BGR Daily Breaking Stories

Daily Headlines MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015

4 brand new Android phones you might want this year instead of the Galaxy S6 The Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 may have stolen the show at MWC 2015, especially the Galaxy S6 edge version, but that doesn’t mean all smartphone buyers currently considering a new Android handset will go for a high-end device. Nor should they, since the S6 is ridiculously expensive and there will be plenty of cheaper Android devices launching soon, running Android 5.0 Lollipop right out of the box. In what follows, we’ll be taking a quick look at four solid contenders that were unveiled at MWC Barcelona that I took a look at during the show.  MORE → It looks like Apple will start selling new products today – but what? Apple’s huge Apple Watch press conference is set to kick off just a few short hours from now. While there are always plenty of rumors and leaks ahead of any Apple event, it’s rare that the focus of one of the company’s press conferences is something that has already been made official; Apple first took the wraps off of its Apple Watch last September during the iPhone 6 event. Today, we’ll finally see Apple fill in all of the blanks surrounding the Apple Watch, announcing key details such as price points and release dates. As it turns out, however, Apple will seemingly also have a few surprises in store for us at the event.  MORE → Major leak may have just revealed HTC One M9’s price and release date Apple wasn’t the first company in the world to launch a new flagship product on an annual basis, but the company certainly popularized the tradition among smartphone makers. The Cupertino-based company introduces one or more new iPhone models each year, and they go on sale soon after in place of the last year’s phones. Several other companies have followed Apple’s lead, and now it appears as though HTC may have taken this custom to a level that not even Apple has achieved at this point.  MORE → Here’s how Apple Pay will work on the Apple Watch Apple on Monday will hold a special Apple Watch event, during which the company is likely to reveal all of the answers to remaining Apple Watch questions following its debut at the iPhone 6 event in September. But the company is already teasing some of the Apple Watch features in interviews with the press. Most recently, Apple’s head of iTunes, Apple Pay and other Internet services, Eddy Cue, revealed more details about Apple Pay during a brief partnership announcement.  MORE → iPhone 6 finally has competition: Galaxy S6 orders are already through the roof A week after Samsung finally unveiled its 2015 flagship Android smartphones — the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge — the company has confirmed that it already shattered pre-order records for a Galaxy S model.  MORE → Brilliant patent details how Apple may be saving money on the 18k Gold Apple Watch When it comes to reducing the costs associated with manufacturing, no one can even touch Apple. Even before Apple became the tech behemoth it is today, Tim Cook, in his capacity as Apple’s COO, was able to streamline Apple’s entire supply chain while simultaneously securing favorable pricing across a number of important components. With the Apple Watch slated to launch next month, Apple’s operational wizardry may once again be on full display. Specifically, Apple may have come up with a way to deliver an 18k gold watch by using less gold, volume wise, than traditional 18k gold.  MORE → You actually can remove the Galaxy S6’s battery… it just takes some work One thing that some people found disappointing about the Galaxy S6 was that its stylish unibody design seemed to have come at the expense of having a removable battery. However, one XDA Developers forum member has found that it is actually possible to remove the device’s battery, although it’s not anywhere near as easy as it was on earlier Samsung phones.  MORE → Apple is the 2014 king of movie product placement Whether or not you’re watching TV at home or relaxing at the movies, Apple products have a tendency to pop up on-screen at any moment. Though Apple doesn’t pay for product placement, it certainly has no problem with bestowing large boxes of Apple hardware to production companies in the hopes that iPhones and Macs make it onto some of the biggest TV and movie hits of the year. That being the case, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Apple was the recent recipient of a Brandcameo Product Placement Award for getting more screen time in more top movies than any other brand.  MORE → Video: Watch Conan get completely wasted on Cuban rum Conan O’Brien has been broadcasting from Cuba this week and on Thursday he ran what might be his greatest segment yet from the island nation. In the clip below, you’ll see Conan take a tour of a Cuban rum refinery before proceeding to get completely plastered on the stuff at the end of the tour.  MORE → Blowing off work email at night is good for your health Technology makes our lives more convenient in many ways but in other ways it just makes us slaves to our jobs since we’re never off the clock and are expected to respond to work emails at all hours of the day. Psych Central brings us word of a new study from the College of Business at the University of Texas at Arlington that shows checking work email at night can have a significant impact on our overall mental health and should be avoided if possible.  MORE →