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Google has added the Android TV Launcher and Core Services APKs to the Play Store, which honestly makes me wonder why they weren't there to begin with. Given that the Nexus Player has not received an update from Android Oreo 8.0 to the newest 8.1, this seems to be a convenient way for Google to keep the streaming hockey puck up to date.
After the T-Mobile US / Sprint merger talks dissolved for a second time, the magenta-themed carrier looks to be in a much stronger position to go it alone, as the company has announced a net addition of 1.9 million subscribers in Q4 2017, of which 891,000 are postpaid accounts.
While Sony just announced a bunch of new headphones and speakers, some older Sony products are getting Google Assistant added via a forthcoming firmware update. As these headphones do not have independent Wi-Fi connections, Assistant availability depends on pairing the headphones with a phone.
Netflix has announced a partnership with Razer to bring support for HDR10 and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 to the Razer Phone, marking the first time that a mobile device supports both premium formats. As the Razer Phone has only two front-facing speakers, the audio will be downmixed from the 5.1 stream, though the phone—at least on paper—has one of the most powerful speakers available.
Sony has announced a total of eight new Bluetooth connectable audio devices at CES. Of these, three are extra bass portable speakers, three are sports headphones, and two are soundbars. Naturally, the Japanese electronics giant has a few tricks to show off for extra visibility. Simply hearing your music is clearly not enough in 2018.
The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced additional measures to secure wireless devices, following revelations last year about an oversight in the WPA2 specification which left devices vulnerable.
Projector phones always seemed like an idea that made more sense in science fiction than in present reality, which is probably why the Galaxy Beam failed to gain much traction. Such as it is, the benefit of the Moto Mod design allows anyone with a compatible phone to add on a countless number of peculiar peripherals... one at a time. Now, at Verizon, you can get a free Insta-Share Projector Moto Mod for free when you purchase any other Moto Mod. At $300 off, it's quite the bargain.
Given Japan's propensity for earthquakes and tsunamis, having a standardized system to alert people of the risk of danger would be a beneficial tool to prevent injury. Unfortunately, this alert system had been implemented at the carrier level, requiring carrier-specific apps. For users of unlocked phones on an MVNO, the ability to receive these notifications ranged from zero to inconsistent, dependent on the model of phone used. Now, the Telecommunications Carriers Association has announced that as of Android 8.1, these phones can receive emergency alerts.
Jay-Z's high-fidelity music streaming service Tidal is offering a 12-day free trial starting on December 25th. In comparison to normal trials—in which the start and end dates are determined per subscriber—the Tidal trial starts and ends for everyone on December 25th and January 5th, respectively. No credit card is required for the trial, so you can partake without worrying about an unexpected bill. The trial includes access to the premium tier, as well as the lossless Hi-Fi tier.
Subscribers to TuneIn Premium will not be psyched to learn that the streaming audio service is dropping out of the audiobook market effective January 15th. TuneIn started offering unlimited audiobook streaming for Premium subscribers in August 2015, making this feature decently short-lived.
Alphabet has announced that Eric Schmidt is changing roles to "technical advisor," as the 62-year-old steps down from his position as executive chairman. Schmidt has been with Google for 17 years, serving as CEO from August 2001 to April 2011, and subsequently as executive chairman of Google, a role he continued when the company reorganized into Alphabet in October 2015.
At the unveiling of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 earlier this month, Microsoft and Qualcomm announced "always-connected" Windows 10 notebook PCs with LTE support and batteries that last throughout the day. For Microsoft's part, this new initiative is separate from the previous Windows RT releases, as these systems can seamlessly run x86-64 32-bit x86 apps. A newly discovered commit indicates that Snapdragon 845-powered Chromebooks are being developed as well.
In advance of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Samsung and KT have deployed the first LTE-Railway network for the Wonju-Gangneung train line in Gangwon Province. This line, which is scheduled to start service this month, features trains which operate at 155 mph (250 kmh). This allows commuters to move between Gangneung on South Korea's east coast to Seoul within two hours. LTE-Railway (or LTE-R) is a new network technology which allows devices to maintain a constant LTE network connection in a moving train.
Sega has been re-releasing its back catalog of Genesis / Mega Drive games as part of the Sega Forever collection on a bi-weekly basis. Gunstar Heroes is the latest game in the lineup, though actually being able to play the game is another problem altogether.
Hey, I'm James Sanders. I started writing for Android Police in late October, though I've been writing about technology since 2013. I'm also (apparently) the first writer at Android Police who lives in Japan.
Researchers at Kaspersky Lab have identified a family of modular Android malware dubbed "Loapi," which is capable of mining the Monero cryptocurrency, inundating users with advertisements, automatically subscribing the user to paid services, and participating in DDoS attacks, among other functions. The cryptocurrency mining module maintains a load sufficiently high enough to cause physical damage to a test device after two days—the above photo shows a device which overheated to the point the battery bulged.
Following the user manual leak last week, Samsung has formally announced the Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) as part of their midrange lineup for 2018. The new mid-rangers use the same design language as the Galaxy S8 and S8+, as well as pack in a dual front-facing camera, support for Samsung Pay, and is available in black, orchid grey, gold, and blue.
The second-generation Pixel phones have had some struggles. Following user reports of problems with the OLED display, strange effects when taking photos of LED lights, seemingly muted microphones, a mysterious buzzing noise, random reboots, and crashes in Android Auto mode, it has been a tumultuous time for Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners. Multiple users in the Google Product Forums have now claimed that the USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapters are not working on their phones, with sound instead being played through the device.
Rakuten, the increasingly diversifying Japanese e-commerce giant, is looking to establish its own independent mobile network. The company intends to apply for part of the 1.7GHz and 3.4GHz spectrum rights in Japan when the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications opens applications for those frequencies early next year. Presently, Rakuten operates an MVNO using leased capacity from market leader NTT Docomo. Alongside second and third-place carriers au and SoftBank, the three companies effectively hold control of the Japanese mobile network.
Corporate data security is paramount—particularly in industries with regulations like HIPAA which include steep fines for negligently handled personal data. Accordingly, allowing employees access to that data on mobile devices is not without its share of risks, as the potential of malware or lost/stolen devices may result in expropriated data. Google has introduced an extra step for IT managers to ensure that devices are compliant with corporate-defined security policy. Device Policy will now restrict apps determined to be nonessential (like Chrome or Gmail) from running until a device is returned to compliance.