All the news that's fit for your eyes to wrap up the week.
With the iPhone launching and it being a Friday, it was a relatively slow day in terms of Android news. The one funny bit that took over social media today was the BBC report of a cow having its face blurred by Google after being caught in a Street View scene — nice catch! (But seriously cows deserve privacy, too, right?)
In more on-topic news, LG teamed up with Boost Mobile to launch a small phone with a massive 4100 mAh battery, Sony's new Xperia X Compact was added to its AOSP program and SanDisk updated one of its most popular apps. In the ongoing Samsung Note 7 recall saga, we got an official apology for the incident from Tim Baxter, President of Samsung America. Here's all of the day's news!
BBC with the hard-hitting news: Cow's blurred face on Google Street View
In Google's attempt to blur the faces of unsuspecting bystanders caught in Street View imagery, it blurred the face of a cow in the UK. Far too many cow jokes ensued, but we're bullish that Google will sort this out properly in the future.
Sony's new Xperia X Compact added to its AOSP program
The new tiny phone is now available for developers to target with AOSP-based custom ROMs, with a little help from Sony's tools. Bravo, Sony — more manufacturers should have such policies.
Samsung's execs are getting personal over the Note 7 recall
Tim Baxter, Samsung America's President & COO, took to the teleprompter this week to earnestly apologize for his company's part in the Note 7 battery issues (which were actually manufacturerd a company adjacent but independent from Samsung itself). While over 130,000 Note 7s have been recalled in the U.S. alone, there's still a lot of work to be done, as indicated by the bags under his eyes and the knowledge that there were over a million sold before the recall was issued. This thing ain't over yet.
Don't miss the tail end of the OnePlus Back to School sale
There are some pretty hefty discounts in the OnePlus online store through this weekend on cases, chargers and accessories of all types. It isn't applicable to the whole store, but it's worth checking out briefly if you have a OnePlus phone.
LG X Power comes to Sprint and Boost Mobile with massive battery
The $129 5.3-inch X Power has an octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and an 8MP camera — not a bad combo for the price. It also has a positively huge 4100 mAh battery. With simple specs and a small screen, it should last a long time.
SanDisk's Memory Zone app gets revamped
The latest version of the app includes boosted performance (it claims a 10-times jump), built-in file compression/decompression and a new photo and video viewer. The app is designed to help you view content across your phone and external storage.
