The leather back could make the G4 more expensive than we thought
That “vegetable-tanned” leather back on the G4? It’s costing LG extra, and the company is passing the buck to customers.
Ahead of the official unveiling (if there will be any veils left to lift by then) on April 28, the LG G4 went up for pre-order in its native South Korea. The G4 is sold by SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+, even if the device won’t be available in stores for customers to try out until next week, with actual availability rumored to start on April 29.
Interestingly, the G4 is priced by Korean carriers at a slightly higher price than we expected. Korea Telecom is offering the device for the equivalent of $825, compared to $795 for the Galaxy S6 32GB, but lower than Galaxy S6 Edge 32GB ($910).
This isn’t actually the official unlocked price, but an LG representative confirmed to ETNews that “it will stay in that range.” According to Korea Times, LG’s pricing strategy is actually targeting the Galaxy S6 Edge, as the company sees the vegetable-tanned leather back as a luxury offering worth paying a premium for:
“Among the various tanning methods, vegetable tanning is the most traditional and the most recognizable. It is the only form of tanning that is able to give leather unique characteristics, retaining the natural flaws and markings. That’s why only a few luxurious brands such as Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton applied the tanning technology to very high-level products.”
LG confirmed that, carrier subsidies not considered, the G4 will be pricier than previous models.
The G3 launched last year at a rather high price (900,000 won/$880) in South Korea, but the device was more affordable in the rest of the world. In the US, the 5.5-inch device could be had for as little as $450 unlocked last fall. That, and the fact LG has minimized the hype by releasing details ahead of the launch, made us think the G4 could go a bit down range.
It remains to be seen whether LG will market the leather-backed G4 as an Edge-competitor worldwide or just in in South Korea. It will be interesting to follow how the price changes in time; the Galaxy S6 shapes up to be a sales hit, which may force LG to lower the G4’s price fast and hard. Then there’s the “more premium” device that LG said will come later this year, which could put more pressure on the G4’s price.
Stay tuned for the official details coming April 28.
Oh no, they didn’t! A giant Android pees on Apple in Google Maps
Step 1. Go to this location in Google Maps. Step 2a. Enjoy. Step 2b. Cringe.
We’re not sure what’s going on here, as what you see in the screenshot above should never make it to production software. No matter what happened (intentional Easter Egg, joke of rogue employee, some exploit or hack, passive aggressive revenge over Apple dumping Google Maps), it will probably be gone very soon.
80% of Philips TVs in 2015 will run Android
At today’s IFA 2015 Global Press Conference in Malta, Philips’ TV division, TP Vision, talked about the company’s plans for 2015 and announced that Android TV is a big part of the future. 80 percent of Philips Ambilight TVs in 2015 will run on the Android Lollipop platform.
The new Philips Ambilight TVs come with integrated lighting systems for a much better experience and as part of the move to Android, Philips announced a new partnership with EA and Gameloft offering customers who buy Amiblight TVs access to around 200 popular games stored in the cloud.
TP Vision also announced that the 90 percent of Phillips Smart TVs powered by Android TV have been connected to the internet. Video On Demand services are proving ever-popular, with 50 percent of customers in the UK (end of 2013) and 30 percent in Germany (early 2015) using VoD services.
The other key announcement from the short power briefing was that there will be 38 Android-powered TVs released in the first half of 2015 and some of these will be low-cost entry-level Full HD panels. The key thing here is that Android as a platform is growing in the smart home arena and it’s nice to see a major electronics band such as Philips/TP Vision backing Android on TV at all price points.
Image via: ITB (Twitter)
The Big Picture: Ultraviolet strands form this celestial tapestry
Sometimes you just need to grab 18 miles of fluorescent string, coat it in ultraviolet paint and stretch it along an art installation and hit it with black lights. At least that’s what artist Julien Salaud did recently with his “Stellar Cave” series. As My Modern Met observes, the threads are wrapped around nails to create images of animals, humans and other stuff in a way that’d evoke “mythology and mysticism.” The exhibits were on display at Israel’s Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art and you can check out more images at the links below.
Via: Laughing Squid
Source: My Modern Met
Sending directions to your phone is as simple as a Google search
Google is making the process of sending route directions from your PC to your phone simpler. Much simpler.
You know how it goes – for one reason or another you decide to look up directions to a location on your computer. All is good until you’re out and about and you have to search for the same directions again on your smartphone. That’s just wasted time and Google hates that, so it’s adding a new feature to Google Search to quickly send directions from your computer to your phone.
Just type in “send directions” in Google Search and you will be shown a simple interface that lets you pick the place you want to get to. Your phone’s location is automatically selected as the starting point, though you can change it to any place you wish. After you enter the destination, just click “Send directions to my phone” and the route will load up in Google Maps on your device. Nifty!
The feature seems to be active in the US, though we couldn’t get it to work in Europe at the moment of this writing. But there’s no reason for Google not to roll this feature out globally, so it’s likely just a matter of time. “Send directions” joins “find my phone,” another location-related feature that is now accessible from Google Search.
Can you “send directions” yet? Sound like a useful feature for you?
Steam lets modders sell their wares, starting with ‘Skyrim’
Valve’s move to start selling community-created mods on its PC-game storefront looks like it could boost that $57 million user payout from earlier this year. And it’s starting with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim — one of the most popular moddable games. The process sounds pretty easy as Valve tells it, too. Upload your tweak to the Skyrim Creation Kit, agree to the new Steam Workshop terms, enter payment info and set your creation free. Within the week, it’ll go up for sale at a price of your choosing. You can even add revenue splitting if you’re working with a team and generally control the whole process from start to finish.
The promise is that the cream’ll rise to the top here and you’ll start seeing higher quality mods as a result. You can get refunds on any that you’ve bought so long as it’s within 24 hours of purchase, and really, that about sums it up. Polygon reports that pricing on the first wave of mods is between $0.25 and $5.99, with Newell and Co. selling a pack of 17 of ‘em at a discounted rate of around $29. And just like that, your weekend’s booked solid.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Polygon
Source: Valve
Apple Offers Virtual ‘Personal Setup’ to Soon-to-Be Apple Watch Owners [iOS Blog]
As many users in the United States slept Thursday night, Apple began slowly emailing Apple Watch pre-order customers with a confirmed April 24 delivery date about a “Personal Setup” program designed around the Watch.
Aimed to visually guide new users through the Apple Watch’s setup process and beyond, the Personal Setup program is a video session with an Apple employee where the company does its best to answer every question a user has about the wrist-worn device.
As with in-store try-on appointments, the Personal Setup video session requires a scheduled appointment, with dates as of writing ranging from early Friday morning all the way through the evening on May 7.
Your Apple Watch will be in your hands shortly. Once it is, we can help you get started right in the comfort of your own home with online Personal Setup. It’s a video session* where we show you how to set up Apple Watch with your iPhone, walk you through some key features, and answer your questions. We’ll also point out some great apps, and help you personalize your device.
Of course, you can always visit an Apple Store and request a Personal Setup session with a Specialist.
Thank you for choosing Apple.
Interestingly, the times of each appointment fluctuate everywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, so it appears Apple may be letting customers choose a time they think is best for their own personal setup and knowledge of the Apple Watch, although the company has yet to confirm the max length a session can go.
While the email from Apple does make mention of visiting a retail location, the move does fall in line with retail chief Angela Ahrendt’s recent move of keeping the Apple Watch launch as brick-and-mortar free as possible.
The first Apple Watch deliveries should begin making the rounds in just a few short hours in the United States, with worldwide deliveries already resulting in some positive first impressions and teardowns of the wearable.
Apple Debuts Three Apple Watch Ads: ‘Rise’, ‘Up’ and ‘Us’
Hours before the Apple Watch is set to officially launch, Apple has debuted three new ads called “Rise”, “Up” and “Us”. The three ads focus on the three aspects of the device CEO Tim Cook highlighted when the Apple Watch was first introduced: a device that helps you with time, a comprehensive health and fitness device and an intimate communication device.
The first ad, “Rise”, shows people using the Apple Watch to help them spend their time. People are seen using the Apple Watch as an alarm clock, seeing incoming messages, using it on their commute, using it as a ticket at an airport, getting around with the Maps app and more.
The second ad, “Up”, features users using the Apple Watch’s health and fitness features. People can be seen setting up their fitness goals on the Watch in addition to using it while both exercising and doing various activities, both intensive and casual. It also features moments where users are alerted to stand while working or commuting.
The final ad, “Us”, has people using the Watches’ communication features, including the ability to draw pictures, send animated emojis, and send heart beats and taps to the wrists of other Apple Watch users. Interestingly, the ad also features people spending time with each other and paying attention to the world around them, illustrating how the Watch could free some users from their phones.
All three ads end similarly, declaring that “the Watch is here”. Thus far, Apple’s marketing campaign for the Apple Watch has focused on getting the device on the wrists of athletes, models and other celebrities for maximum exposure. Moving forward, it appears Apple will begin making a case for how the Apple Watch will be used by most people.
The Army’s testing clip-on ray gun attachments for its rifles
The energy-blasting G.I. Joe future that we’ve all been waiting for is steadily getting closer. Not only is the US Army outfitting trucks with increasingly powerful laser systems, it is also looking to provide similar capabilities to its dismounted troops as well. Dubbed “Burke Pulser” attachments after their creator Army Armament Research electronics engineer James E. Burke, these devices utilize a piezoelectric generator and two protruding antennas to generate powerful bursts of electrical. The entire unit fits onto the end of the Army’s M4 carbine just as a standard-issue flash suppressor does.
And while the truck-mounted HEL-MD lasers are being built to fry incoming aerial threats like drones and missiles, the Pulser is meant to instead obliterate the electrical circuitry of roadside bombs and IEDs. The system is still in its early development but, should the program reach full production, Burke estimates that each device could be built for under $1000. That’s a heck of a lot cheaper (in both money and manpower) than sending in an EOD (bomb disposal) squad.
Filed under: Science
Via: SlashGear
Source: Defense One
The new ‘Call of Duty Black Ops 3’ trailer looks… familiar
The latest teaser trailer for Call of Duty Black Ops 3 – this year’s installment from Black Ops creator Treyarch — depicts a future ruptured by the onset of technologically enhanced and weaponized humans. There are riots in the streets and ominous news reports on the screens, plus a whistleblower who claims that the government is turning humans into death machines. Black Ops generally deals with futuristic combat, but the new transhumanist angle is oddly reminiscent of another AAA franchise, Deus Ex. And that’s not just us saying so: The official Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Twitter account responded to the Black Ops 3 trailer with a picture of a confused (and adorable) cat, and Deus Ex executive art director Jonathan Jacques-Belletete jokingly welcomed Treyarch to the bandwagon. “We lied guyz. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided actually takes place on the Eastern Front during World War 2. We felt inspired,” he tweeted. Watch the teaser below and judge our technological future for yourself.
.@CallofDuty pic.twitter.com/B6tSF92xCv
– Deus Ex (@DeusEx) April 23, 2015
Via: NeoGAF
Source: Call of Duty
AIVAnet 