Samsung updates Game Launcher with new features and design improvements

Game Launcher, an 'app' that was first available on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, is targeted at heavy gamers. Its mission is to enhance your gaming experience by maximizing playing time through power-saving features, as well as grouping your games together and providing handy shortcuts. With the help of the Game Tools feature, you can also turn off notifications, minimize the game screen, lock the Recent and Back keys, and even take screenshots of the game you're playing.

Samsung has now announced an update to Game Launcher 2.0, which brings a few new features as well as a simplified UI to the table. The new Game Discovery tool provides you with customized game recommendations based on the previous games you have played as well as your general gaming preferences.

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The other big new feature is called My Diary, which basically just analyzes and documents your gameplay records. As already mentioned, the newly updated app also has a different design. This time around, Samsung opted for a more opaque background that makes the icons and menu stand out a bit more.

In addition to the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the Game Launcher app is also available on the S7 Active, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy A8, C5, C7, and C9. You can download it on the Samsung Galaxy S6 series as well via Galaxy Apps. It's available in over 185 countries worldwide.

Have you tried out the latest version of Game Launcher on your Samsung device? What do you think of the new features? Let us know by posting a comment below.

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Cyanogen Inc. co-founder Steve Kondik speaks out about company failings

 

Cyanogen Inc co-founder Steve Kondik has posted a statement regarding news this week that the company is closing its Seattle office and laying off staff. In the statement, published on the private CyanogenMod developer Google+ community, Kondik offers his thoughts on what happened at Cyanogen and what the future holds.

"We started the Inc with the intent to bring CM [CyanogenMod] to more people and ship on devices out of the box. I hired everyone I knew, including a lot of community folks, moved everyone to Seattle and we got to work. We got the project in order after years of technical debt, and started to have some successes with our first devices," Kondik wrote.

"Unfortunately once we started to see success, my co-founder [Kirt McMaster] apparently became unhappy with running the business and not owning the vision. This is when the 'bullet to the head' and other misguided media nonsense started, and the bad business deals were signed. Being second in command, all I could do was try and stop it, do damage control, and hope every day that something new didn't happen."

 

Cyanogen Inc's Kirt McMaster (above right) has come under fire several times in recent years, notably for making provocative remarks like "we're attempting to take Android away from Google," and his interactions with OnePlus found Carl Pei when the companies ended their partnership in 2015.

As well as referencing McMaster's role in Cyanogen Inc's recent problems, Kondik also acknowledges his own contribution. "I fucked up and got fucked over. It's the Silicon Valley way, isn't it? First world problems in the extreme? It hurts, a lot. I lost a lot of friends, and I'm truely [sic] sorry to everyone I let down. I wish I had made different choices and trusted different people (especially one in particularly early on), but all I care about now is figuring out what to do next."

See also:

CEO denies rumors that Cyanogen is shifting focus to apps

July 25, 2016

Whether Kondik will stay at Cyanogen Inc remains to be seen, however he stated: "It's been a huge part of my life for 8 years now and I don't want to let go of it," before asking the Cyanogen community about what direction to go in from here.

"1. Should we keep going? Is it worth it? I'm sure I can crowdfund the project, especially if we did something like "Darkside" and really revitalized it. I'm not sure of the endgame yet, though.

2. The main IP is the brand and trademarks. I don't know if I can get it back without a fight, and I'm tired of fighting. We will likely need to fork and rebrand, which might not be a bad thing. Would you support it?

3. If we reboot, what should we do differently?

4. The rest of the ROM community seems to be highly dependent on us, but simultaneously wants us dead. How on earth do you fix this?

5. WWJBQD?"

What are your thoughts on the current situation at Cyanogen Inc? Let us know in the comments.

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Snapdseed update version 2.13 brings improved RAW support and UI

Snapseed is a favorite among users and we even listed it in our 15 top photo editor apps, so it is always good news when we see good features coming to the simple, yet advanced image tuner. Today we are seeing an update to version 2.13, which brings forth UI and RAW support improvements.

The most important change is that users are no longer limited to swiping up and down to change parameters. Instead, one can tap on the bottom adjust button to bring up a tap-enabled parameters menu. Then you can easily swipe left and right to make your edits, as you always have.

In addition, Snapseed is also improving RAW support for images captured using HDR Scape. Preview and final image colors are now more accurate, making it easier to edit photos to your liking. The preview will show default RAW colors, which wasn't always the case in the past.

• How to take better pictures with your Android smartphone

By the way, iOS users are also getting the White Balance tool, which came to us Android users a while back. It's a great feature!

You can go get your update from the Google Play Store now. Enjoy!

Download Snapseed

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Huawei unveils breakthrough graphene-assisted Li-ion battery

Watt Laboratory, an organization under Huawei's Central Research Institute, has introduced a new graphene-assisted Li-ion battery which can withstand higher temperatures when compared with ordinary Li-ion batteries.

The new batteries are able to function at a temperature of 60°C (140℉), which is 10°C (50℉) above the current upper limit. They can be used in cellular base stations in high-temperature regions around the world and have a lifespan that is twice as long as ordinary Li-ion batteries.

In addition, the new batteries can extend the range of EVs in high temperatures and can also be used in drones, which tend to produce quite a bit of heat.

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New battery technology could charge your smartphone in just a few seconds

1 week ago

Dr. Yangxing Li, Chief Scientist at Watt Laboratory, has stated that there are three technologies that have assisted them in making a breakthrough in this battery technology. The first is a special additive in the electrolytes that can remove trace water and prevent the electrolytes from evaporating in high temperatures.

The second is modified large-crystal NMC materials that are used for the cathode and are able to improve the thermal stability of the cathode powder, while the third is graphene, which allows for more efficient cooling of the Li-ion battery.

Dr. Yangxing Li also said that charging and discharging tests in a high-temperature environment have shown that the graphene-assisted high-temperature Li-ion battery is 5°C (41℉) cooler than ordinary Li-ion batteries. And after being recharged 2,000 times at a temperature of 60°C (140℉), the graphene battery retains more than 70 percent of its capacity.

In other battery-related news, Huawei's Watt Laboratory introduced a quick charging technology back in 2015, which is able to charge 48 percent of a 3,000 mAh battery in only 5 minutes. The company has now said that that technology will soon be available. Huawei plans on announcing a new smartphone in late December that will have the new quick battery charging tech onboard.

There is no other information regarding the device for now, so we'll just have to wait for a month or so to see what Huawei will bring to the table. Stay tuned.

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Android 7.0 Nougat is now making its way to the Xperia XZ

Nougat goodness is coming to the Xperia XZ.

After rolling out Nougat to the Xperia X Performance yesterday, Sony is now making the update available on the Xperia XZ. The update brings build number 39.2.A.0.327, and is rolling out initially to the unlocked variant (F8331) as well as the dual-SIM model (F8332).

As noted by Xperia Blog, the Nougat update should be making its way to other Xperia XZ variants shortly. The update itself brings multi-window mode, improvements to Stamina battery-saver mode, enhancements to the camera, and more.

Android Nougat

• Android 7.0 Nougat: Everything you need to know
• Will my phone get Android Nougat?
• Google Pixel + Pixel XL review
• All Android Nougat news
• How to manually update your Nexus or Pixel
• Join the Discussion

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Samsung works with Australian carriers to block the Note 7

Note 7 will be cut off from accessing mobile networks in Australia.

At this point, I thought we were done with the Note 7 saga. Turns out that isn't the case, as Samsung is now announcing that it is working with Australian carriers to disable services for Note 7 units in the country. Samsung did the same with New Zealand carriers last month, so it isn't surprising to see the company resort to the same measures in other regions as it tries to get back the few units still out in the wild.

According to the official statement, network access for the Note 7 will be cut off on December 15:

Samsung Electronics Australia is working with local telecommunications operators to discontinue Australian network services for Galaxy Note 7 devices that are still being used in Australia.

The network discontinuation will commence from December 15 and is part of Samsung's ongoing safety measures to recover all affected Galaxy Note 7 devices.

Galaxy Note 7 customers in Australia have responded well to the recent recall, with only a small number of affected devices still in customers' hands.

Note 7 customers in the country will be able to exchange their devices for either a Galaxy S7 or an S7 edge, with Samsung refunding the difference in retail price. The comany is incentivizing the exchange even further by providing AU$250 worth of credit to those returning their Note 7 units. If you're still holding on to your Note 7, it's about time you returned it.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

• Galaxy Note 7 fires, recall and cancellation: Everything you need to know
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• Samsung Galaxy Note 7 review
• The latest Galaxy Note 7 news
• Join the Note 7 discussion in the forums!

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Samsung terminating network services for Galaxy Note 7 in Australia

Samsung has announced that it is working with Australian telecommunication networks to discontinue services for Galaxy Note 7 devices still being used there. The move arrives as Samsung continues to try and recover all of its Note 7 smartphones after they were recalled in October.

The process will begin on December 15 and Samsung said customers would be notified about the changes today with "on-going communication and updates about the Australian network discontinuation provided to customers over the next three weeks, to ensure adequate notice is provided."

Samsung once again urged those who are still using a Galaxy Note 7 to return it to its place or purchase, call the Samsung Customer Service line on 1300 362 603 or visit Samsung's Australian Note 7 returns page for further help.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 7's Grace UI is rolling out to Note 5 units in South Korea

6 days ago

Samsung is still offering to swap the Note 7 with a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge, refund the difference in price, and offer $250 in credit, but noted that this promotion would end on December 22.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was recalled twice and eventually cancelled after reports of the handset catching fire. Samsung is currently still investigating the cause.

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