unveiling event for the OnePlus 2, which will happen on July 27.

And now you can order one, straight from the OnePlus website. The rather surprising fact is that it’s free. You only have to pay for shipping, which is going to be $5 if you’re in the US, £5 if you’re in the UK, or €7 if you’re elsewhere in Europe. Read more »

LG G4 comes with a free leather back and second battery in the US in July

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Last month, LG ran an interesting promotion for its G4 smartphone in the US. The company offered people who purchased the handset a free microSD card, a second battery, and a charging cradle. This month, LG is up to something very similar.

Only this time around the microSD card in the giveaway has been replaced with a leather back cover. You still also get a second battery with a charging cradle. Read more »

Google Maps will soon list all railroad crossings in the US

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Last year there was a big rise in the number of rail crossing accidents in the US, and the authorities are working with Google to try and do something about it. Namely, you will soon find all of the railroad crossings in the US inside Google Maps.

We’re talking about around 215,000 crossings in total, of which 130,000 are public and 85,000 are private. Not only will you be able to see each railroad crossing placed on the map inside Google’s app, but you’ll also be notified when one’s approaching if you’re in navigation mode. Read more »

BBM for Android update comes with Material Design, new Private Chat feature

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Today BBM for Android finally starts looking like an Android app. Following a period of less than stellar looks, the app now fully embraces Google’s Material Design principles. A beta version with the new UI went out at the beginning of the month, and now it’s stable enough for everyone to use.

Thus, you can already find it in the Play Store. But the new paint job isn’t the only changed thing about BBM for Android. It also comes with a new feature called Private Chat. Read more »