News
Fairphone 2 gets up to five years of software support
Android 9 Pie is the latest OS for the device
Picture this: you own an almost 6-year-old smartphone when you just heard the news that your device will get an official OS update. The smartphone in question is not an iOS device, though. It is an Android smartphone, but this seems too good to be true. Well, a small company from the Netherlands just proved that Android smartphones can receive software updates for longer.
Fairphone — which made headlines in recent years for building smartphones with modular parts — is sticking to its promise of longevity by officially updating the Fairphone 2 to Android 9 Pie. Fairphone 2 saw its release way back in 2015, launching with Android 5 Lollipop out of the box.
The device launched with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, which is pretty respectable during those times. Updating the device is no small feat mainly due to the limitations with the processor.
Qualcomm initially promised up to six years of support for other processors, yet the Snapdragon 801 was an exception. That processor received a total of two years of support so most phones equipped with it also got one to two years of Android updates. In the absence of official support, Fairphone marched on and released Android 7 Nougat in 2018.
Updates are no small feat
For Android 9, the company even underwent 477,000 Google tests to get certification for the update. It may not be the latest version, but the Mountain View company still supports it enough to be usable for many users.
With the release of Android 9, Fairphone fulfills its promise of supporting devices for at least five years. In the Android world, it is rare for manufacturers to support their devices beyond the usual two years. Samsung, for its part, changed course last year and began supporting its devices for a minimum of three years.
However, it remains to be seen if any Android manufacturer can match the support Apple gives to its iOS devices. The iPhone 6s, for example, is now in its sixth year of OS updates launching with iOS 9 in 2015 and still getting support for iOS 14 this 2021.
Source: Fairphone via XDA Developers
Lifestyle
Nike’s Alphafly 4 is built for the part of the marathon ~that actually hurts~
Made to protect your stride when fatigue sets in.
Every marathoner knows the exact moment the race truly begins.
It’s not at the starting line amidst the early morning excitement, but around the 32-kilometer mark, when your legs begin to feel heavy and your form starts to fall apart.
Nike designed its latest marathon racer specifically for that critical window. The Alphafly 4 shifts the focus away from chasing sheer top-end speed, targeting instead the physical breakdown that happens late in a long run.
By studying how fatigue alters a runner’s mechanics over time, Nike rebuilt its flagship distance shoe to help athletes maintain their stride when energy starts to dip.
Holding the line when fatigue sets in
On the road, the shoe operates as a complete, unified system designed to protect your stride.
A redesigned Atomknit upper wraps the foot with breathable support, using targeted midfoot cables and an integrated heel unit to keep your fit secure without adding unnecessary weight or friction over long distances.
Underfoot, the new ZoomX LT foam layer works alongside Nike’s contoured carbon-fiber Flyplate. The lighter foam returns maximum energy with every footfall, while the plate smooths out your rolling motion.
Together with dual forefoot Air Zoom units and a durable Fast Shot outsole, the setup keeps your cadence consistent and your legs feeling fresh well into the back half of the race.
As Emily Farina from the Nike Sport Research Lab notes, their goal was to help runners stay confident, balanced, and capable from the start line all the way to the finish.
Built on the miles that came before
That focus on real-world endurance stems directly from athlete testing.
Nike developed the shoe using feedback from its Project Dreamweaver initiative and extensive trials with women distance runners, prioritizing stability and comfort alongside high performance.
The lineage carries significant weight. The Alphafly family has grounded some of distance running’s greatest moments, from historic sub-two-hour efforts to major course records.
With the Alphafly 4, that legacy translates directly into everyday marathon training, helping athletes hold their target pace just a little bit longer. Marathoners won’t have to wait long to feel the difference on race day.
The Nike Alphafly 4 drops in an early, limited release on September 17 at nike.com, followed by a wider global release on October 29 online and at select retail stores.
Entertainment
SEGA, Netflix announce Crazy Taxi film adaptation
1st in planned slate of film adaptations, including Sonic and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN
SEGA and Netflix have announced a new Crazy Taxi film adaptation. This will usher in a new collaboration era with the parties also developing adaptations for Sonic and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN.
Such a slate of future adaptations reflects the range of SEGA’s library as it draws on Netflix’s experience bringing beloved game worlds to new audiences.
The first project features Crazy Taxi, which will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. The beloved writing duo was behind the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun.
Also on board to help helm the production are the same visionaries behind the Sonic franchise: Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara.
Crazy Taxi has been an arcade hit since 1999, putting players behind the wheel of a fearless cabbie racing the clock through chaotic city streets.
There’s flying off ramps, dodging traffic, and chasing tips with punk-rock energy that has become the series’ signature.
The latest title in the franchise, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, is set for a 2027 release. You can watch its trailer below:
Finance
HONOR, Fidesmo partner for contactless payments across Europe, Middle East
Enabling contactless payments on the HONOR Watch 6
HONOR and Fidesmo have partnered to launch contactless payments across Europe and the Middle East on the HONOR Watch 6.
Powered by Fidesmo Pay, the integration enables users to connect an existing Mastercard or Visa card to their watch and complete contactless transactions directly from the wearable device.
This brings Fidesmo’s network of over 900 banks and financial institutions to HONOR’s customers. Users can connect an existing card to the HONOR Watch 6 instantly through the HONOR Health App, which installs a unique token directly onto the watch.
Acting as a secure reference to the payment method, this token allows customers to pay without storing their actual payment details on the device. Once installed, users can tap the watch at any
contactless terminal to pay, just as they would with a card or phone.
HONOR joins a group of device partners that already includes Swatch, Polar, and Mondaine as Fidesmo continues to build momentum across categories.
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