LG Stylus 2 Plus features an upgraded display, processor, and more

A few months after the LG Stylus 2 made its debut, the Life’s Good crew has introduced the Plus version of the stylus-equipped smartphone.

LG

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Xiaomi and Microsoft partnership includes patent cross-licensing, Office apps on Mi devices

Usually when we talk patents, it’s because one company is suing another for patent infringement, like in the recent battle between Huawei and Samsung. That’s not the case today, though.

Xiaomi

Microsoft

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Is it time to phase out wired headphones?

There are a lot of questions being asked when it comes to Apple’s new iPhone set to show up later this year. Will they opt to use the same 16GB of base storage they’ve been using, or will they finally work their way up to 32GB? And even if they choose to go with the 32GB variant, is that enough to warrant praise these days? Will the iPhone finally support wireless charging?

Apple

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Samsung event happening June 2

We’re currently in the thick of a busy time in mobile, with Google I/O behind us, Computex happening now, and Apple’s WWDC right around the corner. And now Samsung has gone ahead and made things a bit busier.

Samsung

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Top 10 iOS Apps of May 2016!

We've compiled a top 10 list of the best iOS apps to hit the App Store in the month of May 2016.

Apple

Apple iPhone 6s Plus

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Sirin Labs Solarin includes Android, 'military-grade' security, and starting price of $14,000

Security is always a hot topic in mobile, and some devices highlight their beefed up security as a main selling point. One of those very phones was announced today, and it’s called the Solarin.

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SanDisk 200GB microSD card on sale for $59.99 once again

After launching at a price of $239 in mid-2015, SanDisk’s 200GB microSD card now costs less than $100, and sometimes significantly less. That’s the case again today thanks to Amazon.

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Sony Xperia E5 official, runs Android 6.0 on a 5-inch display

Alongside the news that the Xperia X series is coming to the US this summer, Sony has another Xperia announcement to make.

Sony

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Hands-on review: Computex: Asus ZenBook 3

There's a saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – but not for Asus. The ZenBook 3 is the Taiwanese electronics firm's latest 12.5 inch MacBook-killing Ultrabook. It doesn't just so much imitate as it does completely destroy Apple's ultrathin laptop in specs and price.

Weighing in at a scant 2 pounds and 11.9mm (0.46-inches) thick, it's both thinner and lighter than 0.51-inches (13.1mm) and 2.03 pounds (0.92kg) Apple MacBook. And while Apple had to sacrifice key travel and performance components to make its laptop as thin as possible, Asus says nay to all of that and goes with the full might of Intel Core i7 processors and a lower price to boot.

Design

If you've seen a Rose Gold MacBook before, this particularly colored ZenBook should look awfully familiar. Both machines share an almost identical silhouette, that said there are some distinct differences if you look closely enough.

For one thing the ZenBook 3 is thinner, but it's also a bit wider and not as deep thanks to its 16:9 screen ratio as opposed to the 16:10 Apple MacBook. Asus has also reversed the position of its ports, moving the charging/data USB-C Thunderbolt 3 port to the right and headset jack on the left.

The ZenBook's distinctive spun metal finish makes a return and you'll also find a radial pattern concealing two of the laptop's four speakers – the other two are located on the machine's underside.

The model 3 also takes Asus' diamond cut chamfered edges to the nth degree. You'll find the chamfered edge starts on the inside at the top of the screen lid, it rolls onto the outside as it makes its way to the hinge.

MacBook imitations aside, the ZenBook 3 is a sharp little Ultrabook. It features an all-metal body, but Asus used a specially blended form of aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, which it claims to be 40 percent stronger than the material used in other Ultrabooks.

Specs

Aesthetics aren't what really set the ZenBook 3 apart, it's hard core specs that do. Despite also being thinner and lighter than the ZenBook UX305, this ultra-slim system is a powerhouse starting with Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 256GB SSD for $999 (about £687, AU$1,379).

Users can also get a richly specced machine with an added Core i7 processor, 1TB SSD and 16GB of RAM and an added fingerprint scanner built into the corner of the touchpad for $1,999 (about £1,374, AU$2,760).

While, other notebooks this thin have often gone with Intel Core M-series chips, Asus managed to get away with Core I-series CPUs thanks to integrating a newly developed 3mm fan. The 12.5-inch display has also been fitted with a sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for extra durability, though, screen resolution is limited to Full HD only.

Asus claims users can expect nine hours of usage and they should be able to top off an empty machine back to 60% in 49 minutes thanks to fast charging through the USB-C port.

Early verdict

The Asus ZenBook 3 sounds like a winner on paper. How can you go wrong with Intel Core I-series power in a two-pound laptop? I'm chiefly wary of battery life and how much Asus really managed to squeeze into such a thin design and it's something I look forward to finding out in my full review.

Additional reporting and photography by Lucy Wang

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Verizon Galaxy S5 getting its Android 6.0 Marshmallow update today

Following Android 6.0 updates for the Sprint and T-Mobile versions of the Galaxy S5, Verizon is now updating its own GS5 to Marshmallow.

Samsung Galaxy S5

Verizon Wireless

Samsung

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T-Mobile launching Tourist Plan for international visitors to the US

Usually when T-Mobile announces a new plan, it’s intended for US wireless customers. That’s not the case with T-Mo’s newest plan, though, which isn’t available to those of us in the US of A.

T-Mobile

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Sony Xperia X series coming to the US, pre-orders start today

After making their debut at MWC back in February, Sony today revealed that its new Xperia X series of Android phones are coming to the US this summer.

Sony

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LG G Pad III 8.0 is an Android 6.0 tablet with a full-size USB port

LG has released quite a few Android tablets over the years, and today the Life’s Good crew introduced its latest slate, the G Pad III 8.0.

LG

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Hands-on review: Computex: MSI Backpack PC

Virtual reality gaming and experience have finally been full realized with headsets like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. However, there are still a few things that can pull you out of the immersive experience with the biggest one that damned cable tipping you up.

Well MSI wants to do away with that problem with a gaming PC that you wear on your back. The entire system is self-contained from processor to the graphics and even internal batteries making it more portable than any PC case designed for LAN events.

And that really is the central idea behind the Backpack PC. It's meant to be a portable gaming desktop you can take anywhere to experience virtual reality wherever you are. Beyond eliminating the worry of tripping over power cords in VR, it also opens up the opportunity to free roaming experiences such as the Void VR theme park.

Design

The Backpack PC takes strong inspiration from motorcycle backpacks, but it has a bit of space age flair to it. Alternatively, I could easily imagine the Tony Stark pulling an Iron Man suit out of this pack thanks to the hot rod red paint job MSI decided to go with.

That said, there's definitely a coolness factor to the way the Backpack PC's aesthetics. That's a good thing because you'll definitely look like the biggest (and happiest) dork while wearing it.

Although MSI claims its Backpack PC weighs less than five kilograms (about 12 pounds), it's not the most comfortable thing to put on your back and it hangs a little lower than I prefer. This could be easily fixed with harder and sculpted shoulder straps that distribute more of the weight on your shoulders.

That said, MSI has made some smart decisions with the Backpack PC's design. Behind the straps you'll find a metal frame to help keep the PC from burning a hole onto your back. This metal frame also extends above and below the main case to act as a carrying handle elevated foot for the Backpack PC to stand on when placed on the floor.

The only other noteworthy piece of the design is there are two motion controller holsters sewn into the hip belt – which will hopefully play into some fun western-styled gun duels in VR soon.

The beast within

The Backpack PC almost seems deceptively small. Despite being loaded up with and mobile-based Intel Core i7 K-series processor, desktop-grade Nvidia GTX 980, all the other essential PC bits and two big old batteries to power the whole thing, the system is smaller than both the Xbox One and PS4.

On paper, MSI's system meets the recommended spec requirements – and you'll be able to upgrade it too – to power a smooth VR experience and it absolutely delivered during my short time with a working demo at Computex 2016. During my demo time I was able moved freely while playing the Arcade Space Ship Shooter game from the The Lab.

After experiencing so many Vive demos in the past I've gotten used to dancing around the power cords even without seeing it. But by completely removing it, you can move around without a care in the world and are much more maneuverable in the VR world.

Portable and powerful (for a time)

You can also have a decently long VR experience with the Backpack PC thanks to two large battery packs stuffed inside of the case. MSI claims users can get up to five hours of viewing 360 videos or an hour and a half of usage while playing demanding VR games.

That said, the batteries aren't hot swappable as they are on HP VR gaming backpack concept. Instead you'll have to jack out of your VR experience and open up the case to swap out battery packs. A MSI spokesperson explained the company doesn't really see this as an issue as even an hour in VR is intense enough.

Aside from being a wearable VR-ready system, MSi also sees its Backpack PC as an excellent solution for gamers who want to bring their PCs to events. Given that it's much easier to lug around than a Mini-ITX system with a handle, there could definitely be interest here.

Early verdict

There are some appealing aspects to MSI Backpack PC. It's attractive, smaller than most consoles and fully delivers on the promise of powering an untethered VR experience. However, there are some big things MSI needs to work on including comfort and the chipset hasn't been finalized yet, as the electronics firm hopes to integrate Nvidia's new GTX 1080 graphics card and other Pascal-based GPUs.

Battery life also seems a bit to short to warrant the inevitably high price of this portable gaming PC. That said, I came away really liking my first experience with the Backpack PC and look forward to how the system will turn out in the coming months.

Additional reporting and images by Lucy Wang

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Top 10 Android Apps of May 2016!

We've compiled a list of 10 of our favorite Android apps to hit the Google Play Store in May, 2016. The apps mentioned in this video include Lens Launcher, Spaces, GO Darling Alarm, fooView Float Viewer, Beme, Star Knight, Orph, Collage Print Studio, Great Big Story, and App Volume Control. Which app is your favorite? 

Google

HTC

HTC 10

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Turns out Samsung’s Galaxy Apps isn't completely useless after all

I’ve been using my new Galaxy S7 for a little over a week now, and I've gotta tell you… I was pretty wrong about a lot of things going into this device. Not only did I manage to not completely hate my phone after applying a screen protector and case (Skinomi wet screen protector, Bear Motion case) but I'm pleasantly surprised at the fact that I actually ended up installing some of the apps from Samsung’s Galaxy App Store.

Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung

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MediaTek Pump Express 3.0 official, promises 0 to 70 percent charge in 20 minutes

Quick charging is a popular feature on smartphones, letting you get a big boost to your battery in a short period of time. Today MediaTek introduced the latest version of its quick charge tech, Pump Express 3.0.

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HTC smartwatch reportedly pushed back again, now expected in fall

We’ve been hearing rumors about an HTC wearable device ever since May 2014, and the most recent one suggested that HTC might finally announce it in June. However, it sounds like that’s no longer the case.

HTC

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Oppo F1 Plus FC Barcelona edition is decked out in blue and red

If you’re an FC Barcelona fan looking for a good way to celebrate the club’s recent La Liga title, Oppo’s new limited edition F1 Plus may be up your alley.

The Oppo F1 Plus FC Barcelona Edition is decked out in FC Barcelona blue and red, complete with a custom Barça UI theme. The phone also comes with an 18K gold-plated FCB insignia on its backside and a case with signatures from five of Barça’s top players.

Oppo

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I use too many messaging apps

Companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook see a big future with artificial intelligence. Specifically, people having conversations with bots in messaging apps, or just having conversations with bots in general. Amazon has its Echo product, which lets users talk to Alexa and do a wide variety of things. Apple has Siri, Microsoft with Cortana, and Google has had its Now service for quite awhile, but it’s getting even better with the new Assistant.

Google

Apple

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OnePlus 3 Peer Review will let you try OnePlus's new flagship before anyone else

Interested in giving the OnePlus 3 a go? OnePlus might let you do just that, so long as you write a comprehensive review about it’s new flagship.

OnePlus today announced The Lab, an effort to work with its community to get feedback and to make things better. The first project in The Lab is the OnePlus 3 Peer Review, which will let 30 people spend several days with the OnePlus 3 before anyone else and review it for OnePlus.

OnePlus

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