T-Mobile launches exclusive LG G4 preview program to get the hype going
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8150504804865896″
data-ad-slot=”8461248232″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
Today was a big day for LG. The LG Watch Urbane landed on Verizon and AT&T websites for consumers to purchase. It was also the official unveiling of the LG G4. Not that we needed it a big event with all the leaks that happened over the last few months, but still, we do like a good press event to get the details straight from the manufacturer. We know Sprint will carry the device sometime in June and is giving would be buyers a chance to win one. T-Mobile is taking things a little further though with an exclusive LG G4 preview program that is sure to get a lot of sign ups generated.
Starting today through May 25th anyone who signs up for the chance to be selected, could get their hands on an LG G4 before it even launches. Whats even cooler, is they are giving away one device a day from now through the 25th. That equates to 28 lucky people getting their hands on one a month a head of schedule. While it might be a long shot, it never hurts to through your name into the hat. If you are curious to see what Des has to say about the device, check out the first look over the device and a bit more in-depth look at the camera.
I have a feeling the LG G4 is going to do really well for the company. The manual mode on the camera with RAW output, manual shutter speed and the 8MP front facer. The removable battery and expandable memory option, u to 2TB, could be a deciding factor for those that were wishing Samsung kept up that tradition in the Galaxy S6.
All that aside, be sure to direct your browser over to the sign-up page and keep your finger crossed.
Source: T-Mobile
The post T-Mobile launches exclusive LG G4 preview program to get the hype going appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
[Poll Results] What went wrong with the Nexus 6? 50% of you said the price was the blame
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8150504804865896″
data-ad-slot=”8461248232″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
A few days ago, it was revealed that while Google‘s financials were looking green across the board, Nexus devices were struggling to make sales somewhere amongst all those numbers. The Nexus 6 is no doubt one of the biggest contributers to this struggle, so we asked the question to all of you: What went wrong with the Nexus 6? Well, the results are in, and it should come as no surprise that a huge percentage (50% no less) of you found that one of the most prohibitive characteristics of the Nexus 6 is its price. A pretty distant (but no less important) second and third are the size and the availability respectively.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
None of these results are particularly surprising, but it is important to note just how expensive the Nexus 6 was for so many of you to pick that as your top reason for not getting one. Now before anybody goes on an angry tirade saying how this is a smear campaign against the Nexus 6, let me just say that the Nexus 6 is a phenomenal device – hell, if I had the money, I’d have one too. There’s no doubt that it will go down as one of the most powerful and best devices of 2014 and 2015, but no device is perfect, so it’s always good to take a look why things are the way they are.
What do you think about this poll’s results? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post [Poll Results] What went wrong with the Nexus 6? 50% of you said the price was the blame appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Jimmy Fallon explores the Pros and Cons of buying an Apple Watch
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8150504804865896″
data-ad-slot=”8461248232″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
As I always say, the release of an Apple product is never a bad thing – I just see it as an opportunity for people to make some pretty funny jokes about them. Naturally, being the hottest thing at the moment, even The Tonight Show‘s Jimmy Fallon had to have a go at Apple’s smartwatch, the Apple Watch, as part of their regular segment, Pros and Cons. In it, Fallon details some humours Pros and Cons of buying the Apple Watch, and some are absolute killers. Check it out below:
My personal favourite is “Pro: It comes in a variety of colours. Con: Like ‘Please Rob Me’ Silver and ‘Walking Target’ Gold”. There’s of course no denying that Apple has jumped on the smartwatch bandwagon just at the right time, but really we shouldn’t be concerned by how many Apple Watches are being sold – after all, they only work with iPhones anyway. All the same, it’s helping to grow the smartwatch industry and its mainstream appeal, which can only be a good thing for everybody in the long run.
What do you think of Jimmy Fallon’s Pros and Cons of buying an Apple Watch? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: YouTube
The post Jimmy Fallon explores the Pros and Cons of buying an Apple Watch appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
A bold claim: LG plans on selling 12 million LG G4’s
<ins class="adsbygoogle"
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8150504804865896″
data-ad-slot=”8461248232″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
LG‘s latest flagship, the LG G4, was made official earlier today and it looks to be every bit as good as we expected (because we knew everything already). Not too long ago though, analysts were spinning a sad tale for the LG G4, saying that it was not going to sell as many handsets as its predecessor, the LG G3, did. The analysts attributed this largely to the unfavourable market conditions thanks to barnstorming sales by the Samsung Galaxy S6 and its curvy brother, the Galaxy S6 Edge. Furthermore, the Snapdragon 808 processor would be a key differentiator for some consumers. Even so, LG is confident that it is going to sell 12 million LG G4’s – the LG G3 sold around 10 million handsets, for reference.
We’ll have to see whether LG’s bold prediction can, or will, come true, though the device has a lot going right for it. A fantastic new camera and probably the best Quad HD display on the market at the moment immediately jump off the page, but most everything else is similar or a marginal upgrade over its predecessor, and that’s not a bad thing. And for the fashion conscious, genuine leather back covers are now available for the LG G4, and in more colour options than the plastic variants.
What do you think of the LG G4’s chances to sell 12 million handsets? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Yonhap News via Phone Arena
The post A bold claim: LG plans on selling 12 million LG G4’s appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Apple Adds New NBC Sports Channel to Apple TV
Apple today added the NBC Sports Live Extra channel to the Apple TV, adding to its growing collection of available sports apps the device. The NBC Sports channel on the Apple TV delivers videos and clips of sporting events that air on NBC, much like the iPad app.
NBC Sports on the Apple TV offers video on demand that includes access to video clips, previews of upcoming events, and highlights from past events, plus it offers live NBC Sports events and full event replays. While video clips and other content will be available to all users, watching live content will require a cable subscription and authentication to log in.
In addition to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Triple Crown, Live Extra streams all live sports content televised by NBC, NBCSN and Golf Channel, including: the Summer and Winter Olympics; Sunday Night Football and NBC’s NFL pre-season and post-season coverage; NHL regular-season games; the PGA TOUR, including the FedExCup Playoffs, and the LPGA; the Premier League; studio content surrounding many of the aforementioned properties; original programming such as The Dan Patrick Show and Men In Blazers; and much more.
NBC Sports joins a slew of other sports-oriented apps on the Apple TV, including WatchESPN, MLB.tv, NBA, NHL GameCenter, Major League Soccer, WWE Network, 120 Sports, Tennis Channel Everywhere, and more.
Apple Seeds Second OS X 10.10.4 Yosemite Beta to Developers, First Public Beta Version
Apple today seeded the second beta of OS X 10.10.4 to developers, approximately a week and a half since releasing the first 10.10.4 beta and nearly three weeks after releasing OS X 10.10.3 with the Photos for OS X app to the public. Alongside the new developer beta, Apple also released the first public beta version of OS X 10.10.4.
Developers can download the new beta, build 14E11f, through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store or through the Mac Developer Center.
OS X 10.10.3 introduced several consumer-facing changes including the new Photos for OS X app, a redesigned emoji picker, new diversified emoji, and more, but OS X 10.10.4 appears to be an under-the-hood update that brings performance enhancements and bug fixes.
The first two updates to OS X Yosemite, OS X 10.10.1 and OS X 10.10.2 were also minor behind-the-scenes updates that improved performance through bug fixes and enhancements.
Instagram for iOS Gains Three New Filters, Emoji Hashtags [iOS Blog]
Instagram for iOS received a major update today, adding three new filters to the app: Lark, Reyes, and Juno. Lark brightens up images and adds purple tones, while Reyes adds a vintage-looking fade with yellow tones. Juno is the boldest of the three new filters, brightening images and bumping up the contrast for a more stylized look.
Today’s three new filters come four months after Instagram added Slumber, Crema, Ludwig, Aden, and Perpetua, the first new filter additions to the app in two years. With those five filters, Instagram began focusing more on subtle improvements, a trend continued with the three new filters added today.
Lark filter on left, Reyes filter on right
Instagram has also gained emoji hashtags with the latest update, so it’s possible to use emojis to create hashtags to enable new ways of tagging and finding photos on the image sharing service.
Introducing 3 new photo filters! Lark, Reyes and Juno have been added automatically so you can start using them right away.
Emoji hashtags. Use your favorite emojis to create, share and search for hashtags.
Get the best of Instagram from the Apple Watch. Browse your feed and like your favorite photos, or even leave emoji comments. Plus stay up to date with interactive notifications right on your wrist.
Instagram can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Apple Watch Display Quality Judged ‘Excellent’, Calibrated to Match iPhone 6
DisplayMate Technologies has extensively tested the Apple Watch’s flexible OLED display and shared the results today based on several categories, including screen reflection, brightness and contrast with ambient light, color gamut with ambient light, and viewing angle variations. Overall, the company found the Apple Watch to have an “excellent smart watch display” with accurate colors and picture quality.
In a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 6 display, the display calibration company found that Apple has taken measures to ensure that the Apple Watch display has the same colors, color calibration and color accuracy as the larger smartphone screen. The stainless steel and gold Apple Watches with sapphire crystal displays, however, have much higher reflectance in ambient light and mandatory automatic brightness control to preserve battery life.
“Since the Apple Watch is often used right next to the iPhone 6, Apple has gone to considerable lengths to give them the same colors, color calibration, and color accuracy. The two most significant differences (other than size) are the much higher Reflectance of the Apple Watch with a sapphire crystal (8.2 percent compared to 4.6 percent), and the aggressive Brightness control using a mandatory Automatic Brightness Ambient Light Sensor in order to increase the running time on battery for the tiny watch.”
The full-length report offers a comprehensive look at the Apple Watch’s ion-strengthened and sapphire crystal displays, and reiterates that enhanced sapphire, which lowers the screen reflectance of sapphire to be much lower than glass, will soon be available for use in smartphones, smartwatches and other mobile devices. Additionally, DisplayMate’s previous tests of the Samsung Gear 2 and Sony SmartWatch 2 displays provide good comparisons to the Apple Watch.
Apple Forecasted to Report Double-Digit Growth in Second Quarter as Sales Remain Strong
Apple will report its financial results later this hour for the second quarter of the 2015 fiscal year, a three-month period spanning January through March that directly followed the holiday shopping season. Apple has offered guidance of between $52 billion and $55 billion in quarterly revenue, while the average of all analysts combined forecasts the company’s revenue during the quarter marginally higher at $56.84 billion.
Philip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune has compiled a pair of charts that aggregate all predictions by independent and professional analysts for Apple’s revenue, EPS, gross margin and number of iPhones, iPads and Macs sold during Q2 2015, and it’s believed that Apple will report double-digit growth year-over-year as sales remain strong and the company’s momentum continues in 2015.
Amateur analysts are bullish, predicting average quarterly revenue of $58 billion and sales of 60.1 million iPhones, 13.6 million iPads and 4.7 million Macs, while professional analysts remain more conservative with an average estimate of $55.69 billion quarterly revenue and sales of 55.7 million iPhones, 14.2 million iPads and 4.6 million Macs. Apple is also forecasted to have a gross margin of 39.4% based on the average of all analysts.
MacRumors will be providing live coverage of Apple’s financial results as they are reported around 1:30 PM Pacific (4:30 PM Eastern), including the subsequent earnings conference call with CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri at 2 PM Pacific (5 PM Eastern). At that time, we’ll have a clearer picture of just how well Apple managed to perform in the quarter.
Apple Reports Record March Quarter Results of $13.6B Profit on $58B Revenue, Boosts Dividend and Buybacks
Apple today announced financial results for the second fiscal quarter and first calendar quarter of 2015. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $58 billion and net quarterly profit of $13.6 billion, or $2.33 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $45.6 billion and net quarterly profit of $10.2 billion, or $1.66 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.
Gross margin for the quarter was 40.8 percent compared to 39.3 percent in the year-ago quarter, with international sales accounting for 69 percent of revenue. Apple also declared an increased dividend payment of $0.52 per share, payable on May 14 to shareholders of record as of May 11. The company currently holds $193.5 billion in cash and marketable securities.
In addition to the increase in the dividend payment, Apple said it will once again expand its share repurchase authorization to $140 billion from $90 billion and the company says it expects to spend over $200 billion in cash under its capital return program by the end of March 2017. Since the start of its capital return program in August 2012, Apple has returned over $112 billion to shareholders, including $80 billion in share buybacks.
Apple sold 61.2 million iPhones during the quarter, up from 43.7 million a year earlier and a new March quarter record, while Mac sales were also strong with 4.56 million units sold, up from 4.1 million units in the year-ago quarter. iPad sales were down, however, falling to 12.6 million from 16.35 million.
“We are thrilled by the continued strength of iPhone, Mac and the App Store, which drove our best March quarter results ever,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’re seeing a higher rate of people switching to iPhone than we’ve experienced in previous cycles, and we’re off to an exciting start to the June quarter with the launch of Apple Watch.”
Apple’s guidance for the third quarter of fiscal 2015 includes expected revenue of $46-48 billion and gross margin between 38.5 and 39.5 percent.
Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q2 2015 financial results conference call at 2:00 PM Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.
Conference call and Q&A transcript is after the jump
Read more 
AIVAnet 