[RUMOUR] Nexus 8 launch coming at the end of April due to poor Nexus 7 sales
The Nexus 8 is quickly becoming the definitive ‘Bigfoot’ of the Android world; rumours of its existence have run rife since the above picture was spotted on Google‘s own website, however in classic Google style, the tech company has revealed absolutely nothing about its plans or even hinted at where it’s going with its tablet line. Today, we get yet another rumour that is saying that the Nexus 8 launch will be happening at the end of April, and will be manufactured in conjunction with ASUS, as the previous Nexus 7 models have been.
This is the second such rumour we have heard that has pinpointed the partnership of Google and ASUS to continue through the manufacturing of the elusive Nexus 8 (both times were reported by DigiTimes). The tip this time apparently comes from a source involved in Taiwan-based supply chains, but again cites to the poor performance of the 2013 Nexus 7 as the cause of the move to the 8-inch form factor. As with all rumours, though, it’s best to take any rumour news with a grain of salt.
If I’m honest, I’m not sure which device I’m less convinced exists, the Nexus 8 or the Nexus 10. Both have had multiple rumour trails yet both of them, as with all rumours Google-related, have amounted to nothing. But that might just be me getting weary: what do you think about this rumour? Do you think that Google and ASUS are teaming up to bring us a Nexus 8 this April? Let us know your opinion.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
Source: DigiTimes via Phone Arena
1976 Apple Marketing Proposal Included Plans for Retail Locations [Mac Blog]
The first Apple retail location could have opened in the late 70s, according to a new account from distinguished Silicon Valley marketer Regis McKenna (via CNET). During a fireside chat held Thursday at the Computer History Museum, McKenna recalled a 1976 meeting in which he turned down an offer from Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak to market the Apple II.
However, McKenna stated that he eventually decided to assist Apple after a dinner with Jobs where both discussed the future of the company:
Jobs and McKenna had dinner and talked about what the future of Apple could look like, and McKenna signed on. Eventually McKenna drafted an eight-page marketing plan in December 1976. Lo and behold, what was written under “Distribution Channels”? Apple stores.
“I had actually presented this to Apple a couple of times,” he said. “I had talked about putting them in different parts of the country.
Apple Retail Store located at the Royal Hawaiian Center in Honolulu, Hawaii
McKenna went on to state that his plan for Apple’s retail locations were to have them placed in office parks, and to cater the stores toward high-profile customers. McKenna also added that the locations would have served as centers for corporate sales and training, and that the eventual goal was to shift toward more traditional retail stores for the company, similar to Apple Stores today.
Apple opened its first two retail stores on May 19, 2001 and currently has 420 stores total, with 166 of those located outside of the U.S. During its financial results conference call covering the 2013 holiday quarter, the company reported $7 billion in revenue generated from its stores with 21,000 visitors per store per week, and an average revenue per store of $16.7 million.
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Google refuses to pay French privacy fine in a battle of company versus country
France and Google are playing a delicate game of brinkmanship in the courts of Europe, and it still isn’t clear who’ll come off worse. France fined the search company €150,000 ($200,000) last month as a penalty for failing to tell French citizens exactly what happens to their personal data. Google could have coughed up the trivial sum and drowned its sorrows in a bottle of beaujolais, but instead it has decided to fight — not because of the money, but because accepting the fine would have also involved making a public admission of guilt (published below the search button in a size 13 font, no less) and the company feels this would have “irreparably damaged” its reputation.
Google’s legal appeal against the fine appears to rest on creating a rift between France and the European Union, because it claims its privacy policy meets EU requirements and shouldn’t have to be amended to suit one European country. (Although, to be fair, many other European countries have also complained about it.) So, here’s the risk: What is currently a dispute over fines and typefaces could theoretically — in the worst case scenario — escalate into another international court case that runs on for years, or it could even become a question of sovereignty that risks causing France to lose face. Some of this is doomsday-ish speculation on our part admittedly, but Google’s well-funded legal department doesn’t look ready to quit any time soon.
[Image Credit: cplapied, Flickr]
Source: MarketingLand, WSJ
California law could end grand theft mobile with kill-switches in all smartphones
Lawmakers in California are so intent on curbing record levels of smartphone theft, they’re ready to fine phone makers if anti-theft measures aren’t available on their devices. The New York Times reports that the order will come from State Senator Mark Leno, who is set to introduce a new law requiring all smartphones and tablets sold in the state to include a “kill switch” solution. Ignore the ruling and device makers could face a $2,500 fine for each device sold.
San Francisco and New York prosecutors George Gascón and Eric Schneiderman set the ball rolling when they met with representatives from Apple, Google, Samsung and Microsoft last year. Apple then won praise for including its Activation Lock feature by default in iOS 7, requiring device owners to set a passcode that stopped thieves reactivating a stolen phone. While it would only officially cover California, the new law could force phone makers into a full US rollout, likely upsetting the carriers. The CTIA, which represents the likes of AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, believes its stolen phone database is a better solution and will fight the ruling. If it is signed into law, phone makers will have until January 1st, 2015 to implement a solution or they will not pass Go and will be forced to hand out more than $200.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Internet, Software, Mobile, Apple, Samsung
Source: New York Times
Kia debuts city-only Soul EV at Chicago Auto Show
At the ongoing Chicago Auto Show, South Korean automaker Kia has not only debuted the 2015 Soul EV, but also confirmed the vehicle’s release stateside. The compact car has a markedly shorter range (80 to 100 miles) than Tesla’s Model S (206 miles), but that’s because it’s fitted with a much smaller, 27kWh battery. Obviously, it wasn’t designed for Fast and Furious-caliber driving, but Kia says it can go as fast as 90 mph and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 12 seconds, thanks to its 109-horsepower electric motor. It’s unclear when the 2015 Soul will be available throughout the country, but Kia plans to release it in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, California and Oregon by the third quarter of the year. Kia’s still crunching some numbers, though, so those interested in buying the car may want to cross their fingers for a reasonable price.
Filed under: Misc
Via: Autoblog
Source: Kia
European Teslas will have internet tunes thanks to Rdio (video)
Your dream of cruising the Autobahn in a Model S is about to get an internet-enhanced soundtrack: Rdio is coming to European Teslas. While Yanks have had access to Slacker for some time, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk a licensing issue prevented our neighbors across the pond from enjoying such a luxury. At a recent town hall-style meeting spotted by Gigaom, Musk announced that Rdio will fill the Slacker-sized hole in the EU and also detailed why there hasn’t been Spotify integration just yet. Apparently, the Sweden-based service didn’t want to work with Musk for automobile integration at first, which prompted him to look elsewhere. Musk was quick to note that in the long-term that might change however, and that you can still connect your mobile device and stream via Bluetooth. For all of this and more (including Supercharger locations and what firmware update 6.0 entails), hit the embedded video after the break for the full meeting.
Filed under: Transportation, Internet
Via: Gigaom
Source: YouTube
A hub for terabytes of download
I today’s world everyone is leading their life one download at a time. With so many utility software and programs at a user’s disposal it has simplified a common person’s life. These applications ranges from simple messaging application to complex security based applications. A user’s search isn’t restricted to finding the right application or software, but he also has to target that particular application that properly suits his device and operating system. With such a wide range of devices running a range of operating system targeting the optimum application is a real headache. So how can an user select an application that is supported in his personal device and provides seamless user experience without crashing? Well, the answer is available in a number of sites in the World Wide Web.
Facilities provided
Generally users own various gadgets in the form of tablets, mobiles, desktop to name a few. These gadgets also run a variety of operating system like Windows, MAC, Linux, Java, Palm OS to name a few. Even the applications that run are these devices can either be native application or a web application. So to target the specific software that would be supported in a device with such intricate specifications can be a hectic task. In such scenarios such software download sites come to a user’s rescue. A number of applications for MAC programs in Teradown can be used by dedicated users. These sites segregate the applications and software on the basis of the platforms. All the user need to do is select the device and platform and opt for one click download. There are a number of free and paid applications present and the user can select the version which suits them the best. Such consolidated repository ensures download with optimum ease and utmost efficiency.
Up-to-date information
Daily numerous applications and software are added in these sites covering a spectrum of operating system and devices the like of iPhone, iPad, MAC, Android tablets. So it might be a hard job for an user to keep themselves updates with the latest addition of applications in a certain category. To evade such miscommunication, an interested user can follow the proceeding of these websites in Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus or by using a RSS feed. They also incorporate a rating system for free and paid software alike. In this way a user can keep tab of the popularity and usability of the software in various devices. Categories are also provided as Most Popular Windows applications, recently added and hot new favorites to further improve guidance for the users.
Thus we can surely state that these sites are a great platform for geeks and gadget freaks to get hold of the latest and trending software in the market. They can make use of various categories to help them target their required application with much ease. Numerous MAC programs in Teradown can help a user select the best suited one from the range of application, best suited for their personal MAC devices. Consolidated list of software helps the user get rid of the trial and error methodology adopted while installing an application. Such platform is definitely an advantage for any gadget enthusiast.
SlideLock Brings a Minimal Lockscreen that Shows Your Notifications
When it comes to lockscreen replacements, you can head into the Play Store and find an orgy of lockscreens with all kinds of features. We have featured a few of them on our site as App of the Week, and today, another has surfaced that will surely end up in the App of the Week archives.
SlideLock is a new a lockscreen replacement that is minimal and it will show you your important notifications. What else can I say about this Lockscreen app? It’s pretty great, it’s minimal, and it shows you your notifications; that should sell it right there. Oh, and I forgot to mention that this app is free in the Play Store. So if you want to try it out, you got nothing to lose. Hit the Play Store button below to go grab a download. Also, check out the video of it in action below.
LG event in Korea could reveal the G Pro 2 earlier than expected
LG was expected to announce the G Pro 2 at MWC in Barcelona but ZDNET Korea is reckoning that locals might get an early peek. A “knock-knock-knockin’ on” invite has it thinking that the LG’s new smartphone might be ready over a week ahead of arguably the world’s biggest mobile tech show. (Although, that particular Dylan song might not offer the appropriate upbeat message LG is hoping for.) The company has already promised substantial camera upgrades for the new flagship, and going by LG’s record on its Pro models — and those leaked photos — you can expect it to keep the styling of the original G2 (buttons on the back, dominating screen up front), albeit with a larger display on board. We’re hearing that it’s a smallish event for Korean media — expect the full global fanfare when it appears in Spain.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
Via: Phone Arena
Source: ZDNet Korea
EA Sports’ 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil won’t be coming to Xbox One or PlayStation 4
As is the case every four years, FIFA’s biggest football competition is about to take place. To celebrate the 2014 tournament, which will be played in Brazil, EA Sports is releasing a title to give fans a chance to virtually experience the World Cup on gaming consoles. While the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil title will be available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, we were surprised to find out that EA Sports won’t be bringing it to their next-gen revisions, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Here’s what the game’s Lead Producer, Mat Prior, told us:
When we made the decision we considered a number of factors but most importantly we wanted to create the best game we could that could reach as many people as possible and the way to do that was make our best game yet on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. We gave our team the mandate of setting a laser focus on building the highest quality game for X360 and PS3 they could, and that’s exactly what they are doing.
The news will likely disappoint the hardcore football folk, as they were probably looking forward to playing this year’s World Cup game on their shiny new Xbox One or PS4. Not all is lost, however: “We will have a range of engaging content within FIFA 14 Ultimate Team so that fans on the new generation of consoles can experience the World Cup in fun and unique ways,” an EA Sports representative said to Engadget. Meanwhile, on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil will be sold as a full, standalone title for $60 — this is different than what EA did with UEFA Euro 2012, which was a $20 DLC release through FIFA 12. So, what are your thoughts? Definitely let us know in the comments below.
Source: EA Sports (1), (2)
AIVAnet 