Android creator plans to build AI-centered smartphone

Android maker Andy Rubin has been out of Google for over two years already but it looks like he’s kept busy and is planning to re-enter the segment he left. Rumour has it Rubin is planning to launch a company that’ll produce a high-end smartphone that will focus on artificial intelligence and have a bezel-free screen and ceramic back. The company, which will be called Essential, has been registered by Rubin as “Essential Products Inc.” in California back in November 2015. The word “Essential” has also been submitted at the end of last year to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with smartphones, tablets, and mobile OS software as part of the outfit’s goods and services. The company is supposedly composed of around 40 people with a lot of them recruited from both Apple and Google.

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New LG Android Wear watches pass through the FCC

With the announcement of Android Wear 2.0 coming, it makes sense for manufacturers to start peddling new hardware. LG looks like it has four smartwatches coming up, with three of them passing through FCC recently. The four smartwatches are rumoured to be named the LG Watch Style, Watch Pro, Watch Force, and Watch Sole. For now, the ones that passed through the FCC carry the model numbers W270, W280, and W281. The W280 has GSM capabilities, which is similar to the Watch Urbane 2^nd Edition that LG launched last year. It also has carrier models: LG-W280A and LG-W280V. It’ll also feature wireless charging capabilities. As for the W270, it’ll be a Wi-Fi-only model.

According to recent rumours, these watches might come with Qualcomm processors, IP67 certification for dust and water resistance, and looks similar to the Urbane 2 with a stainless steel build. There isn’t that much info on the W281 but it looks to be an LTE model, too. We can’t say yet when these wearables will make it to the market but having them go through FCC might speed things along.

Source: The Leaker + PhoneArena

Apple's latest commercials give the AirPods some love

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Apple's most innovative product for 2017 are the AirPods and here there are a series of advertisements showing what these tiny wonders can do. The ads show some of the key features of the AirPods (easy to pair to iPhones, they don't fall off even if you moonwalk on walls and they sound pretty good). I ordered my personal pair AirPods as soon as they were made available and one month in, they're still the accessory I use the most and have become one of my favourite Apple products, ever. They motivate me in the gym, they pair to my iPhone, Surface Book, iPad and even Apple Watch, battery life has been very good and sound is A+.

The othe Apple AirPod ads can be found here and here.

New Netflix film gives teen smartphone-based superpowers

Like any big production companies, not all films that come out of the studios will be gold. And it looks like this upcoming movie from Netflix is an example. iBoy stars Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams as Lucy, the best friend of Tom. This teen boy gets beaten by thugs and somehow part of his smartphone becomes embedded into his brain. He uses this “superpower” to save Lucy. You can find out more in the trailer above. The film starts streaming on January 27.

Source: Engadget