Daily Roundup: The best cheap WiFi router, Tim Cook donations and more!
In today’s Daily Roundup you can learn about the best cheap WiFi router from our friends at The Wirecutter, read about Tim Cook planning to donate his fortune to charity and how new memory technology may allow SSDs with up to 10TB of storage. Catch up on today’s top stories past the break.
This is the best cheap WiFi router
If I wanted the cheapest good WiFi router I could get, I would buy the TP-Link TL-WDR3600. It’s a wireless-n router that costs $60 but outperforms some routers that cost twice as much. It took more than 150 hours of research and testing to find our pick. Of the 29 routers we looked at and the seven we tested, the TL-WDR3600 has the best performance for the lowest price.
Introducing Engadget’s newest contributor: The Wirecutter!
Starting today, you’re going to notice a very familiar contributor popping up on the pages of Engadget. That would be none other than our friends at The Wirecutter. We’ve long admired The Wirecutter’s ability to review as many products in as many categories as it does, and then whittle its findings down to a few sensible picks. Here at Engadget, we review gadgets too, but we mainly stick to a handful of categories — you know, phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, et cetera.
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate his fortune to charity
Tim Cook has big plans for his vast wealth: It’s all going to philanthropy, he revealed in a Fortune interview. The Apple CEO — who’s currently worth around $112 million, and holds restricted stock that could be worth up to $665 million — said he’s already been making donations quietly, but he’s also looking forward to taking a deeper approach to the whole endeavor. That could involve starting something similar to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Microsoft co-founder’s non-profit which manages his philanthropic efforts.
You’ll soon get 10TB SSDs thanks to new memory tech
SSDs and other flash memory devices will soon get cheaper and larger thanks to big announcements from Toshiba and Intel. Both companies revealed new “3D NAND” memory chips that are stacked in layers to pack in more data, unlike single-plane chips currently used. Toshiba said that it’s created the world’s first 48-layer NAND, yielding a 16GB chip with boosted speeds and reliability. The Japanese company invented flash memory in the first place and has the smallest NAND cells in the world at 15nm. Toshiba is now giving manufacturers engineering samples, but products using the new chips won’t arrive for another year or so.
HTC’s lead designer leaves after less than a year
For a tech company that places so much emphasis on design, we can’t help but think something’s up when one of the key designers leaves. Today, we bring you the sad news that HTC’s VP of Industrial Design, Jonah Becker, has announced his departure on Twitter. To our surprise, that’s less than a year after he picked up from where his predecessor Scott Croyle left off.
YouTube starts testing silky smooth, ultra HD video quality
YouTube introduced videos that play at 60 frames per second last year and ones viewable in 4K resolution in February. Now, the website is starting to experiment with videos that are both silky smooth and ultra high-def. TechCrunch has spotted a low-key, semi-secret playlist comprised of only six videos that you can choose to play at 60 fps in 4K resolution — just toggle the settings switch to see the option.
North Korea’s must-have gadget is a $50 media player
In North Korea, the gadget you’d probably want is a Notel. Or a Notetel, a word that attempts to shoehorn notebook and television together, describing a pretty unassuming, very popular, Chinese-made media player. According to estimates from Reuters, up to half of all urban-based North Koreans have a Notel stashed somewhere in the house. Now, until recently, the device was only found on black markets, but the device has now been legalized and is apparently available in state-run shops and markets for just fifty bucks.
Filed under: Misc
Plex version 4.0 update brings a revamped UI, increased access to Android TV and more
Plex, the popular media server application, has just received a major update on Android. Version 4.0 brings a revamped user interface with Material Design enhancements, support for Plex Home, and increased access to Android TV.
The first big change you’ll notice upon launching the app is a redesigned interface and a completely redone home screen. The redesign brings the app closer to Plex’s new modern interface which makes server selection and content discovery much easier.
The Plex team has also added in full support for Plex Home, which makes it easier to switch between users in your Home and protect your account with a PIN. Additionally, Android TV access is getting expanded to more users. In the past, the Android TV interface was only available to those who subscribed to a Plex Pass, but now if you’d like to use the interface, you’ll be able to pay a one-time in-app purchase to get access.
If you’re interested, here’s the full changelog for the 4.0 update:
- Redesigned home dashboard.
- Plex Home support for managed users and fast user switching.
- Don’t require activation when playing media flung from other devices.
- [Android TV] App can now be activated with a Plex Pass enabled account -OR- an in-app purchase.
- Fix crash when selecting the ‘already paid’ option on the welcome screen.
- Fix crash scrolling on the home screen immediately after a pull-to-refresh operation.
If you have yet to grab the update, be sure to head to the Play Store link below.
How much free space do you actually get on a Galaxy S6?
The folks over at GSM Arena have been lucky enough to get their hands on three of Samsung’s flagship smartphones of 2015, the Galaxy S6, and have taken to their blog to report how much free space you’ll actually be getting when you purchase a 32GB, 64GB or 128GB model.
Straight out of the box, the 32GB model will have a mere 23GB of free storage, with a whopping 9GB being taken up by Samsung’s firmware. More specifically, 6.5GB has been assigned to the operating system, with 2.5GB being allotted to stock applications, which can, of course, be disabled, but not uninstalled.
The 64GB variant will ship with around 54GB of clear space, whilst the beastly 128GB version will have 118GB free for all of your apps, documents, pictures, videos and music.
So which model should you opt for?
I’d recommend picking up the 64GB Galaxy S6 if you can. My reasoning behind this is simple. Most smartphones on the market ship with 32GB of internal memory, but users still find themselves inserting a microSD card in order to store additional files. Seeing as Samsung removed the microSD card slot from the S6, it would be best to opt for a higher capacity, so you don’t risk running out of space.
Source: GSM Arena
Come comment on this article: How much free space do you actually get on a Galaxy S6?
Plex for Android updates with revamped Material Design-esque Dashboard UI and more
The last big news in Plex, that I caught at least, was when they combined the Plex Pass and Plex app into one app. It wasn’t earth shattering, but it did give both users a single app to download with an in-app purchase option to grab your Plex Pass subscription. In the update that Plex […]
The post Plex for Android updates with revamped Material Design-esque Dashboard UI and more appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Apple Hasn’t Approached NBC Over Content Deal for Upcoming Streaming TV Service
Over the past couple of weeks, rumors have leaked pointing towards an Apple-branded streaming television service that could include 25 channels for $30 to $40 per month with partners like CBS, ABC, and Fox. NBC and parent company Comcast are not part of the negotiations, and according to a new report from Re/code, that’s because Apple has not approached Comcast about a partnership.
Earlier rumors about the streaming television service suggested NBC’s absence from the upcoming package was due to a falling out between Apple and Comcast, but on Thursday, Comcast said that wasn’t true in a letter that it sent to the Federal Communications Commission. Comcast’s letter was a response to a filing from Stop Mega Comcast, a group that’s opposed to a Comcast-Time Warner merging, and in it, Comcast said Apple had not even approached NBC for a content deal.
Stop Mega Comcast’s note, filed on Wednesday, said, “Comcast may be withholding affiliated NBCUniversal (“NBCU”) content in an effort to thwart the entry of potential new video competitors.” The note cited a recent Wall Street Journal report that said Apple wasn’t talking to NBCUniversal because of a “falling-out between Apple and NBCUniversal parent company Comcast.”
That’s a bit right but mostly wrong, Comcast attorney Francis Buono wrote to the FCC: “Not only has NBCUniversal not ‘withheld’ programming from Apple’s new venture, Apple has not even approached NBCUniversal with such a request.” I’ve asked Apple for comment.
It is not clear why Apple has not approached NBC about a possible content deal for its most recent streaming television efforts, but Apple and Comcast have attempted to negotiate a deal in the past, which didn’t pan out. The Wall Street Journal has suggested that earlier talks failed to establish a deal due to Comcast’s focus on its own X1 web streaming platform.
As noted by Re/code, Apple could initiate talks with NBC in the future or potentially take advantage of a clause in the contract that was established when Comcast and NBC merged several years back, which would force NBC to license its content to Apple if Apple were able to establish deals with the company’s competitors.
Apple may be planning to debut its streaming television service at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Many of the details about the service remain unknown, including the channel lineup Apple is aiming for, but the company is said to be in talks with ABC, CBS, Fox, Disney, ESPN, Discovery, and Viacom, which would give Apple access to channels like Animal Planet, TLC, MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon.
The streaming television service may be accompanied by a revamped set-top box, rumored to include an A8 processor, expanded storage, an App Store, and Siri support.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks Out Against Indiana’s ‘Religious Freedom’ Law
Apple CEO Tim Cook today sent out a series of Tweets condemning Indiana Governor Mike Pence’s decision to sign a controversial “religious freedom” bill into law, saying Apple is “deeply disappointed” in the move and “open for everyone.”
Apple is open for everyone. We are deeply disappointed in Indiana’s new law and calling on Arkansas Gov. to veto the similar #HB1228.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 27, 2015
The religious freedom legislation that was approved by Pence on Thursday could let businesses turn away gay and lesbian customers by citing “religious freedom.” The approval of the bill has earned Indiana national attention, and much of it has been negative, with organizations and companies throughout the United States vowing to stop supporting the state.
Senate Bill 101 prohibits state or local governments from substantially burdening a person’s ability to exercise their religion — unless the government can show that it has a compelling interest and that the action is the least-restrictive means of achieving it. It takes effect July 1.
Along with Apple’s condemnation, the NCAA has questioned the impact the legislation will have on future sporting events, Salesforce has vowed to halt expansion plans in the state, several conventions typically held in Indiana have said they will find other venues, and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee spoke out against the decision and barred all non-essential publicly funded City employee travel to the state.
In his tweets, Cook also called for Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to veto H.B.1228, a similar bill that was recently passed by the Arkansas state senate, and he reiterated Apple’s own commitment to equality and its efforts to treat every customer the same, regardless of “how they worship or who they love.”
Around the world, we strive to treat every customer the same — regardless of where they come from, how they worship or who they love.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 27, 2015
Cook came out as gay last October, but even before then, he’s had a long history of supporting equality and speaking out against discrimination. In 2013, he lectured on equality at his alma mater Auburn University, and during that same year, both he and Apple publicly supported the Employment Nondiscrimination Act.
Under his direction, Apple released a statement in support of Supreme Court gay marriage rulings, and Cook also led Apple to march in support of the LGBT community during the 44th annual Pride parade in San Francisco.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Android Central 229: Living on the Edge
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If you’ve got questions about the latest major Android releases — that’d be the Galaxy S6 and GS6 edge, and the HTC One M9 — we’re going to have answers for you on this show. Plus, Aaron Kasten joins us to talk about the Big Android Meat and Greet. And we’ll be answering more of your questions live!
Thanks to this week’s sponsor
- Verus Cases: Get free shipping and 50 percent off at checkout. Enter code ANDROIDC (yes, in all caps) at checkout.
Deal: Pick up Limbo for only $.99 in the Google Play Store (normally $4.99)
Limbo, Playdead’s creepy 2D side-scroller, finally made its way to the Google Play Store last month after launching on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC a few years ago. The game originally came to Android carrying its normal $4.99 price tag, but today you can grab it for only $.99.
For those who are unfamiliar with the game, you play as a young boy searching for his lost sister in the creepy, monochrome world of Limbo. Your job is to dodge as many obstacles that come your way while trying to solve brain-teasing puzzles. You’ll run into giant spiders, bugs, hunters, and much more along your journey.
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The controls are pretty easy to master: swipe in the direction you’d like to move. Swiping up makes the boy jump, swiping right makes him move right, etc. And though it’s only a 2D-scrolling game, the graphics are still one-of-a-kind.
Limbo recently made our list as one of the 70 best Android games available today, and for good reason. It’s addicting, frightening and beautiful, and is worth every penny – especially when it’s only $.99. Head to the Play Store link to start your download before the price goes back up!
YouTube now supports 4K video at 60fps
A few months ago, YouTube enabled its publishers to upload 4K videos to its platform and as if that wasn’t enough, Google has today announced the launch of a new streaming version, called 4K Ultra HD, which essentially combines the 4K resolution (3840×2160) with 60 frames-per-second video playback to create the smoothest possible viewing experience.
Obviously, in order to watch a video in this configuration, you’ll need a setup which supports 4K. That doesn’t just include a 4K monitor, but also a computer that’s powerful enough to stream it, and a broadband connection fast enough to buffer without pausing during playback or which will automatically downgrade the quality.
If you’re lucky enough to have a system capable of streaming in 4K Ultra HD, be sure to check out the playlist below which includes six clips shot in 4K at 60fps, then come back and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: YouTube now supports 4K video at 60fps
Buyer’s Guide: Deals on iPad Air 2, iMac, MacBook Air, and Apple Accessories [Mac Blog]
Deals continue to be good this week, with Best Buy offering deep discounts on a few iPad Air 2 models and iPad mini 2 models. B&H Photo is discounting some of the new MacBook Air models by $50, and there continue to be steep discounts on older MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models.
We’ve got quite a few Mac-oriented Apple accessories available at a discount this week, including a backup battery pack and SD card storage. We’ve even got deals on Apple Watch accessories — Casetify is offering discounts on its custom Apple Watch band pre-orders.
iPad Air 2
Best Buy is still offering the lowest prices we’ve seen on a few select iPad Air 2 models. The 16GB Cellular iPad Air 2 in silver is available for $499.99, $130 off its regular price. The 64GB Cellular iPad Air 2 in silver is available for $599.99, $130 off. The 128GB Cellular iPad Air 2 in silver is priced at $699.99, also a $130 discount.
B&H Photo is offering a discount on all of its iPad Air 2 models, dropping prices by $30 to $50. With the discount, the 16GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 is priced at $459 and the 64GB model is priced at $569.
iPad Air
Best Buy is also discounting cellular versions of its iPad Air stock, dropping the price on the 16GB Verizon Space Gray model to $379.99 and the price of the 32GB Verizon Space Gray model to $429.99, two of the lowest prices we’ve seen on those tablets.
Both Best Buy and B&H Photo have deep discounts on their remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad Air models, as listed below.
– iPad Air Wi-Fi Silver 64GB – $449
– iPad Air Wi-Fi Silver 128GB – $529
– iPad Air Wi-Fi Space Gray 128GB – $529
– iPad Air Cellular Silver 128GB (AT&T) – $549.99
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) – $549.99
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (AT&T) – $499
– iPad Air Cellular Silver 64GB (Verizon) – $566.99
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) – $629
– iPad Air Cellular Silver 128GB (Verizon) – $599
– iPad Air Cellular Space Gray 128GB (Verizon) – $599
iPad mini
Best Buy has a sale on its original iPad mini stock, discounting the 16GB tablet by $50, which drops the price to $199.99. It’s available in Silver and Space Gray.
iPad mini 2
Amazon has a few iPad mini 2 models available at discounted prices. The 16GB Cellular Verizon iPad mini 2 in Silver is available for $329. The 16GB Cellular Verizon iPad mini 2 in Space Gray is available for $335. The 32GB Cellular Verizon iPad mini 2 in Space Gray is available for $399.99.
Best Buy and Amazon also have remaining stock of now-discontinued higher-capacity iPad mini 2 models, which are a good deal if you’re looking for an iPad mini. Compared to the iPad mini 3, the iPad mini 2 only lacks Touch ID.
– iPad mini Cellular Silver 128GB (AT&T) – $449
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 128GB (AT&T) – $435
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 64GB (AT&T) – $399.99
– iPad mini Cellular Silver 128GB (Verizon) – $449
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 128GB (Verizon) – $534.99
– iPad mini Cellular Silver 64GB (Verizon) – $396.99
– iPad mini Cellular Space Gray 64GB (Verizon) – $414.99
iPad mini 3
Best Buy has discounts on a single iPad mini 3, the 128GB Cellular iPad model in gold. The price is $579.99, a discount of $150.
iMac
– 21.5-inch 1.4GHz/8GB/500GB (Best Buy) – $999.99, $100 off
– 21.5-inch 2.7GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $1,189, $110 off
– 21.5-inch 2.9GHz/8GB/1TB (B&H Photo) – $1,369, $130 off
– 27-inch 3.2GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $1,689, $110 off
– 27-inch 3.4GHz/8GB/1TB (Adorama) – $1,794, $205 off
– 27-inch 3.5Ghz/8GB/1TB Retina iMac (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $2,349, $150 off
Mac mini
– 1.4GHz/4GB/500GB (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $464.99, $34 off
– 2.6GHz/8GB/1TB (Best Buy) – $649.99, $49 off
– 2.8GHz/8GB/1TB (MacMall) – $934.99, $64 off
MacBook Air
– 2015 11-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB – (B&H Photo) $849.99, $50 off
– 2015 13-inch 1.6GHz/4GB/128GB (B&H Photo)- $949.99, $50 off
– 2014 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB – (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) (MacMall)$789, $109 off
– 2014 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Amazon) (B&H Photo) – $919, $180 off
– 2014 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (Amazon) (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $819, $180 off
– 2014 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Amazon) (B&H Photo) – $1029, $179 off
Retina MacBook Pro
– 2014 15-inch 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,799, $200 off
– 2014 15-inch 2.5GHz/16GB/512GB (B&H Photo) –$2,249, $250 off
– 2014 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/128GB (B&H Photo) (MacMall) – $1,098, $201 off
– 2014 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (B&H Photo) – $1,249, $239 off
– 2014 13-inch 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) – $1,588.99, $210 off
Apps
There are quite a few apps that are on sale at discounted prices or available for free for a limited time. We’ll highlight a few here, but make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper for a complete list.
Puzzle game MUJO is available for free, down from $1.99. Call of Duty: Strike Team is available for $1.99, down from $6.99. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is available for $2.99, down from $4.99. Fantastical 2 for iPad is available for $6.99, down from $9.99. Fantastical 2 for iPhone is available for $2.99, down from $4.99.
XCOM: Enemy Within is available for $4.99, down from $12.99. BioShock is available for $2.99, down from $10.99. Civilization Revolution 2 is available for $4.99, down from $14.99.
Tangent was named Apple’s app of the week this week, and it will be available to download for free for the next six days.
Apple Accessories
Groupon is selling the Otterbox Defender case for the iPhone 6 for $37.99, down from its regular price of $49.95. Groupon has the Incase Hard-Shell Case for the 11 or 13-inch MacBook Air for $9.99, down from $49.95. The site is also selling the Griffin Survivor Case and Stand for the iPad mini for $29.99, down from $59.99. LivingSocial has Apple EarPods for $13.99, down from $29.99.
Groupon has the Beats by Dre Pill speaker for $159.99, down from $199.95. The Lifeproof nuud Case for iPad 2/3/4 is available from Groupon for $34.99, down from $129.99. Groupon is also selling the 3.3ft Apple Lightning to USB cable for $10.99, $9 off its regular price, or $18.99 for a pack of 2.
StackSocial has the Nifty MiniDrive for MacBook Air or MacBook Pro at a slight discount of $32.99, down from $39.99. StackSocial also has the ChugPlug Portable MacBook Power Pack for $84.99, down from $129.99. The Timbuk2 Slide Laptop Backpack for the 15-inch MacBook Pro is available for $24.99 from Newegg with coupon code EMCAPNV56.
The DC Superhero Clip Case for the iPhone 5/5s is available for $7.99 from Groupon, down from $29.99. There’s also a Nintendo version for $8.99. The Bobine flexible iPhone cable/dock is available from StackSocial for $24.99, down from $35. Just Mobile’s AluPen Twist stylus is available from DailySteals for $19, down from $40. Speck is offering 25% off select iPhone 5/5s/5c cases for a limited time.
Casetify is offering a 15 percent discount plus free shipping on its custom Apple Watch bands with the code WATCH15. The deal will last until 3/30.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
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