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Window: New 3 megapixel Lumia may be on the way

Window: New 3 megapixel Lumia may be on the way

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Window Phone
Monday, April 13, 2015
New 3 megapixel Lumia may be on the way

generic phone
Some (probably many) would say there are already more than enough low end Windows Phones, but now NokiaPowerUser reports that another may be on the way.
The RM-1099 is a low-end Windows Phone that has previously been noted to be pass through Indonesian certification in January 2015 and that has also been imported into India according to Zauba.
According to NPU’s sources the device may be similar to the Lumia 435, but feature a slightly higher megapixel camera.
The rumoured specs include:
  • 4-inch, 800 X 480 display
  • 1 GB RAM
  • Dual-Sim support
  • Snapdragon 200 Dual-core processor
  • 2.2 MP â€" 3 MP rear camera, 864 x 480 video recording (as compared to 2 MP camera of Lumia 435), possibly with autofocus.
  • VGA 0.3 MP FFC
  • 8 GB internal storage
However with the Lumia 435 already on sale in India, such a device will crowd Microsoft Mobile’s low-end line-up even more. We have asked this question many times before, but do our readers think Microsoft needs another low-end Windows Phone?
Engadget: Sprint promo gives your family 12GB of shared data for $90 per month

Engadget: Sprint promo gives your family 12GB of shared data for $90 per month

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Sprint promo gives your family 12GB of shared data for $90 per month

A Sprint store in New York City
Sprint is still bending over backwards to get you to switch to its network, and this time it's hoping to bring your whole family on board. The carrier is running a Family Share Pack promotion until March 12th that gives you 12GB of shared data for $90 per month (with waived line access fees) through the end of March 2016 -- a hefty bargain versus the 10GB T-Mobile is offering in its $100 deal. Sprint will also buy out your existing contract, albeit through gift cards, if you switch from another provider. This isn't the biggest deal given that your bill will get much bigger once the promo is over and those access fees kick in. All the same, it could be worth the effort if you were already bent on dropping your existing carrier (particularly ATT or Verizon, which charge $160 for 10GB) and live in a Sprint-friendly area.


Engadget: Hack puts iPhone notifications on an Android Wear watch

Engadget: Hack puts iPhone notifications on an Android Wear watch

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Apple
Hack puts iPhone notifications on an Android Wear watch

An iPhone text notification on a Moto 360
Android Wear isn't going to officially support iOS devices any time soon, but that doesn't mean that the two platforms can never see eye-to-eye. Developer Mohammad Abu-Garbeyyeh has tweaked Android Wear to make it display an iPhone's notifications using the same ANCS technology as Pebble's smartwatches. While the creator hasn't revealed every nuance of how this modification works, he claims that you don't need to jailbreak iOS or get root access on Android Wear in order to pull this off -- apart from the notification hack, your devices could behave normally. Not that you'd necessarily want to snag a Moto 360 or LG Watch Urbane just to try this project, at least not in its current form. Even if the code were readily available (it isn't), you still wouldn't get Google Now or app support. This is more to show what's possible, not what makes sense.
a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/google/android-wear/" Google Android Wear /a Google Android Wear thumbnail image

Google Android Wear

Engadget: Microsoft will soon help you find friends with Windows phones

Engadget: Microsoft will soon help you find friends with Windows phones

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Window Phone
Microsoft will soon help you find friends with Windows phones

Microsoft Buddy Aware (People Sense)
It's fairly easy to locate friends and family if you have an Android or iOS device, but finding your pals with a Windows phone? Not so much, unless you come across the right third-party apps. That may not be a big challenge for much longer. Spanish site Microsoft Place has detailed an as yet unreleased service, People Sense, that will let you share and track locations with other Windows phone owners. The basic concept is familiar if you've seen Apple's Find My Friends, but there's a stronger emphasis on reaching out -- you can call or message contacts in-app, and even get directions if you'd like to meet face to face. People Sense is still in private beta testing (it's listed as "Buddy Aware" at the moment) and has no clear release date, but it won't be surprising if the software plays a role in Windows 10.
a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/microsoft/windows/10/" Microsoft Windows 10 /a Microsoft Windows 10 thumbnail image

Microsoft Windows 10

Engadget: HTC One M9 store images hint at an evolutionary phone design

Engadget: HTC One M9 store images hint at an evolutionary phone design

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Android
HTC One M9 store images hint at an evolutionary phone design

HTC One M9 in silver and gold
HTC's plans for March 1st might just be out in the open. MobileGeeks has spotted German store listings for a new One phone whose images bear an uncanny resemblance to the One M9 spy photos from last month, complete with an oversized camera space and a flashy silver-and-gold color scheme for one model. The claimed 2GHz Snapdragon 810 chip, 20-megapixel rear camera and 4-megapixel front shooter will all sound familiar if you've been following rumors, but there are a few new twists here. The BlinkFeed news stream is different enough to suggest new software, and the body is a tad thicker than its predecessor -- possibly to offer space for the new camera, a bigger battery (supposedly 2,900mAh) or both. It's hard to say for sure that this is what you'll see in a week's time given contrasting reports, but it's at least plausible.
HTC One M9 in black / dark gray


a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/htc/one/m8/" HTC One (M8) /a HTC One (M8) thumbnail image

HTC One (M8)

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  1. 7 Will we ever see cheaper phones? Will we ever see cheaper phones?
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Apple: Developer hacks Android Wear to show iPhone notifications (Video)

Apple: Developer hacks Android Wear to show iPhone notifications (Video)

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Apple
Developer hacks Android Wear to show iPhone notifications (Video)

From 9to5Google: 
Android Wear and iOS (direct connection) - YouTube 2015-02-22 11-02-59
Android Wear is great, but if you’re an iOS user, it looks like the Apple Watch is going to be your only option for a while. Google has yet to make any of Android Wear’s functionality compatible with Apple’s operating system, and it doesn’t look like they plan to do so any time soon. But that’s not stopping one developer, Mohammad Abu-Garbeyyeh, from hacking Android Wear to at least support notifications from iOS devices.

While one might presume that this requires a jailbroken device to work, that’s actually not true. According to the video description, it works the same way a Pebble does, using Apple’s official APIs to send notifications over Bluetooth LE.  But while this wouldn’t require any modifications on the iOS side, there’s almost surely a modified version of Android Wear running on the watch. The developer posted a video of the hack in action, and there’s no reason not to believe it’s legitimate considering this guy is known for his modules made for the Xposed framework:

Notably, getting notifications to show up on an Android Wear device is only the first step toward these watches working with iOS. Getting other things to work, like apps, syncing of health data, and Google Now, would require a lot more tinkeringâ€"and likely wouldn’t be possible without a jailbreak. So even if this modification was readily available, I wouldn’t run out to the store and buy a Moto 360 just yet.
Apple CarPlay vs Google Android Auto â€
Apple CarPlay vs Google Android Auto â€" full comparison (Video)
Android Wear gives us a glimpse at what home automation with an iWatch should look like
Android Wear gives us a glimpse at what home automation with an iWatch should look like

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7 Responses to “Developer hacks Android Wear to show iPhone notifications (Video)”

  1. Miroslav Mirek Bujna (@miroslavbujna) says: I think these are the best smart watch on the market for now (will see about Apple Watch) but that screen, how it’s not a full circle spoils it and looks awful.
    Like
  2. crichton007 says: Given the behavior it looks as if the iPhone has been Jailbroken.
    Like
  3. beyondthetech says: What? Google is purposely limiting capabilities? Now, that’s really copying Apple! :)
    Like
  4. Home of the Lords (@homeofthelords) says: Yeah, the iPhone is jailbroken. The icons do not bounce when receiving a notification on the iPhone without a jailbreak.
    Like
  5. patstar5 says: I love my lg g watch, only paid $80 for it. It would really benefit google if they got android wear to work with Ios. Undercutting the apple watch and bringing a viable alternative. (Moto 360 looks way better than apple watch. It look fat like 1st generation iphone.)
    Like
    • Jason Edwards says: Looks better in your opinion. In my opinion the Apple Watch looks great as does the Moto 360. The LG G looks like crap to me personally.
      Like
Apple: New Pebble coming soon with thinner design, revamped OS, voice recognition

Apple: New Pebble coming soon with thinner design, revamped OS, voice recognition

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Apple
New Pebble coming soon with thinner design, revamped OS, voice recognition

Screenshot 2015-02-19 12.41.53
Pebble updated its website this morning to tease a new model of its popular smartwatch. The announcement is scheduled for 10 AM on Tuesday next week, but Pebble has not specified what exactly is launching. However, multiple sources tell us that a major update to both the Pebble’s hardware and software have been in the works and that these changes could be ready to debut next week. The new watch is said to (finally) gain a slightly wider, color, e-paper-like display that will be encased in an overall thinner design. The screen will still not be touch like the Apple Watch…

While thinner and brighter, the new watch will still include battery life specifications in line with the current models. The new hardware in development also includes a microphone, which could bolster a new series of apps by third-party developers for the Pebble platform, along with Nuance voice recognition software. An improved backlight has also been added to the display.
Heart rate monitor features based on sensors are on the long-term Pebble roadmap, but Pebble’s limited resources will prevent those features from launching anytime soon. “Smart Bands” will be available in the future that can add additional sensors to the watch. The charging and data transfer pins have been moved to the bottom of the device, which now sports a plastic body with aluminum edges.
The new hardware will run a brand-new version of the Pebble watch operating system, which has been redesigned from the ground-up to be “dramatically different” by the team behind webOS. The new software will feature a timeline view that records a list of recent notifications and the entire UI features many new animations. Third-party applications will not go away, but the operating system will turn its focus to alerts and notifications for future calendar events.
The software will run on a new, noticeably faster Cortex M4 processor with a 6-axis gyroscope. The pricing for this new model will come in around the price of the Pebble Steel. We’re told that the new Pebble will be initially sold via Kickstarter, not Pebble’s retail partners or official website. It’s possible that Tuesday’s announcement does not revolve around the aforementioned hardware and software upgrades, but these should still be expected at some point in the near-future.
Sony reportedly plans to introduce style-focused e-paper smartwatch in 2015
Sony reportedly plans to introduce style-focused e-paper smartwatch in 2015
Pebble Steel smartwatch leaks: metal Gorilla Glass version on the way (Update: Announced)
Pebble Steel smartwatch leaks: metal Gorilla Glass version on the way (Update: Announced)

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32 Responses to “New Pebble coming soon with thinner design, revamped OS, voice recognition”

  1. Toro Volt (@torovolt) says: Awesomeness 1 week battery life.
    I have the original Pebble and love its simplicity and funcionality.
    This is the kind of Watch Apple should have made.
    Less is More.
    Cant wait!
    Liked by 1 person
    • Elias Matar (@elias_matar81) says: This is the stupidest design out there. Plasticky geeky watch. When it first came out, I honestly thought it was a joke. How in the world can something like this sell.
      Liked by 1 person
      • Toro Volt (@torovolt) says: Buy one and you will understand.
        Try controling Spotify while taking a shower with the Apple Watch. You cant.
        I dont know how old are you but the Pebble is popular among retro style hipsters.
        Plastic fantastic, casual retro digital kind of thing all for $99
        There is also a Metal model which looks more formal.
        If you pay attention to The Verge Reviewers in their videos most of them are wearing the Pebble. :)
        Liked by 2 people
      • Gazoo Bee says: @ToroVolt: re: “… the Pebble is popular among retro style hipsters.”
        This is exactly why it’s doomed. It’s popular because of fashion, not because of good design.
        As someone who lived through the original 2 bit, 8 bit, and 16 bit worlds, I can tell you that there wasn’t really anything good about them. What looks like “cool history” to the hipsters of today, is really just a temporary fad like the fascination with crappy vinyl records.
        Pebble is like 10% “useful device” and 90% … (valleygirl voice) “Isn’t it cool? It’s soooo retro!”
        Like
      • andreww500 says: The metal version is just as hideous. I work in a technology store and I walk past it every day and just think “that thing really is horrible”. I would take one Apple Watch over thirty Pebbles…
        Liked by 1 person
      • o0smoothies0o says: @Toro show me your evidence that definitively says the Watch can’t be worn in the shower.
        Like
      • m-p{3} says: You haven’t tried the Pebble Stell sir.
        Liked by 1 person
    • Joe says: “This is the kind of watch Apple should have made”
      Not at all. I love my pebble, but there is soooo much that it CAN’T do that it frustrates me. The design of the Pebble is childish, but not bad. It can only hold 8 apps or watch faces at the same time, you can’t act on anything that it does, it basically JUST shows you notifications. I love it for $79, but Apple will blow theirs away with what it can do. But that’s ok. There’s a market for both.
      Liked by 1 person
    • jimhillhouse says: I was a 4-Pebble Watch backer on their Kickstarter campaign and wear my black, red, or white one occasionally. The only way you can get a Pebble to work for a week is to turn-off notifications. Link an app and you can watch the battery drain through the day. The UI is one only the UI designer’s mother could love.
      Pebble still has first-to-market advantage. But Pebble Is now about to face competition from a company that pretty much wrote the whole book on how to do UI and UX right.
      Like
  2. Toro Volt (@torovolt) says: Another possibility on the anouncement is not a new hardware but the integration with WatchKit.
    But Nit sure since WatchKit, unlike other AppleKits is made solely for the Apple Watch.
    We ll see.
    Liked by 1 person
  3. Gazoo Bee says: I find Pebble interesting, but they must see that ultimately they’re doomed to be just another also-ran for the history books.
    Other than positioning themselves for the hoped for Google/Samsung buyout, I don’t see what the point is. I guess the engineers are all having fun and stuff, but It’s like living (and working) on a dead end street really.
    Liked by 1 person
  4. macxpress says: This company is dead as soon as Apple Watch comes out…they have nothing on Apple.
    Liked by 3 people
    • m-p{3} says: That’s cute.
      Liked by 1 person
    • drussellh says: they have a watch that won’t need recharging every hour :D
      Liked by 1 person
  5. Plava (@Zelkhana) says: Apple Watch is shit, and ALL just because of one thing: the battery life, whoever buys the 1.st gen must really have a little ego and identity problems
    Liked by 2 people
    • Gazoo Bee says: Except:
      1) You don’t actually know what the battery life is yet
      2) The stated battery life is commensurate with almost every other smart watche out there (daily charging)
      It sounds to me like you are the one with ego and identity problems.
      Liked by 1 person
      • Mac McIntire says: My Pebble lasts a week on one charge and I use it for tracking sleep. So for me, it doesn’t make sense to charge the Apple Watch nightly. This is coming from a HUGE apple nerd. I”ll wait till the battery lasts longer.
        Liked by 1 person
      • Gazoo Bee says: @ Mac McIntyre: I’m just saying that most smart watches need to be charged daily (true) and that Pebble is unique in that respect. For the same reason, a lot of folks wouldn’t put Pebble in the “smart watch” category, because it doesn’t do a lot of things that smart watches are supposed to do.
        So, Pebble is an outlier at best, and even if viewed as a mainstream smart watch, it’s unique. The question is whether consumers will go for much fancier better looking watches that do a lot of stuff, or bare bones “ugly” utilitarian watches like Pebble that do a bit less.
        It just seems patently obvious, almost self-evident, that the concept of a better looking more capable watch will win out over the Pebble.
        I think Pebble has a year, possibly two at most to come up with a better sales proposition. The colour model (if true) will help but I don’t see anything about the product ultimately winning out over the competition, which will be fierce.
        Like
    • Joe says: You either have greater functionality OR long battery life. You can’t have both. Apple is going with greater functionality. Pebble is going with battery life which is a great play for them. But when people are doing some amazing things with their Apple Watch a lot of pebble owners will be like, “Cool! Well…my watch lasts a week….”
      Liked by 3 people
    • o0smoothies0o says: Haha I adore how people think that the second generation will have significantly increased battery life. God that’s just a glaring declaration of ignorance. Please bestow upon all of the rest of us that have a clue, how the second or even third or fourth generation will have significantly better battery life (without a new battery tech).
      Like
      • Mac McIntire says: @o0smoothies0o I get what you are saying but Apple is always claiming improved battery performance in their new generation of products. The battery is just one of the concerns. Who knows, I’ll most likely end up buying the Apple Watch but for that price, the list of functions better impress me.
        Like
    • Sebastián Acosta (@chitoac) says: If you want a low end watch with ancient screen but good battery you get the peeble, if you want a hi res diaplay you have to deal with 1 day battery probably. it hasnt been annoucent yet.
      you can also sell your iphone or smarthphone for a 90” Nokia and get like 4 days battery or more. lol
      Like
  6. Cameron Scott says: I have not worn a watch since 2008 when I purchased my first iPhone and realized I was using my phone all the time to check the time as well as all the other functions it provided. So far I have not seen anything compelling in the form of smart watches that will bring me back to wearing a watch.
    Get the battery life up to a week, eliminate the need to be attached to other devices to function properly, add a thick nylon sports band, round face, and expand the actual sports function of the watch to mimic things like Polar watches or release an edition that is actually a “sports” edition (and not just because you slap a cheap band on it) and I’d give it a second look.
    Like
    • TechSHIZZLE.com says: So you’re saying you’re not in the market for a smart watch. Duly noted.
      Liked by 1 person
  7. Jose Salicrup (@jsalicrup1) says: My history with this watch has been up and down. I bought it 1.5 years ago and returned it. Then I missed having it so I bought it back. Thought about returning it then they came out with 2.0 firmware and it changed everything about it.
    I can control my Nest, SmartThings, my alarm, open my garage, fitness band, display stats while running. Don’t want google maps to interrupt your music while driving? No problem, notifications show up on the watch. Can’t carry your phone with you while at work (like me), no problem!
    It looks rude when you pop your smartphone out of your pocket to check a message or a phone call. People don’t even notice it when you do it on a smart watch. Just a quick glance.
    The pebble has been indestructible for me. I run restaurants and it will take the heat of the kitchen, all the water from dishwashing, 1 hour in a -10 degree freezer… It’s been great honestly.
    Like
  8. Maxim Wang (@MaximW97) says: Thinner bezel please! And drop that logo on the Steel version. Those are the factors that kept me from buying a Pebble Steel. (I have a regular Pebble as a backer)
    Like
    • m-p{3} says: I don’t mind the Pebble logo on it, the text is really thin and you don’t notice it much.
      I won’t mind if it dissapear and give place for a bigger screen.
      Like
  9. David Pat (@Patfactorx) says: This is the watch that I really want.
    Like
  10. Mike Drips says: I’ve worn a Pebble for a year and I love it, BUT they use the cheapest LCD display out there. For literally pennies more per watch, they could incorporate a display very superior to what they ship today.
    Like
    • m-p{3} says: Do you have any recommendation that would reduce the battery uptime?
      Like
  11. Cristian Ovalle (@covalle1969) says: It’s a great watch! I have had the original plastic one, and now the steel. I think it’s a good enough design, but of course it could be better: same size, but with thinner bezels, and with more resolution and a brighter screen. But i don’t want color if the screen wouldn’t be a e-ink. The e-ink screen is awesome! Very easy to read, all the time on, and it still last 1 week. I wouldn’t change that.
    Also , i have used it with both iOS and Android. Not many others can do that, of course not the future Apple watch nor Android wear. What’s left?
    I use my peeble for all i need:
    â€" all kind of notifications, and now i can reply directly in the watch (look for the last firmware)
    â€" auto lock unlock my cellphone, just wearing the watch connected
    â€" find the phone with the watch
    â€" controlling my music
    â€" see endomondo data while doing any sports.
    â€" watch my evernote notes
    â€" use misfit for activity tracking
    â€" see the time all time without having to press anything!
    That’s all i need in a smartwatch. I don’t want to play games or read long texts in it!
    And specially i don’t want to be afraid the watch won’t last even just a day of battery!!
    Like
  12. dksmidtx says: In order to understand the value proposition of the Pebble, you have to use one for more than a week. I bought the steel version last fall, and fell in love with it, because it does what MOST smartwatch users are going to want â€" notifications (stop pulling out your phone all the time); simple apps for watch faces, weather, sports notifications, etc.; LONG battery life (4-5 days easily). the fact that it can swing between iOS and Android makes it a near perfect device.
    It does not try to be a smartphone replacement nor a work of art. To me the steel (with steel band) is classy and understated, neither a toy nor an oversized monstrosity on your arm. An improved (even color) e-ink device that is THINNER will be a major hit.
    I know I’ll be flamed for this opinion, but go ahead. As a lifelong Seiko (yes, the Japanese rolex) owner, my Seiko Solar has been gathering dust on the shelf for four months now. At the price of the Pebble Steel (got it for $150 on sale) I have no fear of destroying it because I’ll be able to buy 2-3 of them for the price of one Apple Watch.
    Liked by 1 person
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