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The concept of wearable speakers is relatively new and weird, and the benefits are questionable for most people. It's a category of devices that sits somewhere between regular old speakers and headphones. They're supposed to make the sound feel even more immersive as you enjoy your home cinema, while neither disturbing nor blocking out your surroundings. One such product is Sony's SRS-WS1. It's been available overseas for quite some time already, and it's now coming to the US.As well as the headset itself, you also get two accessories in the box. There's a charging cradle with a micro-USB port (eww) that should fully charge the speaker's battery in about three hours. Then there's a transmitter that connects to your TV or console via an optical connector or one of two 3.5mm ports. It wirelessly transmits audio to up to two speakers using a frequency in the 2.4GHz spectrum, but it's not Bluetooth. The range maxes out at approximately 100 feet (30m), or 30 feet (10m) when two devices are connected to one transmitter.The headset wraps around your neck like the travel pillows you see many people using on flights and the two speakers are hidden inside a gap underneath each of your ears, firing upwards. Sony touts that it added a vibration motor to the device that should make it sound more immersive and make you feel "as if you were there."
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- A Googler has rectified the status of this issue, saying "Fixed" was an incorrect status. The right one is "Won't fix (Obsolete)," as we had all presumed, and that's what the issue tracker now says.
Even though the Nexus 6P was considered to be one of the best Android phones back when it was released, a few issues soon became apparent. The processor easily overheated, a bootloop bug made quite a few units die prematurely, and lastly, a battery problem surfaced that led to early shutdowns anywhere between 50 and 0 percent. At least the remaining owners of this Nexus device don't have to worry about the latter issue anymore — according to Google, that is. An engineer just marked the early shutdown entry in the company's issue tracker as "fixed."
Seven months have passed since we published the last installment of the AP Files. In that time, the Android world has seen some pretty interesting additions. Way too many flagships, including the latest from ASUS, Huawei, LG, and OnePlus, are being leaked/revealed with notches (thanks, Apple). Android P made its debut in developer preview form, and it looks like Google may be adding gesture navigation as well. LG unveiled the successor to the V30, the nicely-named V30S ThinQ, which is just a V30 with more RAM and some AI features you'll play with once and never touch again.
Welcome back to the Android Police Files, your #1 source for the brilliant stuff that the AP staff receives in our mailboxes. Since we last convened, a lot has happened. The latest version of Android shares a name with a branded product for the first time since 4.4 KitKat. The Galaxy Note8 was released, and it doesn't catch fire. And most recently, a Canadian 17-year old and his "youth leadership coach" tried to pass a Chinese ODM's phone off as their own and crowdsource it on Indiegogo.
It's been over half a year since the last installment of the AP Files was published, and the world has undergone some drastic changes. There's a squeezable phone. Bezel-less phones now dominate the world. And the newest LG phones haven't had any major reports of bootlooping. I'm sorry, I had to.
The Galaxy S4, in its day, was a pretty capable smartphone. However, with its fourth birthday fast approaching, its update period has long since passed. No matter to T-Mobile, though; the company has just pushed the latest February 2017 security patches to it and the older Galaxy Tab 3... but they're still on Android 4.4 KitKat.
Welcome back. Last we gathered here, the Pixel phones were only a rumor and Google's Home invasion had only just appeared at Google I/O.
I'm the first to admit I do not understand fashion, but I do have a pretty good grasp on the basics of weather. A new app called Skyler matches what I assume is trendy fashion up with the current conditions so you'll never again have to stress about how to dress for the weather. And of course, all the clothing is totally practical and not weird at all. Nah, I'm kidding. It's all painfully trendy.
Much has changed since the last installment of the Android Police Files. The 5X and 6P are the latest Nexus devices. We know a great deal about Android N. Google's founders formed a new company and made Google a subsidiary.
Longtime readers of the Android Police Files will know that a couple things never change. Someone always mistakes us for the police. Someone else thinks we can fix any and all software-related problems. But then there's always a person that asks a question we never expect.
In order for a circle jerk to work, the stroking has to go both ways. Google did Nestle a solid when it named Android 4.4 after the company's easily-broken-chocolate-bar-sticks. Now Nestle is taking a moment to return the favor. In the UK, the company has replaced Kit Kat branding with the words "YouTube Break" on over 600,000 limited edition wrappers.
Now that the hustle and bustle of Mobile World Congress 2015 is behind us, we have time to address some of the comments and emails we've received over the past several months.
It seems that Google's apparent decision to make a 6-inch Nexus phone has upset many of you. Don't worry, though. There is a solution, and as with most things in life, it comes courtesy of Japan. It's a giant thumb that attaches to your regular thumb. Seriously, the Japanese must be years ahead of us.
Pretty much everything you need to know about Pocket Casts for the web is that it's Pocket Casts... for the web. The UI should look familiar to anyone who is already accustomed to the app.
It's great that OEMs are using the Play Store to distribute apps to their devices these days. However, Sony might be taking it a little far with a trio of new apps for Xperia devices. AR fun, Ninja, and Sticker Creator exist now, and no amount of wishing will make them go away.
Cisco is one of the premiere makers of networking systems in the world, but the company's newest offering in the Play Store has nothing to do with that. Well, it has very little to do with that. It's a tower defense game called Net Invaders. See, there are nasty viruses, trojans, and worms attacking your systems, and only Cisco security technology can stop them. Yes, this is really happening.
[The Android Police Files #9] I'm Very Happy To See Liam! And That Artem Loves To Sleep On The Floor
Greetings, loyal readers. Several months have passed since our last installment of the Android Police Files, and a few gems have piled up in that time. People have come to us with vague messages about Minecraft, stalkers, in-app purchases, and really weird dreams. Seriously, we're not sure what to make of that last one. Give it a read and let us know what you make of it.
Some days driving just takes too much effort, taking the train takes too long, and buying a plane ticket takes too much forethought. Thankfully Google has made the option available to take two radically different and arguably faster forms of transportation: riding atop a dragon or cruising on the back of the Loch Ness Monster.
[The Android Police Files #8] Hey Megaheads, Please Help Uninstall This Android Device From My Phone
Dearest readers, have we got the installment of Android Police Files for you today. Plenty of folks have emailed us over the past month and a half with their questions and concerns. Some sent in their criticisms, and others have even mailed us their personal monologues. We've searched through the metaphorical mail bag and selected eight messages we frankly couldn't just keep to ourselves. Please, read on. You're in for a treat.
A flood of email fills our inboxes over the course of a month, and as the generally somewhat vaguely nice people that we pride ourselves on being, we do our best to respond to them. But we're not a helpline, nor do we hold much sway over what Google, Samsung, or Sprint say, think, and do. We, frankly, are powerless to address some of the concerns people bring to us. It's sad, I know, but take a look for yourself.