Kobo takes over Sony’s eBook business starting today
As part of its multi-pronged effort to stop leaking red ink Sony decided to eliminate its Reader division. Rather than simply cut off customers who have already bought one of its devices though, it’s turning to the Canada-based e-reader giant Kobo, which has a 4-million strong e-book catalog. The transition is now officially underway, as Sony has announced that Kobo’s app will now be pre-loaded on Xperia and Reader devices in the UK, Austria and Germany. And thus begins the inevitable shuttering of Reader stores across the world. But don’t panic, customers will get an email describing how to transfer their library over to Kobo. And until the the transition is complete you’ll still be able to buy e-books from the Reader Store. If the whole thing has left a sour taste in your mouth, though, there are plenty of other options.
Filed under: Sony
Source: Sony
Uber and Google are just getting started
This week, Google announced a huge update to its Maps app on Android and iOS, bringing new tools such as lane guidance along with one particularly intriguing feature: Uber integration. If you have the ride-sharing service’s app on your phone, Uber will show up as an option when you search for public-transit directions, and you’ll be able to jump into the Uber app from Maps to order a ride.
Google’s clearly favoring one ride-ordering app over others like Hailo and Lyft. Of course, Uber’s integration with Maps will mean nothing to you if you don’t already have the app on your phone, but for current customers, it’s one more reminder that a ride’s just a few taps away. Looking at the larger picture, though, this move points to Google’s (literal) investment in Uber — and it could be the first step in a wide-reaching partnership between the two companies. Driverless rides to the airport, anyone?
Fast-forward several years from now, and we might be talking about on-demand, driverless cars and unmanned delivery vehicles.
Google Ventures, Mountain View’s tech-investment wing, threw a whopping $258 million behind the transportation company in late 2013, the biggest deal it’s made to date. Ventures, which operates independently of Google as a corporate VC firm, previously invested heavily in another big name, the Nest smart thermostat. Nest Labs, of course, famously ended up a member of the Google family in a $3.2 billion acquisition deal. Given that there’s a precedent for investments turning into acquisitions for Google, Uber seems like an obvious next pick.
Fast-forward several years from now, and we could be talking about on-demand, driverless cars and unmanned delivery vehicles. It’s hardly a new idea to think that Google will utilize Uber to execute its vision for driverless transportation, especially considering reports that it’s been working on autonomous taxis of its own. While plenty of Uber users may wince at the idea of Google cannibalizing an independent service, it’s not like the ride-share app is any stranger to aggressively edging out the competition. And while Google Ventures does back the Uber alternative Sidecar, it wouldn’t be out of character for the company to buy out the competition once it throws its full weight behind Uber.
But driverless cars that you can order from your phone are just one way Uber complements Google’s vision for the future. Considering that Amazon’s becoming a power player with its same-day delivery service, Mountain View could bolster its Shopping Express program by joining forces with Uber. That latter company is currently testing its new UberRUSH courier service in New York City, and a combined Google-Uber effort would help in taking on Jeff Bezos and co. With Google-backed, driverless Ubers delivering you that urgent supply of mouthwash, Amazon’s delivery drones could start to look a tad gimmicky.
So, will Google acquire Uber? It already owns a significant chunk of the company, but buying it outright would give Google freedom to shape the service to serve its own goals, many of which we probably haven’t even seen a glimpse of yet. Should that day come to pass, let’s just hope the ride-sharing app continues to operate under its original name — “Goober” just doesn’t have a nice ring to it.
Filed under: Transportation, Google, Amazon
New app brings doctors to doorsteps in New York City
Uber’s been making waves (and pissing off city governments) by letting you flag down fancy cars, so is it any surprise that one of its early engineers created another “we’ll come to you” startup? It’s called Pager, it just launched today in Manhattan, and it promises to bring doctors to your doorstep… for a price. First things first: after you install the Pager app, you’re asked to set up a profile with a photo and store your credit card information. When that’s done you’ll be treated to a list of participating board-certified doctors that you can sift through based on your symptoms.
Once you’ve found someone whose equipped to tackle your particular ailment, a quick tap sets up a near-immediate phone consultation. That’s the ideal experience, anyway. The startup is so young that there are only about 20 doctors onboard, and they simply won’t appear in the map view if your domicile is too out there. As you’d probably expect though, the price tags are the real rub here. If that little bit of phone advice is all you need, you’ll shell out $50 and call it a day. Actually getting a doctor to make a house call is just a hair pricier: think $300 ($250 of which goes in the MD’s pocket). And just to keep the inevitable Uber comparisons going, the startup told the Wall Street Journal that it may give surge pricing a shot down the road too.
Via: Wall Street Journal
Source: Pager
Engadget Daily: OnePlus One review, new Nintendo consoles, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
OnePlus One review: a $300 smartphone has never looked so good
What you’re looking at is the OnePlus One. Despite being the company’s first smartphone ever, it’s a beast. At only $300, the One outperforms Google’s Nexus 5 almost every way. How’s that possible? Read our review to find out.
Nintendo is making entirely new consoles for emerging markets
Rather than make a cheaper version of the Wii U, Nintendo’s decided to develop entirely new consoles for emerging markets. And according to Reuters, they are targeted toward folks without lots of gaming experience. So long as the new console has Mario Kart, we’re happy.
The Minecraft version of Denmark is being attacked, hilariously
Yes, the country of Denmark does have an official Minecraft replica. But that’s not even the best part: it was recently under attack by mining carts of dynamite.
Flickr struggles to capture the selfie generation
With its latest redesign, Flickr made a definite push for the mobile crowd, but does it have the guns to compete with the likes of Instagram? Read on as our own Nicole Lee discusses Flickr 3.0′s struggle to capture the selfie generation.
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Filed under: Misc
Apple in Talks to Acquire Beats Electronics for $3.2 Billion
Apple is said to be close to completing an acquisition of Beats Electronics, the headphone company and streaming music service created by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. According to the Financial Times, the deal could be announced as soon as next week if negotiations work out.
Apple will acquire Beats’ streaming music service, which launched this year, and its audio equipment business, which includes its brand of headphones and audio equipment. The Beats management team will report to Mr Cook, said people familiar with the deal. Apple and Beats declined to comment.
Apple is said to be paying $3.2 billion dollars for the service, a sum that dwarfs the $404 million that the company spent to acquire NeXT in 1996, it’s largest purchase to date. Tim Cook said earlier this year that the company was open to making large acquisitions if the purchases made sense. “We have no problem spending 10 figures for the right company, for the right fit that’s in the best interest of Apple in the long-term. None. Zero.”
In addition to producing a range of popular premium headphones that Apple currently sells in its stores, Beats also recently launched its Beats Music service, a direct competitor to Spotify, Pandora, and Apple’s own iTunes Radio service. Beats Music is, however, a subscription-based on-demand service similar to Spotify, which could bolster Apple’s free iTunes Radio.
According to the Financial Times, the deal is still in the works with some details yet to be ironed out, suggesting “talks could still fall apart.”
Beijos to kisses: Retirees teach Brazilians to speak English via video chat
Folks living in retirement communities around the US may have just been given another activity option. As part of the Speaking Exchange project for language schools, creative agency FCB Brazil paired language students with elderly Americans in Chicago for English lessons via video chat. The pilot program joined a school in Liberdade, Brazil with the Windsor Park Retirement Community here in the States. Each session was recorded and uploaded as a private video to YouTube, allowing instructors a way to watch the footage to assess progress. The results are pretty amazing. But don’t take our word for it, a video detailing the project awaits after the break.
Via: Adweek
Source: FCB Brazil (YouTube)
Sprint is ready to throttle its unlimited data plans, but only in ‘congested’ areas
It was a big promise: unlimited data, without quotes, throttling or restrictions. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has repeatedly defended the company’s pledge to offer a true unlimited plan, but now the company is quietly eating its words. Customers on Sprint, Virgin Mobile USA and Boost Mobile have all started receiving text messages warning them that heavy users will be subject to data “prioritization” next month in order to “provide more customers with a high quality data experience during heavy usage times.” This prioritization (read: throttling) will only apply to the top 5 percent of data users and only in “congested areas,” however, and Sprint tells FierceWireless that users will only experience limited speeds if they’re connected to a congested cell site. A small concession to your unlimited data plan — and one without a defined data cap — but a small asterisk is still an asterisk.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint
Via: PhoneScoop
Source: FierceWireless
Apple is reportedly close to buying Beats for $3.2 billion
The days of Apple limiting itself to (relatively) small acquisitions may soon be over. The Financial Times hears from sources that the folks at 1 Infinite Loop are close to buying Beats Electronics for $3.2 billion. It’s not clear exactly why the company would splurge on such a deal, although there are some strong incentives — Beats Music could provide Apple with a streaming music platform more advanced than iTunes Radio, while Beats’ audio hardware could complement existing iOS and Mac devices. Apple hasn’t commented on the rumor, but the rumored deal could be official as early as next week — we’ll know the truth soon enough.
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Internet, Mobile, Apple
Source: Financial Times
Buyer’s Guide: Discounts on iMac, iPad Air, MacBook Air, and More [Mac Blog]
There are some decent deals to be had on several Apple products this week, including the iMac, the cellular iPad Air, and the 2013 MacBook Air, all of which are available at low prices from various retailers.
B&H, for example, is currently offering the 21.5-inch 2.7Ghz iMac with 8GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive for $1,149, a $149 savings off the regular price. The higher-end 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.9Ghz processor is also available for $1,399, a savings of $100. $100 off deals from Adorama can also be had on both the 3.2Ghz 27-inch iMac and the 3.4Ghz 27-inch iMac.
Amazon is offering some deals on the AT&T Wi-Fi + 4G iPad Air in space gray, with the high capacity 128GB version available for $819, a discount of $110. Similarly, the 64GB AT&T iPad Air is available for $729, a discount of $100. Deals aren’t quite as good for the smaller capacity iPad Airs from AT&T, but the 16GB model is available for $593 ($36 discount) and the 32GB model is available for $685 ($44 discount).
Apple’s 2013 MacBook Airs are still available at much lower prices following the launch of the 2014 models, with discounts up to $150 on some models from multiple retailers. The 11.6 inch model with 4GB memory and 128GB flash can be purchased from Amazon for $787, $112 off the $899 2014 model. Prices are slightly higher at B&H Photo at $799, but that site only charges sales tax in New York, making it a better deal for most customers.
The higher capacity 11.6-inch 2013 MacBook Air is available for $949.99 from both Amazon and B&H Photo, $150 less than the corresponding 2014 model.
B&H Photo is also offering the 2013 13-inch MacBook Air with 128GB of storage for $899, $100 less than the 2014 model. Amazon has a similar price, at $889. Deals are even better on the 2013-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage, which is on sale for $1,044.99 from both Best Buy and B&H Photo, a savings of $154.
As for accessories, the Lightning-compatible JBL OnBeat Micro Speaker Dock for the iPhone is available from Groupon for $39.99 or for $44 from Amazon.com (regularly $99.95). Sphero’s iPhone-controlled wireless robotic ball is also on sale via Groupon for $59.99, a discount of $70.
DODOcase is offering a rare $5 sale on its HARDcover iPhone 5/5s cases via Stacksocial, discounting them to $30. Daily Steals has a couple of Apple accessories available at a discount, including Apple’s EarPods for $15 ($30 retail) and the 30-pin to Lightning Adapter cable for $16 ($39 retail).
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
3D Print Your Own 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 Mockup with These $25 Plans
Following our feature yesterday sharing photos of a case and 3D-printed physical mockup of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, designer Martin Hajek is selling his own set of 3D files for a similar model, priced at $25. The files allow anyone interested in trying out how the alleged design feels in the hand to print their own mockup.
Hajek’s $25 package is available through TurboSquid and includes an .STL file for 3D printing as well as .3DS and .OBJ modeling files. For users interested in printing their own physical mockups, quality will obviously depend on the quality of machine used for printing, but the .STL file is compatible with a wide range of machines and services.
The design is based on the leaked concept by MacFan magazine.
Download this file, 3D print it and see what the new iPhone will look like for yourself!
Don’t own a 3D printer? Don’t worry – a version of the model fit for the Shapeways 3D printing service is included!
Based on our experience with our 3D-printed mockup, we are continuing to refine our own model and may freely release those 3D files in the future.
Availability of iPhone 6 files for 3D printing comes as physical mockups have been appearing in increasing numbers. French site Nowhereelse.fr has been sharing several other photos on Twitter, while regular parts source Sonny Dickson has shared a few of his own images.
While there are a variety of cases and mockups all pointing in the same direction for the design of the iPhone 6, it is important to remember that most of these products are essentially all based on the same sets of leaked design drawings, and they ultimately may or may not prove correct.
Leaked cases and accessory company mockups have generally proven accurate over the years, although they were famously incorrect in 2011 when a tapered design led to numerous cases being produced to fit that design. Ultimately, Apple released the iPhone 4s with essentially the same design as the iPhone 4, and the tapered has not been seen since, although one report indicated that it was in fact a real prototype design that was scrapped by Apple.
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