Huawei and Google reportedly releasing a Nexus phone this fall

This year, we may see a first for Google’s line of Nexus Android phones: a Chinese manufacturer. The Information reports that Huawei is in line to produce the device, which is said to be planned for fall. It’s not the first we’ve heard of the possibility; IBT said last month that the Huawei Nexus phone was coming, citing an employee at the company’s UK branch, while Android Police published a tentative rumor in May suggesting that there would be two Nexus phones this year — a 5.7-inch Huawei device and a 5.2-inch phone from LG.

The relationship between Google and Huawei could be mutually beneficial beyond the phone’s co-development. The Information claims that talks are in progress for Huawei to help Google bring a mobile app store to China, where government regulations have restricted the search giant from conducting much business of note.

Taylor Swift gives $50,000 to a leukemia patient on GoFundMe

After affecting serious change in the world of music streaming, noted tech influencer Taylor Swift has moved on to the crowdfunding sphere. GoFundMe announced yesterday that its donation limit was being raised from $15,000 to $50,000, and credited the change to Swift's generosity. She donated the latter amount — presumably in three chunks of $15,000 and a $5,000 kicker — to the Naomi's Fight Against Cancer campaign, which is dedicated to a young girl recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia.

This isn't Swift's first time using GoFundMe to help people in need. She donated $15,000 to a Texas firefighter who saved his own wife and son from a car crash last month. Swift has a long history of fan-oriented generosity, from sending fans Christmas care packages to inviting them to hear 1989 at her apartment before its release. (Who can forget the time she met a fan in Central Park and gave her $90 when she mentioned she was going to Chipotle?) But these recent donations seem to fall into the category of straightforward altruism: there aren't any specific references to Taylor Swift fandom in either of the campaigns that have received her generosity.

Samsung's next Galaxy Note is launching earlier than usual, reports WSJ

Every year this decade, Samsung has used Berlin's IFA trade show at the beginning of September to introduce a new Galaxy Note phablet, starting with the original device in the series in 2011. But this year, according to The Wall Street Journal's Jonathan Cheng, Samsung will move up the new Note's launch by a few weeks in order to avoid competing for attention with the announcement of the latest iPhone. Apple is expected to refresh its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus with new 6S variants, and it usually hosts its big autumn event just after IFA — so it's understandable that Samsung would seek to secure a slightly longer hype window for one of its own halo products.
Samsung did something similar last summer by launching the well received, but short-lived Galaxy Alpha in August, exploiting a traditionally quiet time for new product releases. The fifth Galaxy Note is likely to follow a similar trajectory: launched in the midst of summer and then featured as part of Samsung's IFA exhibition. Its actual release date is still likely to overlap with the upgraded iPhone's, but maybe a couple of weeks of availability before Apple's latest could be just enough to help Samsung's business.

Instagram is going hd

Instagram, the Facebook-owned photo-sharing app confirmed that high definition images will soon be possible, though a date has not yet been set.

Instagram’s iOS and Android apps will be adding support for images of up to 1080 x 1080 pixels in size, a significant jump from the 640 x 640 resolution it’s had since it launched back in 2010.

The jump of Instagram to 1080 means that images won’t cropped or lose detail. However, Instagram on the desktop remains a second-class citizen, as Instagram says that “right now we are focused on mobile, with no plans to share on web.”

Ben Affleck may be going to co-write, direct, and star in a new stand-alone Batman movie!!!

After the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League films, Ben Affleck may be going to co-write, direct, and star in a new stand-alone Batman movie!!! - says Deadline

DC fans are expecting to hear from Warner Bros. about their future plans for the DC movie universe at Comic-Con this week, and a movie from Ben Affleck the director may be part of it. Deadline is reporting that Affleck will co-write, direct, and star in a new stand-alone Batman movie just after the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League films.
His creative partner in the project is said to be Geoff Johns, a comic and TV writer that also serves as DC's chief creative officer. Johns has worked on everything from The Flash and Arrow television shows to Batman: Arkham Knight. Given his vast knowledge of the DC universe, he would seem to be an ideal parter to help map the world of DC's comics into film, much like Kevin Feige has had the knowledge and geek credibility to oversee Marvel's cinematic world.
According to the report, the new Batman film will be shooting after Affleck finishes directing his next film Live By Night — and if Warner Bros. Earlier BusinessHeading reported that ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ Will recreate scenes from ‘Gotham’.

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