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dimanche 15 novembre 2020

Samsung’s Home Theater Black Friday event has their Crystal Smart TVs starting at just $330

Okay, I get it, you’re probably sick of me saying “oh wow a retailer started their Black Friday sales early again”. 2020 has been a very unusual year in many ways, and in terms of e-commerce, it’s really showing with how this holiday shopping season is going. Most major retailers have started their big sales and massive discounts as early as the beginning of the month, and few of them show any signs of stopping as we get closer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday themselves. This makes for a much more relaxed holiday shopping season for those who might need to shop a little leaner this year. It’s pretty great for consumers, really!

But, you didn’t come here to listen to me ramble about the specifics of my job. You came for deals, and this Sunday, I have a deal for you. Samsung has started a bunch of their Black Friday sales, including discounts on many home theater products. In addition to some of the Frame TVs being back on sale (though unfortunately not the size that was just $480), the Samsung Crystal Smart TVs are on sale, with prices starting at $330.

How big of a discount you get depends on what size TV you want–the bigger you go, the bigger the discount. The 43-inch Samsung Crystal Smart TV is the one at $330, but it’s only $20 off the usual $350 MSRP. the 85-inch TV, however, is down to $1,600 from $2,000.

Why should you grab the Crystal UHD TV over options? Well, this Samsung model of TVs strikes a good balance between affordability and functionality. With 4K and 4K upscaling, you’ll get beautiful picture that’ll be fitting in any home theater. Also, you can hide any cables you need to hook up to the TV in the stand–a feature I find very helpful as someone that values cable management.

The best deal for you will depend on what size works best in your space. Give the store page a look to see what sizes are available and go from there!

    Samsung Crystal Smart TVs
    As part of Samsung's early Black Friday deals, you can get yourself a new Crystal 4K UHD Smart TV. Prices start at $330, but the discount gets better the bigger you go!

This sale is available for a limited time but should be back on Black Friday. Why wait and stress out on the big day, though? Get your new TV today!

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samedi 14 novembre 2020

Android TV x86 lets you repurpose your old PC into a media streamer

Android is a very flexible platform, and it can be used on a large variety of devices. Android TV, for example, is a unique flavor of Google’s operating system that is specifically modified for TVs and digital media players. The whole Android TV experience differs from regular Android mainly through its interface, which focuses a lot on voice search and content discovery. Imagine having the ability to translate that same experience into desktops and laptops running on Intel (or AMD) processors. That’s where Android TV x86 comes in.

Created by XDA Senior Member AmznUser444 Dev, Android TV x86 aims to be an easy and convenient way of getting apps, games, and media content on your PC that is hooked up to a big screen. LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and sound should work out of the box because the ROM has its roots in the Android-x86 project. The initial build is based on Android 9 Pie, and its system requirements mention a 1.2 GHz dual-core 64-bit capable processor with a typical Intel/NVIDIA/AMD GPU having 64MB of video memory. The minimum requirements are reasonably low, so it shouldn’t be too tough to revive an old PC with the goodness of Android TV.

Here is the list of known bugs at this time:

  • Stuck on “Detecting Android TV…” on non-EXT4 partition
  • Chromecast built-in doesn’t work without having DRM support
  • Netflix is only working on the mobile version

In addition, due to lacking Widevine L1 certification, don’t expect HD video streaming from services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. The Google Chromecast with Google TV and other Android TV streaming media devices definitely provide a better media streaming experience, but this is totally free if you already have an unused PC lying around.

You can download the installer ISO from the official website of this project. Take note that the ROM already has Google apps included, so you don’t need to flash a separate ZIP file to get the Google Play Store. The XDA thread is linked below which includes a full list of features, known issues, and all the changelogs. Make sure to check them out before installing the OS on your PC.

Android TV x86: Download || XDA Thread

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Finally get yourself the perfect gaming keyboard with the Razer BlackWidow Elite, currently half off this weekend!

This weekend and this weekend only, Razer is offering early Black Friday deals on some of their products! No need to wait until November 27th to know if you’ll get the best deal or not here–just grab what you want and have no stress come the big day. One of the items that’s on sale this weekend? The Razer BlackWidow Elite, and it’s half off.

This high-end Razer keyboard was also on sale during Prime Day 2020, but its deepest discount was only as a Lightning Deal that went quickly. This time around, you have more time to grab yourself the BlackWidow Elite–until Sunday, to be exact–and it’s currently $85! That’s an incredible price.

With remappable macro keys, durable mechanical switches built specifically for gaming, and impressive RGB, the Razer BlackWidow Elite is definitely a solid choice for a keyboard upgrade. With it being only $85, if you’ve been holding off on grabbing a mechanical keyboard due to the higher prices, this makes the switch that much more enticing.

This half-off deal applies to all three models of the BlackWidow Elite, too. Each model has different mechanical switches in them, which in turn affects how the Razer BlackWidow Elite feels, too. There are the Green switches, which feel tactile and clicky (as in, they’re loud); the Orange switches, which are also tactile and silent (basically it doesn’t sound like a horse stampede while you’re typing); and finally, the Yellow switches, which are linear and silent (sorry, I don’t know what linear means in this context). Which keyboard you want to grab will depend on which feel you like the most!

    Razer BlackWidow Elite, Half Off
    Available with three different types of mechanical switches, the Razer BlackWidow Elite is currently half off at Amazon!

This sale only lasts until Sunday, so grab your keyboard before it’s back to $170! If you’re looking for more gaming accessories, Razer is also having a sale on its Naga Trinity MMO mouse. If you’re a big MMO player, this mouse will make your rotations way easier, and it’s available for just $70.

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vendredi 13 novembre 2020

Download Meizu’s Flyme OS 8 live wallpapers on any Android device

Earlier this year in June, we shared a couple of live wallpapers from Chinese OEM Meizu’s Flyme OS 8. The live wallpapers were essentially different color options of the same live wallpaper, which showed bubbles moving around on the home screen. Since then, Meizu has added 9 more live wallpapers to its custom Android skin and, unlike the previously shared wallpapers, they all offer a unique look.

XDA Recognized Developer linuxct, who’s known for porting live wallpapers from various Android skins, has now added the 9 new live wallpapers to his Flyme OS 8 Live Wallpapers APK. As you can see in the attached tweet, the new Flyme OS 8 live wallpapers include 6 3D wallpapers — Snowy Mountain, Ancient Golden Lava, Cold Granite, Rose, Blue Anemone, and Crystallized Petal. Each of these live wallpapers offers a unique animation that is controlled by your device’s accelerometer.

Along with the 3D wallpapers, the Flyme OS 8 live wallpapers APK now also includes 3 live wallpapers that feature the sea — The Wave, Deep Diving, and The Ripple. Unlike the 3D wallpapers, these wallpapers don’t utilize your device’s accelerometer and offer a constant fluid animation.

You can download the new Flyme OS 8 live wallpapers by following the XDA Forums thread linked below. Once you have the APK installed on your device, you should be able to select them from the stock wallpaper picker. In case you don’t find them in the stock wallpaper picker, you’ll have to download the Google Wallpapers app from the Play Store to apply the wallpapers. The wallpapers should work on all devices running Android 5.0 and later.

Flyme OS 8 Live Wallpapers — XDA Forum Thread

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Realme plans to bring the Realme X7 5G to India next year

Earlier this year, Realme launched the Realme X50 Pro in India, its first 5G smartphone in that market. The company is now committing to launch more 5G devices in the country, with plans to “democratize 5G technology in 2021.”

The launch in question will be for the Realme X7 series, and that will be just the start. The company said it will then bring 5G technology to even more devices, with the hopes of becoming a 5G leader.

Realme originally introduced the X7 and X7 Pro for the European market in September. Those devices included Dimensity 800 and Dimensity 1000+ chips, respectively, along with support for 65W SuperDart Charge technology. It’s unclear if Realme plans to make any changes to either X7 series device when they hit the Indian market. But they’ll know doubt turn heads when they’re released, especially the Realme X7 Pro, which features a 120Hz AMOLED display, quad-camera setup, dual stereo speakers, and a 4500mAh battery.

Realme X Series

The Realme X7 series was originally announced for Europe.

While it’s exciting to hear Realme has plans to bring the X7 series to India, buyers won’t have the opportunity to use them to their fullest capabilities — at least not at first. That’s because there are no 5G networks in India, as the government has yet to auction spectrum for the technology. But by releasing 5G devices now, Realme will be prepared for the inevitable launch of 5G networks in the country.

Realme X7 Pro Forums

This year, we’ve seen a flood of 5G devices in the mid-range and high-end markets. Even Apple jumped on the trend with the iPhone 12 series, and there’s no signs of that trend slowing down as more 5G networks are erected around the world. Hence, Realme’s insistence on releasing the X7 series in India next year.

The post Realme plans to bring the Realme X7 5G to India next year appeared first on xda-developers.



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Google Chat now lets you pin conversations and schedule Google Calendar events

More and more people are relying on services like Google Chat to stay in touch. Whether you’re keeping in contact with family or collaborating with a team for work, Chat has become a critical part of Google’s suite of services, and new updates are making it even better.

The first change is the ability to pin conversations. Pinning a conversation will keep it at the top of your list view in Chat in Gmail. You might want to pin a conversation for a contact you talk to often, like a loved one or best friend. The feature is available beginning this week for a variety of customers, including Workspace Essentials and G Suite Basic.

Google Chat pinned conversations Google Chat schedule events

A second update will allow users to schedule meetings in Calendar directly from Chat conversations. In the compose bar, there’s a new calendar icon, which users can click on to draft an event with the attendees from the chat. Users can customize the invite, including day, time, and attendees, and then send it right from the chat.

If you’re using Google Chat in mobile, drafting an event will open the Calendar app. If you’re drafting an event on the web while using Chat, Calendar will pop out in the side panel. Google said the feature is rolling out to Chat in the Android Gmail app and the Chat Android mobile app. It’ll be available to the Chat in Gmail on the web and Chat iOS app soon.

These releases don’t introduce any flagship features, but they do improve the usability of Chat in important ways. Being able to pin conversations is especially handy if you frequently interact with a lot of people but want to keep someone at the top of the list. The latest features join a recent update that unthreaded chat rooms to make conversations things easier to follow.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still spreading across the world, Chat has become an important tool for staying in touch. We’re glad to see Google continuing to improve the experience.

Google Chat (Free, Google Play) →

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Save over $50 on a 34-inch LG Ultrawide FreeSync monitor and enjoy the view

You know, I used to think ultrawide monitors were a bit silly. Do you really need that much desktop real estate, and for your field of vision in games to be that wide? Of course, I have two normal sized-monitors mounted side by side, so it became obvious that I was being a little hypocritical. I still haven’t made the jump to an ultrawide monitor yet, but I can now understand the appeal of having enough room to open all of the applications you need without the borders of two monitors messing everything up.

So it’s good news that ultrawide monitors have been becoming more and more affordable, and this is the time of year is the perfect time to save. On Amazon, the LG Ultrawide FreeSync monitor is down to $327, $53 off its MSRP. This 34-inch monitor is a great beginner’s ultrawide monitor–inexpensive enough to convince you to make the jump, but not a gigantic loss if you end up wanting to do pack to a normal 16:9 set-up. Both of my monitors combined cost more than the LG UltraWide FreeSync monitor!

What really makes this LG monitor stand out is the AMD FreeSync software. That, along with Dynamic Action Sync, three game modes, and 1ms motion response time means that it’s great for gaming. So if you’re even slowly building up your PC gaming set-up with various deals as they come around, this will be the perfect accessory to complete it. You can even hook up your game consoles to the monitor and use it, though you might want to go with a quality TV instead.

    LG Ultrawide Freesync Monitor (34-inch)
    With FreeSync and a 1 millisecond response time, this LG ultrawide monitor may be just what you were looking for! Right now, you can save over $50 and get this 21:9 monitor for just $327. That's cheaper than two 16:9 monitors!

If you’re not convinced by this monitor, there is only another, 29-inch LG Ultrawide monitor on sale as well. It also has FreeSync and it’s available for the lower price of $229. But, if you’re going to go for an ultrawide monitor and have the space, I’d recommend the 34-inch model!

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