New update to Samsung's Android browser brings support for ad blocking

Samsung has pushed out a new update to its Web browser on Android that adds a new API using which developers will be able to build ad blocking extensions for the browser. The update will only be available to Samsung devices running Android 5.0 or up.

Once you update your Samsung Internet browser, you'll be able to block ads by installing a content blocking software that takes advantage of the new API. One such tool is Adblock Fast, which is claiming to be the first free open-source ad blocker for the browser.

The team behind Adblock Fast for Android claims the extension allows webpages to load an average of 51% faster. The ad blocker is also available for Chrome and Opera on desktops and laptops.

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Original Nvidia Shield Tablet gets Android 6.0 Marshmallow update

Back in December Nvidia released the update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow for its Shield Tablet K1. And today the company is doing the same for theoriginal Shield Tablet from 2014.

As you'd expect, the new software brings with it all the goodies that Google's included into Marshmallow, such as Now On Tap, support for adoptable storage, the new app permission system, standby power drain improvements (with Doze mode), app optimization, as well as better power efficiency when using Bluetooth Low Energy. Memory usage is monitored for each app, and the security patch for January 2016 is in too.

Nvidia has also added a few things of its own, like a camera app with material design, improved burst functionality and new real-time HD effects, new wallpapers for the home and lock screens, improvements to Wi-Fi connectivity, and "optimized preloaded apps".

As the rollout is occurring over-the-air, it may be a few days before all original Shield tablets receive the notification. Of course if you're impatient you can always manually check for the availability of the new release by going to Settings > About tablet.

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Exynos version of the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) gets benchmarked

The upcoming 2016 refresh of Samsung's Galaxy J7 has been caught in a benchmark's databaseonce before, and now it's happened again. This time around however, we're treated to the details of the Exynos version of the device, and from two different benchmarks no less - Geekbench and GFXBench.

Yes, it seems that like for its predecessor, theoriginal J7, Samsung will once again release two models - one running its own Exynos chip, and another with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 on board.

Interestingly though, the Exynos SoC inside the J7 (2016) will be a new one, namely the Exynos 7870. This is probably going to be a successor of sorts to the Exynos 7580 found in the previous J7. It's got an octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at up to 1.7 GHz, at least in these two tests.

This iteration of the new J7 only has 2GB of RAM, and a 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen (the Snapdragon model apparently sports 3GB and 1080p resolution). The built-in storage is 16GB, and the main camera has 13 MP resolution while the selfie snapper is a 5 MP unit. The Exynos-powered Galaxy J7 runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow in the benchmarks, so there's a chance it will actually launch with this version on board.

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Leaked iPad Air 3 drawing reveals quad speakers, Smart Connector, LED flash

As previous rumors have hinted, in designing the upcoming iPad Air 3 Apple has taken a lot of inspiration from the unique features it introduced with the bigger iPad Pro. And today a new leaked drawing which purportedly shows the iPad Air 3's dimensions and various cutouts seems to confirm just that. While anyone can create such a rendering, this is said to originate at a reliable source for what it's worth.

The iPad Air 3 is thus going to feature a quad speaker setup akin to the iPad Pro. Furthermore, it will borrow its bigger sibling's Smart Connector, so we assume there will be a Smart Keyboard accessory for it available at launch too. The main camera will get a LED flash for whatever reason.

The cost of all these new features will be seen in the dimensions of the device. It will be slightly thicker and wider than its predecessor, with the full measurements coming in at 240 x 169.6 x 6.15 mm. However, the differences are .1 and .05 mm, respectively, so you're unlikely to notice them in real-world use.

The iPad Air 3 will supposedly launch in mid-March alongside the new affordable 4-inch smartphone from Apple (which may end up being called iPhone 5se).

Microsoft Band 2 is just £169.99 until February 5

We've seen quite a few deals for the first generation Microsoft Band wearable, especially in the UK where you could purchase it for just £50 as recently as last month. That's perhaps understandable since Microsoft's got a newer smart band on the market.

Now though this too has been discounted in the UK, following a similar move in the US in December. The Microsoft Band 2 can currently be snagged for just £169.99, which is £30 less than its recommended retail price.

The new pricing is already in effect both at Microsoft's own online store as well as at Amazon. This is a limited time deal, only being available until February 5 (which is this Friday). So if you want one of these wearables, perhaps you should act fast.

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Xiaomi and Meizu land on US soil through US Mobile

Xiaomi and Meizu are now being sold officially in the US through a carrier and that carrier is US Mobile. The MVNO, which uses T-Mobile's network, is now offering select models by the two companies, though the orders are in fact fulfilled by a third party.

The m2 note is the only Meizu smartphone that you can get at this point, priced at $149 if paid in full, or $9 a month for 18 months. The Xiaomi options include the affordable Redmi 2 at $119, the aging Mi 3 at $139, and the Snapdragon 615 midranger Mi 4i at $219. All of these can of course be purchased in monthly installments as well.

Xiaomi Mi 4i

The catch is that while three of the smartphones (Mi 3 excluded) do support LTE, none of them has radios for T-Mobile's 1700MHz band. So you'll be stuck at 3G speeds, which may or may not be a problem depending on where you stand. US Mobile CEO, however, states that in the future devices may come with proper LTE support. Not exactly a promise, but it's something.

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S6 and S6 edge get Marshmallow update in South Korea

Samsung has started rolling out the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update for the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 edge in South Korea.

The final version comes out after a brief beta test where users had to sign up to receive the beta build.

Looking at screenshots by SamMobile, the update brings some minor UI changes, such as the updated notification menu and power menu, along with the usual under the hood changes, such as enabling the fingerprint sensor to work in third party apps.

The update should eventually make its way outside of South Korea, and also to other Samsung devices.

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It's official: Samsung to unveil Galaxy S7 on February 21

Turns out the rumors were correct. Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S7 flagship smartphone will be unveiled on Sunday, February 21 (19:00 CET) in Barcelona, just a day before MWC 2016 officially kicks off.

The South Korean company has also posted a teaser video on YouTube (embedded below) that confirms the same. The video, however, doesn't reveal much - it just shows a man wearing the company's Gear VR headset.

"Get ready to rethink what a phone can do," Samsung said in the text accompanying the video. "#TheNextGalaxy will be revealed at Unpacked on February 21." The Galaxy S7 has already been the subject of endless rumors and leaks. It is expected to be launched in the US and Europe on March 11.

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Xiaomi Mi 5 to get a Windows 10 variant as well

We already know that Xiaomi's upcoming Mi 5 flagship smartphone will be officially unveiled later this month. We also know that the device will be available for media preview at this year's MWC. But, in what could come as a surprise for many, we're now hearing that the handset could have a Windows 10 variant, too.

Aside from the OS, the Win 10 variant is said to be identical to its Android cousin. The rumor also suggests that the device will be made official at a simultaneous event in China and Barcelona (during this year's MWC), alongside the Android model.

While the news definitely comes as a surprise, this would not be the first time Xiaomi and Microsoft are partnering - last year they signed an agreement to provide Windows 10 Technical Preview support on the Mi 4, following which the ROM was released in December.The Mi Pad 2 64GB also comes in a Win 10 variant, although that's the full desktop OS, rather than the mobile one.

As for the Mi 5, while most of its specs is in rumors currently, what's been confirmed so far is that the handset is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 820 chipset, and offerssupport for dual-SIM functionality and NFC. The company's Senior Vice President, Liwan Jiang, has reportedly also confirmed that the phone will sport a 1080p display, instead of therumored QHD one.

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BlackBerry Priv's February security update rolling out already

Well, that was quick. It's February 1 today, and BlackBerry's Android-powered Privsmartphone has already started receiving the Android security update for the month. That's less than a month after January's patch begun rolling out.

There's currently no information whatsoever on exactly what fixes are included in the update given that even Google is yet to disclose the details about Android's February security patch.

As for the devices receiving the update, it'd be fair to assume that only unlocked Priv units purchased directly from BlackBerry will be getting it for now as carriers usually take some time before rolling out any update to variants bought from them.

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Leaked Samsung Galaxy S7 photo shows the back design

@evleaks has just outed a photo showing the backs of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. As per the photo, Samsung intends to keep the glass design of its upcoming batch of flagships.