Samsung IRIS CAM module spotted in import documents

Iris scanning technology has been a long-standing rumor with Samsung flagships. Going as far back as the Galaxy S5, numerous sources claimed that the technology is ready to ship with the Korean giant's next best thing. And, the statement has been reiterated ever since for almost every Galaxy S and Note models.

Now, in a new development, there might finally be some tangible evidence that Samsung is close to implementing iris technology. A tracking entry in Zauba indicates something called an IRIS CAM has been shipped from South Korea to India. This could be indicative that Samsung is already busy testing the technology in its local R&D department.

An optimistic but somewhat justifiable prediction is that the upcoming Galaxy Note 6 will be pioneering the new feature. Then again, we might be setting ourselves up for yet another disappointment, which seems to be becoming a tradition at this point.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 N910C gets Marshmallow

Android Marshmallow is seeding to the Exynos-powered version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, with reports of the OTA arrival coming in from various parts of the world. So far, we've gotten tips from Poland, India and the US, and the screenshots below come from Turkey (though the device is running on a Polish ROM).

From what we gather, the firmware is in the whereabouts of 1.3GB (a little bit less than the Sprint Marshmallow build for the Note 4) and brings the OS version to 6.0.1. The users in the Turkish forum (source link below) report that the Screen off memo feature from the Note5 has been carried over to the Note 4 as well. And as you can see, the icons have gotten the same design as the ones on the latest Note.

We do have a Note 4 N910C at the office, but it is still on its trusty Lollipop 5.1.1, so we can't report first hand on the changes it brings. Hopefully, that'll change sometime soon.

Alcatel and TCL to launch Xess in US April 22 – the perfect kitchen accessory

We saw the Xess at CES back in January and it was called the Xess Slate, it seems like Alcatel dropped the Slate from the name and TCL, Alcatel’s parent company TCL, decided to put its own brand on it instead.

The Xess will launch in the US on April 22 for a price of $500. It is essentially a large tablet that is almost a touch PC. It acts as a control center for the home, in a way. The way it presents itself is more of a household appliance than a tablet for consuming media.

The Xess is powered by a 1.5 GHz Mediatek processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable up to 64GB of additional storage. It has a Full HD 17.3 inch display and a 3 watt JBL dual-speaker setup. The Xess also houses a 9600mAh battery with a quick release magnetic charger port, so you never have to worry about tripping over the cord and pull the Xess down with it.

The US variant of the Xess will also include an IP camera which you can place anywhere in your home and you can use the Xess to monitor your children from the Xess or you can use your smartphone when you are away from home to monitor the IP camera as well as wherever you have the Xess set up in your home. US versions of the Xess will also include free access to certain Viacom children’s programming like Noggin and other Nickelodeon-branded content.

When we were shown the Xess back in January, we were demoed some of the touch-less gestures it could perform as a way to navigate around the Xess without even touching it, however there is no such mention of any gesture-based navigation in the latest press release. We’ve reached out to Alcatel in this regard and we will update this post as soon as we find out.

You can also check out our first-look and hands-on of the Xess at CES this past January.

New alleged Moto X spotted in public with a fingerprint scanner on the front

Now is about that time. Everyone is over with MWC. Samsung, LG, and HTC duke it out in the beginning of the year, then Motonovo- wait, what should we call it now? Let’s call it Moto for now. We are still far away from Moto’s usual launch timeframe of around late-Summer to early-Fall.

The picture of a leaked photo submitted to HelloMotoHK shows just enough of what we might want to know about such a device. This device was spotted on what looks to be either public transit, like a train, or even a coffee shop? Maybe? I don’t know, we are just speculating here

The top corner of the device shows the infamous Moto Batwing that is always spotted on prototype devices as in previous leaks like this. Peculiarly, there is a button on the lower-bezel of the screen which looks to be a fingerprint scanner. We hope this is some early prototype which requires the sensor to be on the front and we hope Moto decides to put the scanner where the dimple should go on the rear of the device.

Other speculation has pointed to the charging port being a USB-C connector. While we really can’t tell because of the quality and angle of the photo, let’s just leave it at that. Early rumors of the Galaxy Note 5 also said that it’d come with an USB-C port and it never did.

There is also a white dot on the upper right corner which shows the return of the front facing camera with flash, just like on the current-generation Moto X Pure Edition. What do you think of the first images of the alleged Moto X?

Microsoft Lumia 950 falls to £344 in the UK

Surprising no one, the Microsoft Lumia 950 gets another price cut in the UK. This time, it's a pretty solid discount and the 5.2" Windows flagship now costs £344 from Amazon UK.

In January it was £400, then down to £380 in February. The current price is the lowest yet, significantly discounted from the £420 that Microsoft's official store is asking for it. Carphone Warehouse is still charging £400 for it.

Amazon also has an ok deal on the Lumia 950 XL - £450 (down from £470 offer from Microsoft).

Reports say Facebook users aren’t posting as many personal updates

I don’t know about you, but lately my Facebook feed has been nothing but re-shared memes, videos, and click-bait articles. Facebook has been so focused on selling its platform for companies and organizations to advertise on, that users feel overwhelmed with all the irrelevant content that appears on their feeds and don’t even find it worth sharing personal updates anymore.

According to a report from The Information, five and a half percent of overall posts declined from mid-2014 to mid-2015 while the amount of personal updates on Facebook has dropped 21 perfect in the same period. Since then, the rate of decay has dropped to about a 15 percent decline last year.

Facebook used to be about people’s interactions or even the number of likes a post can get. Now that I think about it, Facebook might have introduced these new reactions as a way for people to start posting more personal updates again, rather than re-share that video of anything stupid that Trump is saying or World Star Hip-hop videos.

Facebook even tried to make it easier for you to share something by showing you your most recent photos from your gallery, asking if you’d like to make a post about any of them. I know this method scared a bunch of people (for just a second) into thinking their most private photos were shared to their friends somehow.

Facebook Feed in 2010

More people are sharing more private thoughts and pictures to other apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter. But I feel like Snapchat has taken a lot of the spotlight away from Facebook because Snapchat allows users to share everything they do and it disappears after 24 hours.

There’s an idea that just the fact that others will look through your stories (and you can see who did) is what attracts so many people to the self-destructing photo app. Just knowing that 60 of your friends saw your Snap of you on vacation at the beach is better than getting 5 likes on the a similar post on Facebook. Most of them probably don’t care. But there’s some kind of satisfaction that Snapchat brings that Facebook has been lacking lately.

What are your thoughts? Do you feel like Facebook has sidetracked from what it used to be say, 4 years ago? Or do you think the rise in popularity with other apps like Snapchat and Instagram are causing people to post less? Let us know in the comments.

Reddit finally releases its own Official App for Android

Redditors everywhere know that the only way to have a somewhat cohesive Reddit experience on a smartphone would be to compare the bunch of third-party apps available on the Play/App Store. These apps were always unofficial readers for Reddit and didn’t offer a predictable UI or functionality.

Ever since Reddit’s popularity was on the rise the past few years, many developers who were also fans of the site have taken it upon themselves to create their own Reddit client because other clients were not as good as they’d hoped. They also must have been tired of waiting for Reddit to release an official app.

Reddit has been hard at work developing its own official app since around 2014 when it posted a job listing looking for someone to help do so. We’ve already seen Reddit testing a Beta since December 2015. Then, Reddit released the Beta for private testers and, now, finally we see the official first public release of the “Reddit: The Official App” (For Android for now).

Surely, many might still flock to their own Reddit reader of choice, and that’s okay. Just because Reddit finally releases an official client for readers to use, doesn’t necessarily mean readers will stop using their own app of choice, perhaps one they’ve been using for months, even years in some cases.

Asus Zenfone Zoom and Zenfone 2 Laser getting sizable updates

Asus delivered a pair of updates for two of its handsets -the Zenfone Zoom, bearing the model number ZX551ML and the other for the Zenfone 2 Laser ZE601KL.

Sadly, the packages in question do not bring Android Marshmallow. They still add a bit of extra functionality and address some significant issues, especially in the case of the Zenfone Zoom. The software bears a version identifier of 2.26.40.72(MR3.2) and according to the official change notes cited below, most tweaks are within the phone's modem and the camera. If we may also note, it is quite refreshing to see a properly kept change log once in a while, not the usual - "Changes and fixes have been made".

1.[Charger] Fixed incorrect charging status after cable out.
2.[Camera] Fixed the bug resuled from previous power-on via shutter key.
3.[Audio] Increase headset detect de-bounce time to improve music auto play when plug out headset slowly.
4.[Modem]Patch for MO MT call failure in some areas in GuanZhou
5.[Modem]Improved SIM drop issue.
6.[Camera] Support more Auto Exposure shutter speed value in Mannual Mode.
7.[Camera] Improved Auto Exposure accuracy in Auto Mode.
8.[Camera] Improved digital zoom image quality.
9.[Camera] ImprovedAuto white balance under artificial light source.
10.[Modem]Improve modem stability
11.[Modem]Improved modem service stability
12.[Modem]Improved modem data service stability
13.[Modem]Improved capability of returning to LTE service
14.[eMMC]Enable eMMC ver5.1
15.[Codec]Disable ALAC
16.[Camera]Fixed occational camera APP drop
17.[SD Card]Add the new Project ID of HW_ID_MP_SD
18.[SDCARD]Fixed drop SD card issue and remove the redundant power
19.[Camera] Improved of Auto White Balance
20.[Camera] Improved Auto Focus Speed
21.[Camera] Optimized image quality
22.[Camera] Fixed the NR zoom parameter failure.
23.Several Apps updated
24.Modified several JP version strings
25.ZenUI support Burmese language (Zawgyi font)
26.Add Dr. Booster Smart and free game speed booster for a faster performance on ASUS mobile devices.
27.E-label update (add ID SKD)
28.Improvement of Auto Exposure accuracy.
29.Improvement of digital zoom image quality.
30.Improvement of Auto Focus Speed

As for the Zenfone 2 Laser, its 1.16.40.1338 update seems to be a lot more modest, but some new interesting features have been pushed to the camera app as well.

1.Several Apps update
2.Fix Simp. Chinese Pinyin input issue when searching "Xu" in dialer
3.Improve ASUS Cell Broadcast overall stability
4.Prevent from having no service after reboot while inserting 2 STK cards into device.
5.Fix "滴滴司机" can not dial issue.
6.Add ZenChoice - Your All-in-One app solutions platform to enrich your device's functionality
7.Powered by both local and cloud engines, and supported by experience with 500,000,000 users and 16-years of history in the PC & mobile security industries. Repeatedly ranked first 
in tests carried out by AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives
8.ZenUI support Burmese language (Zawgyi)
9."ASUS Camera new feature
- Enable Pano Sphere Mode
- Adjusts the color cast of the ambient light in Beautification mode. This feature provides a more natural glow of people's faces in Beautification mode. Tap the sun icon to enable/
disable the feature." 10.Settings: Add "Asia/Manila" timezone
11.Update Theme store feature- A new variety of premium themes now available in Themes app!
12.Add Screenshot sound settings
13.Add Android for Work feature
14.Enable Pano Sphere Mode
15.Several Apps update

Both updatesare already out in the open, so, if you are on an eligible device, be sure to check for an update over the next few hours and leave us some feedback of your experience.

Meizu Pro 6 gets showcased in official picture for the first time

Just one day after having announced the m3 note, Meizu's management is now officially teasing the oft-leaked Pro 6. Well, perhaps not as much teasing as actually revealing it. That's because the first official image showing the Meizu Pro 6 has surfaced today, and it basically confirms the design we've seen so far in all the leaks.

As you can see, we only get a look at the back of the handset, but there's no reason for us to think the front will look any different than what was already portrayed through leaks. Standing out on the back is the arrangement of the laser autofocus and the LED flash which surrounds it, below the camera.

Going by past rumors, the Meizu Pro 6 should come with a 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED touchscreen, a 21 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front-facing snapper, Samsung's Exynos 8890 chipset, 4 or 6GB of RAM, and a 3,500 mAh battery. Meizu still hasn't announced a date for the Pro 6's unveiling, but the big event is likely to take place next month.

Huawei Honor 5C may launch next week with upgraded chipset

The Honor 5X will soon receive a more affordable sibling, the Huawei Honor 5C. The info is limited, but we're looking at a brand new design and an upgraded chipset compared to its predecessor, the 4C.

The chipset will be a big upgrade - going from Kirin 620 to Kirin 950. That's the same chipset that powers the Mate 8 and substitutes four of the CPU cores for powerful Cortex-A72s, not to mention the more powerful GPU.

The new chipset also brings LTE (which was omitted on the 4C). It's speedy LTE Cat. 6 for up to 300Mbps downloads.

The final piece of info is a date, "4.13," which translates to next Wednesday.

Samsung's Q1 earnings guidance suggests a 10.4% growth in profit

Samsung seems to be looking at an exceptionally good first sales quarter this year. The Korean giant just published its earnings guidance for the three month period in question and it suggests consolidated sales of KRW49 trillion ($43.3 billion), which is a notable year-over-year increase over the KRW47.1 trillion ($40.7 million) in Q1 2015.

As for consolidated operating profit, Samsung now expects a figure of KRW6.6 trillion or about $5.7 billion, which constitutes a 10.45% increase over last year. Needless to say, these numbers aren't final, but it is definitely safe to say that the Galaxy S7 flagship duo plays a huge part in the mix.

We recently discussed the formidable sales success the Galaxy S7 has been enjoying with 10 million units shipped in March alone.

SIM-free Apple iPhone SE sells out in the US

Apple may have underestimated the interest the iPhone SE will generate in the US. The SIM-free version of the phone is now sold out on Apple's website with the earliest shipping estimated pointing to the end of April.

Carriers, however, have some stock if you are okay to sign a new contract or renew an old one. IN general the $399 16GB iPhone SE has a slightly better availability than the $499 64GB model, but then again it's understandable why the memory-limited version doesn't get much interest.

Shortage supply is also seen in Honk Kong, where the earliest availability for store pickup is April 16. It's definitely going to be interesting to see if KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is going to turn out right that Apple won't be able to recover from falling iPhone sales this year.