iTunes Digital Music Sales Fall 13 Percent as Apple Prepares Beats Music Refresh
Apple’s digital music sales continue to spiral downward, falling more than 13 percent worldwide thus far in 2014, reports The Wall Street Journal. Last year, digital music sales dropped for the first time since iTunes opened in 2003, falling 5.7 percent year-over-year.
This continued decline is likely one of the reasons behind Apple’s $3 billion acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music earlier this year. Apple may be hoping to offset this drop in digital music revenue with increased subscription revenue from Beats Music.
The plummeting download numbers help illustrate why Apple bought the $10-a-month subscription streaming service Beats Music earlier this year, as part of its $3 billion acquisition that included headphone maker Beats Electronics. Apple is rebuilding Beats Music and plans to relaunch it next year as part of iTunes, according to a person familiar with the matter.
To attract a broader customer base, Apple is rumored to be revamping Beats Music with an expected relaunch of the service slated for next year. The Cupertino company also is pushing for an industry-leading $5 monthly subscription cost that may increase the number of subscribers willing to pay for a premium service.
Apple is not new to the streaming music business, having launched iTunes Radio last year alongside iOS 7. The Pandora-like service has reportedly failed to achieve its goals of spurring listeners to purchase tracks from the iTunes Store despite being bundled on millions of phones in its available regions, and has yet to expand beyond the United States and Australia.
Android 5.0 Lollipop: Coming to a phone near you
We’ve had iOS 8, it’s time for Android to step up right? And boy has it. Rolling out on Nexus 6 and 9 in November as the first design, Android Lollipop is finally here and with a whole host of new features, next month can’t come around quick enough.
Android L for short, the operating system will be first to the Motorola devices, before being updated on HTC and released on other yet-to-be-announced smartphones and tablets.
For the Android purists, there are a fair few changes compared to the previous KitKat system, making it sleeker than ever before. Announced in June this year, Nexus 5 and 7 owners can already install previews on their handsets, and what they’ll find is pretty special.
Lollipop has over 5,000 new APIs working behind the scenes, but it’s perhaps in the visuals where the changes will be most noticeable. The display is set to be much more animated with Google taking inspiration from pen and inks, with every icon having a definition.
The makeover continues with the home screen, and pull-down menu matching the new look and being much cleaner in their approach, whilst every Google app will also eventually mirror the new sophisticated look.
A major upgrade is in the notification area. Where now you have to unlock your devices to check, respond, or dismiss notifications, but with L, they’ll appear as Google Now type cards which can be dealt with directly from the lock screen.
Which makes the system much more efficient, and when looking at its new features it’s exactly the same. The Google Now-style cards will allow you to jump between between open apps, whilst its personalised locking is perhaps one of the standout new elements to Lollipop.
The system effectively searches for familiar Bluetooth gadgets, Wi-Fi networks, or locations, letting you jump straight into your phone when you’re nearby, making it quicker and easier to get into your phone.
Performance wise there are some big changes. The move from Dalvik runtime to ART means Android now speaks a lot more languages and will work on more CPUs than previous operating systems, which will massively improve how it works.
And that implies to the DirectX 11-level graphics too. Making its way onto Android for the first time it’s going to improve gaming unbelievably whether that be on racing games such as Asphalt 8 or Royal Vegas Canadian online casino games. Which is a major bonus. Gaming has become a key selling point in smartphone sales over the last few years and with a smoother performance it’ll be right up there competing toe-to-toe with iOS devices when it’s released next month.
Google have also gone and improved battery life too, developing a battery saver mode which will see the system disable certain features when your battery is low to preserve it, meaning we’ll get an extra 90 minutes life without changing how we use our phone at all. And that in itself is well worth the Lollipop update.
The post Android 5.0 Lollipop: Coming to a phone near you appeared first on AndroidGuys.
U.S. Cellular now offering $100 LG G Pad 7.0 LTE
U.S. Cellular, in winding down the work week, announced the immediate availability of the LG G Pad 7.0 LTE. Sold for $99 with a two-year service agreement, the tablet runs Android 4.4 KitKat and features a 7-inch WXGA display. Internally you’ll find a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, 16GB storage, and a 4000mAh battery. The rear houses a 5.0-megapixel camera while the front-side has a 1.3-megapixel shooter. In terms of connectivity, the G Pad 7.0 LTE offers Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE support.
The post U.S. Cellular now offering $100 LG G Pad 7.0 LTE appeared first on AndroidGuys.
BACtrack Vio mobile breathalyzer review
It’s Friday, time to hit the town with friends. If you’re going to be drinking you might want to consider adding the BACtrack Vio to your keychain. The BACtrack Vio is one of the smallest personal breathalyzers I have ever seen, it’s just about the same size as a Bic lighter. The Vio can be added to a keychain or ride in just about any pocket. When paired with your smartphone, the Vio is a powerful tool that is easy to carry anywhere.
Setting up and using the Vio is a simple matter of downloading the BACtrack app and pairing the device with your smartphone of choice via Bluetooth. When you’re ready to test your BAC (Blood Alcohol Content), you fold out a tiny tube that you then blow into. The app gives you directions that are easy to read, understand, then follow. Even after a few drinks the Vio is easy to use.
After blowing into the Vio you get a reading that is big, bright and full of information. A clever feature that the BACtrack app offers is something called ZeroLine. ZeroLine estimates, then tells you what time you should be sober. I wouldn’t rely on ZeroLine to tell you if you’re able to drive, but it’s useful information none the less.
The BACtrack system really shines when you use the social features. You can share your your BAC, location and photos with friends who might not be out with you. This turns the Vio into something that you WANT to use, rather than something that you HAVE to use. By keeping track of your alcohol consumption you can be safer when you’re out, so any feature that promote use of the Vio is good in my book.
There are a couple negative things to consider before buying your own Vio. This breathalyzer is not as accurate as others on the market. I was able to compare the Vio to a portable police issue breathalyzer. The Vio consistently read several points higher than the professional unit, but the police unit was much bigger. In the past I had played with personal or mobile breathalyzers and the readings were all over the place. Not so with the Vio, while it read high, it was at least consistently high.
The only real problem I had when I was testing the Vio was with the app. Sometimes the app would tell you it was warming up, but then would skip straight to the result page. Restarting the app fixed the problem, but the same problem would pop up occasionally. Not a big deal, but it could be something that gets annoying, especially if you’re trying to test yourself while intoxicated.
If you want a personal breathalyzer that is easy to carry the BACtrack Vio would be a great choice, especially for only $49.99. The social features make this something that is fun to use when out with friends. The size of the Vio means that it won’t be as accurate as larger units, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful. The Vio could definitely help make a night out with friends more safe, you just need to be aware of the shortcomings. The police don’t even rely on their mobile breathalyzers for exact readings, so you shouldn’t either. Just remember that if you are impaired, in anyway, leave the driving to someone sober.
You can buy your own BACtrack Vio here
The post BACtrack Vio mobile breathalyzer review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
New OPPO teaser hints at second device
OPPO has scheduled some press events for next Wednesday, October 29th, for the launch of the new OPPO N3 smartphone. A new teaser image posted to OPPO’s Weibo account suggests the company may have a second device to announce at the same time. The image is accompanied by text indicating “One More Step.” The use of “more” could be a subtle suggestion that OPPO has more than one device to announce.
That possibility is bolstered by the image that shows a theater-like curtain being pulled away to reveal not one, but two smartphone devices. The two devices appear to have different heights and materials. We have not seen rumors or information leaking out about a second OPPO device in addition to the N3. However, there were several leaks showing different devices from OPPO that were believed to be possible variants of the N3. It may be possible some of those images were actually a second device.
We should find out more next Wednesday when OPPO holds their big event.
source: Weibo
via: G for Games
Come comment on this article: New OPPO teaser hints at second device
Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 now available in India
Starting today, residents in India can purchase the unlocked variant of Samsung’s largest smartphone, the Galaxy Mega 2, from the manufacturer’s online store for Rs.20,900 — approximately $340.
In terms of performance, this configuration of the Mega 2 is slightly different to the International version we saw launch in Europe earlier this month. The Indian model packs a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 1.5 GB RAM, 16 GB of internal storage (with microSD support), an 8 MP rear shooter and a 2,800 mAh battery.
Straight out the box, the handset runs the latest build of Android 4.4 KitKat skinned with Samsung’s famous TouchWiz user interface — which incorporates tons of fantastic software tweaks, such as, Smart Scroll, Smart Pause, Air Gesture, Group Play and more.
If you like the sound of the Galaxy Mega 2 and want to pick one up from Samsung India — hit the source link below.
Source: Samsung India
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 now available in India
Inbox by Gmail shows up in Chrome Web Store
Earlier this week Google introduced a new alternative to email clients, and their Gmail platform in particular, with the launch of a new product called Inbox. The app is supposed to represent a new way for processing email and tasks and has been described as a melding of Gmail and Google Now. Inbox has also proven to be very popular with technology early adopters as people clamor for invites to be able to try out the new platform. If you are fortunate enough to already be in on the Inbox fun, you may want to head over to the Chrome Web Store to grab the desktop web client for Inbox.
With the initial release of Inbox, users had to load the app on their smartphone or tablet. To help users continue to test out the new email experience, Google has now released a desktop web client through their Chrome Web Store. The Chrome app can be installed by anyone. However, if you do not yet have an invite for Inbox, using the app just takes you to the homepage for Inbox and directs you to request an invite.
If you already have Inbox and want to check out the new client, hit the source link.
source: Inbox by Gmail (Chrome Web Store)
Come comment on this article: Inbox by Gmail shows up in Chrome Web Store
Galaxy Note 4 destined to be Samsung’s best-selling smartphone yet
The Galaxy Note 4 is without a doubt Samsung’s most powerful smartphone, and, according to a recent report, it may also be its best-selling. South Korean publication, News1, writes that the handset recently passed the 4.5 million global sales figure following its September 26 launch.
As I’m sure you’d agree, that’s a pretty astonishing figure for a phone that initially launched in South Korea and has been expanding availability ever since – launching in the US, UK, India and China as late as last week.
When you take into consideration the 5 million units its predecessor sold in its first month of release, which, for the record, wasn’t a staged rollout, we don’t think we’d be wrong in assuming that the Note 4 is destined to be Samsung’s best-selling smartphone of not only 2014, but 2013, too.
The report doesn’t appear to provide information about the Note 4’s sister smartphone, the Note Edge, with its rounded display, but we expect the quantity to be significantly less seeing as it’s only available in a handful of markets.
Hit the source link below to view the full report.
Source: News1
Come comment on this article: Galaxy Note 4 destined to be Samsung’s best-selling smartphone yet
PC Web Control The Best Parental Monitoring Software
Public institutions
Officially, there are thousands of different public institutions which are dealing with the problems of the society and ordinary citizens. Usually those institutions are financed by the government or some donations. They are supporting all spheres of our life like health, educations or social assistance. There are no doubts that majority of those places do their job very well. Almost all of this kind of “companies” uses the computers and the internet. Big share of them allow using the computers by the citizens, for instance libraries and schools. Then, the kid’s involvement is taken into consideration and the certain level of security has to be provided.
Protect from what?
Despite appearances, there are hundreds of reasons of why the kids should be protected in the public institutions. First reason is obvious, in school kids are under the responsibility of the teachers. If anything will happen to the kid during the class time or even at the break, teacher is going to take whole responsibility. As we know, kids are not able stand in the one place for more than 2 minutes so the physical accidents are very common at school. In this case, protecting the children is more about protecting them from each other. As far as using the computers and the Internet is concerned, much more dangerous things may appear. Internet environment gives every user the freedom and ability to say and do whatever we want to. This is one of the biggest blessing thanks to which a lot of great tools were invented. However some people use this freedom to do things that are not connected with good intentions at all. As a first example I would like to bring the people that are responsible for continously sending emails and advertisements promoting pornographic and brutal content to kids. They do it will full awareness that it is not legal. On one hand, those actions may bring them more visits on the websites but it will not bring them any money. Usually kids are not able to shop online and spend money because they don’t have it. However the consequences for the kids may be really problematic. Problems with making relationships with peers and high brutality among friends may result in exclusion from the society and very serious mental issues. Next threat coming from the net are adults that want to get closer to the children because of their sexual intensions. If they get what they want, children may be destroyed for the rest of his or her life. Pedophiles found the Internet as a best way to meet potential victims.
Summing up all those treats, we have to admit that there are obvious reason of why we should do our best to guarantee our kids safety in the net, at home as well as in schools and other public places. What can we do to achieve that? First of all we should educate the youngest. From the very beginning they should know what are the pros and cons of using the Internet. Then we should show them how to use it properly. Next thing is prevention. All necessary security supporting software should be installed on the computer. The most important is the parental control type of program. This solution is able to take control over the computer in terms of blocking access to dangerous websites that can be defined manually or automatically. It may filter the email box to find and block any suspicious messages. It is also regulate the time user is able to use computer. There no doubts that parents want the best for their kids, sometimes they are just not aware of all threats in the online world.
If you want to gain more knowledge about protecting your children from the threats in the Internet, feel free to visit http://www.pcwebcontrol.com/.
PCWebControl is an easy to use and implement third party parental control that is able to perform wide range of actions that were designed to guarantee high level of user’s security.
Which gaming mice are worth buying?
The peripherals you play with can be just as important to your gaming success as actual skill. A suboptimal keyboard or sluggish mouse can open the door to defeat, which is why it’s a good idea to pick up equipment specifically made for the job. But like a lot of specialized tools, gaming mice don’t come cheap, and you wouldn’t want to spend a pretty penny on one only to find it lacking in speed or features. We don’t review mice very often here at Engadget, so we’ve consulted the opinions of trusted critics to find some recent options that can help pave a path to victory.
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
AIVAnet 