Apple’s Stock Price Breaches $600 for First Time in 18 Months
Apple’s share price has closed above the $600 mark for the first time since October 2012, some 18 months ago. It illustrate a significant recovery for Apple’s stock, which hit a low of $388/share in late June 2013.
The price is mostly psychological, made even more so by the fact that Apple will split its stock by a 7/1 ratio next month, dropping the price down to roughly $85 per share at current prices. The stock split is meant to allow more investors the opportunity to invest in the company.
Apple’s market capitalization is roughly $518 billion, well ahead of Exxon Mobil’s $444 billion. Apple is the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. The company’s all time high share price is $702.10, originally hit in September 2012.
Frontback – A Photo Sharing App for the Selfie Generation
There is no shortage of great social networks that are focused on sharing pictures. Frontback (which initially gained popularity on iOS some time ago) has made the leap to Android, and brings with it all the goodies that you would expect.
Frontback, at its core, is an application that utilizes the front and back cameras on your Android devices, and stitches them together into one fun image.You need to create an account to join in on the fun, and Frontback has made that easy by making login with Google a possibility. After login, Frontback will suggest some popular users in its community of over 1 million users, and you’re off. You can begin snapping your front and back photos to your hearts desire, and share them on Frontback’s network, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr.
Some of Frontback’s features include the ability to switch between cameras, retake photos, set a self-timer, and flip images. The practical implications are great, but there are also some wildly creative and fun ways to utilize both cameras. You can check out the staff picks to get some creative ideas!
For a free app, Frontback is well made, and will continue to grow. The community is active and the photos are great! I definitely recommend checking this one out.
The post Frontback – A Photo Sharing App for the Selfie Generation appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Apple’s heart rate monitoring headphones were a hoax
Remember a couple of days ago when the internet was going all frothy-mouthed over a rumor that Apple would be releasing new EarPods with iBeacon integration and built-in heart rate sensors? Well, turns out to have been a rather poorly thought out joke — one that just happened to jibe with past rumors. The source of the supposed leak came clean about the hoax and apologized for, well, everything. For putting it out there in the first place, for failing to correct sites that reported it as fact, for failing to reach out to people who contacted him to confirm his story — basically for letting the entire thing spiral out of control.
The leak started as a post on Secret, the anonymous social network that gives people a safe place to confess their deepest, darkest secrets. The culprit in this case claims to have been experimenting with it as a platform for telling jokes and dreamed up this whopper while sitting on the can one morning. (No seriously, this is one guy’s take on literal bathroom humor.) With zero sourcing or any concern about what might happen if someone thought it was a legitimate leak he posted the following:
Apple’s new EarPods will have sensors in them, for heart rate & blood pressure. Also iBeacons so they don’t get lost. They will require the lightning port, it’s why the audio jack was moved to the bottom.
Apparently the lack of sourcing and complete anonymity didn’t bother most of the internet, which turned into an over-zealous echo chamber. From there it was just a matter of eager reporters filling in the gaps with their own bits of conjecture, and the story took off. To be fair, Apple had filed a patent for something similar and the company recently hired Eric Winokur from MIT who specializes in wearable medical devices. But according to the person behind the Secret post, he was unaware of these details. And just to be clear he does not and never did work for Apple. But now the truth is out there and we can all go back to ignoring anonymous, unfounded rumors… or not. This is the internet after all.
Source: Earpod Secret, Secret
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 now comes in a tweaker-friendly Verizon model
Fancy a Galaxy S5 on Verizon, but still want the freedom of tweaking your smartphone to your heart’s content? Today’s your lucky day. Samsung has just released a Developer Edition of the Android smartphone that’s built for Big Red’s network. The device is largely identical to what you’d find in the local carrier store, including branding. You’re just getting an unlocked bootloader that will make it easier to install unofficial firmware. This special GS5 is also expensive at $599 contract-free, but that’s what you’d shell out for the regular Verizon model on similar terms — if you’re already willing to pay full price, you might as well get more control over the device you buy.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Verizon
Via: Droid-Life
Source: Samsung
Oculus’ new research program aims to make students into VR wizards
Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe is excited about the future of virtual reality (naturally), but the company can’t make VR a global phenomenon all by itself. It’s doing more than just tapping into Facebook’s resources, though — Iribe said at TechCrunch Disrupt NY that the company just put together a research group (which includes newly installed head scientist Michael Abrash) to get more folks thinking about (and hopefully adding to) our virtual reality future. How? By playing extra-nice with schools and students, for one thing.
Iribe says the group is hiring top-tier engineers who will “start engaging with universities and working with students to build virtual reality technology — to inspire and expand that ecosystem.” That’s right: if Oculus Rifts aren’t already a mainstay of your local college’s hackathons, they probably will be soon. If the company’s lucky, all those fresh viewpoints should help stretch the limits of what people can experience with devices like the Rift, and that’s absolutely crucial to virtual reality’s survival. After all, it’s easy to dismiss VR as another flash in the pan notion, a passing fad that’ll peter out after a few frenzied years. Building up a broad spectrum of uses makes VR even harder for nay-sayers to ignore — hell, we’re already starting to see that diversification in action.
The Oculus Rift struck a chord with a generation of folks clamoring for something seriously game-changing, but Zuckerberg’s angle is clear: he looks at the Rift and sees a communication tool. Iribe’s more than happy to embrace both audiences, and there’s no telling where this train is going to stop.
“We don’t have any idea how disruptive going to be, but giving virtual vision to the world is going to be a very powerful concept,” he said.
An internet middleman’s take on net neutrality
This week’s update on the battle between Netflix, internet service providers (ISPs) and the companies that often carry internet traffic between them comes from the third group. Level 3 VP Mark Taylor’s “Observations of an Internet Middleman” shows what it looks like from his end of the network cable while being squeezed out by ISPs seeking the direct connection deals Netflix has signed with Comcast and Verizon. Without naming the ISPs in question — Level 3 waged a war with Comcast over Netflix traffic in 2010 before cutting a direct connection deal of its own last year — he points out that among the company’s many connected network peers, only a dozen are suffering congestion. While half of those are in the process of being upgraded, the other six are regularly overloaded, dropping packets and delaying traffic.
Want to guess which ones they are? Taylor points to a list that includes some familiar names. Comcast recently pointed the finger at Netflix’s “commercial transit decisions” for using overloaded connections, but Taylor’s stats join Netflix in placing blame squarely on the ISPs for inaction.
Taylor charges the unnamed ISPs (five in the US and one in Europe) with “deliberately harming the service they deliver to their paying customers,” (as show by the graphs above displaying a maxed out connection and subsequent packet loss). He points out that all exist where the providers have “dominant or exclusive market share” and that these problems don’t exist where customers have multiple broadband choices.
Without directly referencing the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger or the FCC’s net neutrality plans, he closes with the question “Shouldn’t a broadband consumer network with near monopoly control over their customers be expected, if not obligated, to deliver a better experience than this?” If you agree, the FCC is listening as it considers the new version of net neutrality, and you’ll want to pay attention Thursday morning. That’s when his fellow internet middleman Dave Schaeffer — the CEO and president of Cogent Communications — goes in front of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee as part of the panel for an oversight hearing on the Comcast-TWC merger.
[Image Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Level 3
T-Mobile LG G Flex getting Android 4.4.2 KitKat OTA Update
Tmonews is reporting that the T-Mobile LG G Flex is finally picking up Android 4.4 KitKat today. The update is currently rolling out to owners of the flexible device by way of a typical OTA fashion. The update will bring in the LG Knock Code feature, the one that lets you knock on your screen in a pattern to unlock it. Along with various bug fixes and battery life improvements. The file size is said to be 150MB’s, so Wi-Fi and some time to kill with over 50% battery is a good idea.
Interestingly enough, the update information isn’t finding its way to T-Mobiles Support page just yet. AC must have seen it and I assume TMo pulled it to fix their typo in the Android version number. Either way, it is out there in the wild for some users. Head into Settings > General > About phone > System Updates > Check Now to give it a go. let us know if it pulls down.
Source: ToNews / AndroidCentral / TMo LG G Flex Support
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ESPN makes it easy for you to watch the World Cup anytime, anywhere
With the world’s biggest sporting event, the FIFA World Cup, set to kick off in roughly 37 days, ESPN has now revealed how it plans to deliver coverage to you. At a recent media event in New York City, ESPN President John Skipper and Co. announced that all 64 World Cup matches from Brazil would be streamed live via WatchESPN and ESPN3. Naturally, you’ll need a cable subscription to have access to the feeds, but the good news is that, since ESPN has full rights to the tournament in the US, you won’t be subject to any tedious blackout restrictions. And that includes games broadcasted on ABC. But the sports channel isn’t stopping there: ESPN is throwing everything but the kitchen sink at this year’s World Cup, with things like 24/7 news coverage and expert analysis, as well as second-screen features for smartphones and tablets.
For The Worldwide Leader in Sports, it is all about setting the bar extremely high for future broadcasts, as it won’t have the rights to the next two World Cups; back in 2011, Fox bested other US networks to lock down the rights to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and 2022 in Qatar. As Skipper puts it, “We’re going to treat it as the event it is, not really thinking about 2018 or 2022. Our goal here is to leave with a very, very high bar. I think we’ll do that.”
By live streaming the entire tournament, ESPN’s making it really easy for folks to watch the games regardless of where they may be — whether it’s at home or work (don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone). “We’ve modified our very simple mission to serve sports fans anytime anywhere. People have the expectation that wherever they are, on whatever screen or device they have available, they ought to be able get the same quality experience. We’ve been leaders in that and we’ll continue to be,” said Skipper during the ESPN event in NYC. Of course, it also helps that the matches will be played at decent times in the US, since Brazil is in a similar time zone. For those of you who tuned in to the 2010 South Africa World Cup, this will come as a welcome improvement, as some of those games came on as early as 7:30 AM ET.
So, if you have a device with the WatchESPN or WatchABC apps, you should have no trouble watching your favorite national team, both live and on-demand, as they try to make a deep run in the tournament. Speaking of which, ESPN is also going to have ESPN3 Surround, which is set to offer broadcasts in different languages, including Portuguese and Korean — Spanish isn’t an option, however, given that Univision holds those rights. In addition to this, Surround will let your smartphone or tablet act as a second screen, allowing you to control different cameras and angles, get an in-stadium perspective and check out real-time highlights, among other interactive tidbits.
For those times when you might not be able to watch games live, ESPN is launching a completely redesigned ESPN FC on mobile and desktop, with up-to-the-minute scores and endless news coverage coming out of Brazil. What’s more, the app is available in a number of different languages. Bimal Kapadia, ESPN FC’s senior director of global business and brand development, told me that the goal of overhauling the everything-football property was to make it an all-in-one hub for soccer fans, not just for the World Cup, but also after the tournament is over.
On the web, ESPN FC now takes on a more mosaic-style layout, focusing on large images and putting a solid amount of video content at your fingertips. On smartphones and tablets, ESPN FC is based on the same code as the SportsCenter app, meaning that you can expect it to work in a similar fashion. The application is now deeply integrated with WatchESPN, too, so you can quickly jump into a live game right from ESPN FC. You can also expect to see 30 for 30 content populated, as that’s going to play a huge part in bringing you featured video pieces as part of the overhauled ESPN FC experience. The newly minted ESPN FC app is coming to iOS (iPhone-optimized) and Android later today, while the website should welcome the fresh design by June 1st.
[Image credit: Getty Images Europe]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: ESPN, App Store, Google Play
Xbox handheld game console isn’t in the books, says Xbox lead Phil Spencer
Microsoft’s new Xbox head Phil Spencer doesn’t think an Xbox gaming handheld makes sense. Spencer took to Twitter yesterday afternoon in a surprisingly candid conversation with fans, one of whom asked if Microsoft is pursuing, “a handheld Xbox One-like gaming device at E3 or in the future.” Spencer responded with a frank, “I don’t think we’ll do a dedicated handheld gaming device.” To him, Windows Phone and tablets make more sense. “Maybe with controller support someday,” he said. That should put to bed rumors of an “Xbox Surface” for now.
Spencer also offered a taste of what his team is showing at this June’s gaming trade show, though it shouldn’t be a big surprise: games, lots of games. That’s new IP, sequels to existing franchises, and, apparently, throwbacks to “neglected” franchises that Microsoft owns. Also not a huge surprise considering the recent relaunch of Killer Instinct, but we’re fascinated to see what else could get the reboot treatment. Crimson Skies, perhaps?
[Image credit: Ben Heck]
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Software, HD, Microsoft
Source: Twitter
Meet the Teenage Engineering PO-12: a $49 card-sized drum machine
Tucked neatly into a panel discussion at last week’s Moogfest, Teenage Engineering outed its latest synthesizer effort. The unit, labeled the PO-12, was intended to be a giveaway during the festivities (“moogfest special” is printed on the built-in hang tag), but the units got caught up in a customs delay, so we’re left with details nabbed by attendee Robert Pluma. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the reported specs: a Silicon Labs 32-bit ARM microcontroller, wire stand that doubles as a pitch bender, 23 switches, two optimization knobs, beats per minute LED and 1/8-inch audio jacks. There also appears to options for hip-hop, disco, and techno options on the gadget that’s said to be priced at $49. While Teenage Engineering isn’t confirming the details, it did tell Synthtopia that Mr. Pluma “more or less nailed it regarding the details of this product.” The folks at Create Digital Music report that the device will also harness parameter lock, just like the original Machinedrum. We’ll have to wait a bit longer for formal availability info, but these tease is certainly enough to wet the ol’ appetite… for now.
[Image credit: Robert Pluma]
Filed under: Misc
Source: Synthtopia
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