Put Baby Yoda on your wrist with the new Vodafone and Disney’s Neo smart watch

European mobile carrier Vodafone has partnered with Disney to launch a new wearable for kids called the Neo. Vodafone says the Neo combines its technological capabilities with Disney’s entertainment chops to offer a wearable that gives kids a sense of independence while letting parents stay in contact. The Neo’s most notable feature is its Disney branding. The watch lets kids choose from a collection of ‘Sidekicks’ that will hang out on the main clock screen, including Baby Yoda / Grogu from The Mandalorian, Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, and Minnie Mouse. Vodafone says the Sidekicks will animate throughout the day, and the company plans to add more characters over time at no additional cost. Besides the injection of Disney charm, the Neo is mostly focused on keeping parents in touch with their kids, with a few added smart watch features (though all of this requires a Vodafone subscription). With the watch, parents can call, text, and get updates on their kid’s location from the companion Vodafone Smart app. Parents can use the same app to create a “circle” of trusted contacts for texting and calling and limit screen time with Quiet Mode. To boost kid’s “independence,” the Neo can also receive calendar updates, check the weather, track activity, and has a built-in 5-megapixel camera.


Verizon’s Galaxy S20 models are the first to get Android 11

Verizon revealed that Samsung’s Galaxy S20 lineup will be the first Samsung phones to receive Android 11 and Samsung’s One UI 3.0 in the US, and now the software has already started trickling out to customers, according to Droid Life. One UI 3.0 has the messaging, notifications and security features of Android 11, along with some add-ons specific to One UI. Samsung has added easier ways to access widgets, take screenshots, and double-tap the screen to put your phone to sleep, to name a few. According to the schedule, the next phones to receive the update will be the Note 20, Z Fold, Note 10, and S10 phones in January 2021. Last year’s Android 10 update took three months to hit the first phones, and that’s what we’re seeing with Android 11 this year too. Issues like fragmentation are important because Samsung is the largest Smartphone vendor globally, and the largest producer of Android phones in the US. That means the widespread adoption of new features largely relies on the company choosing to include them in new versions of One UI.


Leaked image of Galaxy Buds Pro reveals a new rounded design

An image of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Buds Pro true wireless ear buds has leaked, thanks to noted leaker Evan Blass. They look to have a more rounded shape than the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds Plus. Blass also posted a render that apparently shows the case for the Galaxy Buds Pro – a render looks similar to a diagram of the case found in recent FCC filings for the Galaxy Buds Pro. Instead of the more oblong shape of the case for the Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Buds Plus, the case for the Galaxy Buds Pro looks to be more of a square with rounded corners, like the one for Samsung’s bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live headphones. A new shape and new case aren’t the only new updates reportedly coming to the Galaxy Buds Pro – they may also have active noise cancellation and improvements to ambient mode, according to SamMobile. The Galaxy Buds Pro are expected to be revealed alongside the Galaxy S21 phones in January, SamMobile reports.

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