Facebook continues to make most of its money from mobile
Facebook’s bet on mobile continues to pay off in absolute spades. The first quarterly earnings report of the year from Zuckerberg and crew lay testament to that, showing that a whopping 73 percent of its $3.32 billion in ad revenue now comes from mobile alone (Total revenue for the quarter was $3.54 billion). Its number of mobile users is also on the rise — out of Facebook’s 1.44 billion monthly active users ,1.25 billion are on mobile, which is up 24 percent from this time last year. Perhaps more impressive is that the number of daily users — ie. its most engaged audience — has gone up as well; 936 million people visit Facebook everyday, and 798 million of them do it from their phones.
Facebook’s other properties saw growth as well: Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp now have around 300 million, 600 million and 800 million users respectively. Zuckerberg said on the earnings call that people are sharing content with greater frequency, adding that there around 45 billion messages are sent everyday on Messenger. He also said that VOIP is an avenue for growth, especially as WhatsApp has recently brought voice calls to its iOS app. Zuckerberg added that Messenger, which also lets you make voice calls, apparently accounts for 10 percent of global VOIP.
The growth in mobile is particularly noteworthy as the company shifts toward more standalone apps, like today’s release of Facebook Hello. Also don’t expect video ads to go away any time soon; Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s COO, says that Facebook has about 4 billion video views a day. Quite a bit of this revenue is going to Facebook’s longer term projects such as Internet.org, its plan to spread web access to everyone in the world, along with its investment in AI and virtual reality such as Oculus Rift.
[Image credit: PL Images/Alamy]
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Source: Facebook
Tidal Discovery will allow independent artists to upload directly
While Tidal didn’t have too much to say about independent artists during its relaunch a couple weeks ago, the company is lending a hand now. In an interview with Smashd, Tidal’s Chief Information Officer Vania Schlogel discussed the upcoming Discovery feature for the service — the ability for indie acts to upload music directly. Why is this a big deal? Well, for the likes of Spotify, those musicians have to go through a third-party service like CD Baby or TuneCore to get their music in the apps. Since record labels typically handle licensing deals with subscription services, if you’re unsigned, you have to find another middleman. What’s more, all artists will have access to Tidal’s dashboard, where they can see exactly who’s listening to their music and get contact info for each person. That’s how Jay Z and Jack White were able to offer those thank-you calls last week.
“When it comes to the distribution of music, I want to get to a point where there are no blockades for artists in order to be able to easily do that for themselves,” Schlogel explained. “The end game being that we want everyone to be able to self-upload their own music and then track it very intuitively through this artist dashboard.”
“We want everyone to be able to self-upload their own music .”
The Discovery feature is rolling out slowly, being made available for more folks over time. Exactly how will this impact those indie artists? I spoke to Nick Wiley of Kindler, an unsigned progressive rock band in North Carolina, to find out. Wiley says that having to go through a service like CD Baby isn’t so much of an issue as the tools Spotify offers signed artists. “I don’t really care about having to go through an aggregator,” he says. “I care about not having a bio and the other stuff because when you visit our profile on Spotify, I think it screams. ‘This artist isn’t famous.’” It appears that Tidal will offer the same tools and stats directly to all artists, though — not just the famous ones.
Another feature that’s aimed at helping independent artists is Tidal Rising. That collection of unknown acts highlights new music on the regular, serving as a discovery tool for subscribers and another channel for the smaller acts to get some promotion. Tidal Rising is already live on both mobile and desktop apps.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Via: Fact Magazine
Source: Smashd
Tidal Discovery will allow independent artists to upload directly
While Tidal didn’t have too much to say about independent artists during its relaunch a couple weeks ago, the company is lending a hand now. In an interview with Smashd, Tidal’s Chief Information Officer Vania Schlogel discussed the upcoming Discovery feature for the service — the ability for indie acts to upload music directly. Why is this a big deal? Well, for the likes of Spotify, those musicians have to go through a third-party service like CD Baby or TuneCore to get their music in the apps. Since record labels typically handle licensing deals with subscription services, if you’re unsigned, you have to find another middleman. What’s more, all artists will have access to Tidal’s dashboard, where they can see exactly who’s listening to their music and get contact info for each person. That’s how Jay Z and Jack White were able to offer those thank-you calls last week.
“When it comes to the distribution of music, I want to get to a point where there are no blockades for artists in order to be able to easily do that for themselves,” Schlogel explained. “The end game being that we want everyone to be able to self-upload their own music and then track it very intuitively through this artist dashboard.”
“We want everyone to be able to self-upload their own music .”
The Discovery feature is rolling out slowly, being made available for more folks over time. Exactly how will this impact those indie artists? I spoke to Nick Wiley of Kindler, an unsigned progressive rock band in North Carolina, to find out. Wiley says that having to go through a service like CD Baby isn’t so much of an issue as the tools Spotify offers signed artists. “I don’t really care about having to go through an aggregator,” he says. “I care about not having a bio and the other stuff because when you visit our profile on Spotify, I think it screams. ‘This artist isn’t famous.’” It appears that Tidal will offer the same tools and stats directly to all artists, though — not just the famous ones.
Another feature that’s aimed at helping independent artists is Tidal Rising. That collection of unknown acts highlights new music on the regular, serving as a discovery tool for subscribers and another channel for the smaller acts to get some promotion. Tidal Rising is already live on both mobile and desktop apps.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Via: Fact Magazine
Source: Smashd
New LG G4 teaser video shows off the device’s leather back
LG has just sent out a new 15-second teaser video, highlighting the upcoming G4’s leather backing. We’ve already gotten word from the company that the device will have a vegetable-tanned leather back, but it’s nice to see the device in action before its launch on the 28th.
LG hasn’t exactly kept quite about the G4’s specifications over the past few weeks. We know that the device will feature a 16MP rear-facing camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a big 5.5-inch QHD display, and will come with LG’s updated UX 4.0 software overlay. If you’re interested in learning more, a number of additional rumors and specifications can be found in our official LG G4 rumor roundup.
Are you excited for the G4’s leather back? Or would you rather have the device made of something else?
Google Debuts ‘Project Fi’ Wireless Service in Partnership With Sprint, T-Mobile
Google today announced its entrance into the wireless service business, with the debut of Project Fi, a service that combines multiple cellular networks with Wi-Fi hotspots to offer “the best network wherever you go.”
As rumored back in January, Google is teaming up with both Sprint and T-Mobile for Project Fi, and the two carriers will provide the cellular service for Google’s initiative. With Project Fi service, customers will be able to connect to the fastest network at any given location, whether it’s Sprint LTE, T-Mobile LTE, or a Wi-Fi hotspot.
We developed new technology that gives you better coverage by intelligently connecting you to the fastest available network at your location whether it’s Wi-Fi or one of our two partner LTE networks. As you go about your day, Project Fi automatically connects you to more than a million free, open Wi-Fi hotspots we’ve verified as fast and reliable. Once you’re connected, we help secure your data through encryption. When you’re not on Wi-Fi, we move you between whichever of our partner networks is delivering the fastest speed, so you get 4G LTE in more places.
By positioning itself as an MVNO or mobile virtual network operator partnered with existing carriers, Google is able to provide reliable cellular service and its own pricing tiers without needing to build out its own infrastructure. Other well-known MVNO’s in the U.S. include Boost Mobile, FreedomPop, and Straight Talk.
Project Fi brings phone numbers to the cloud, letting users talk and text with their personal phone numbers on any phone, tablet, or computer, and it introduces a simplified pricing structure that’s easier to understand than most carriers’ complicated plans.
There’s a single plan that costs $20 per month for talk, text, and Wi-Fi tethering, plus an extra $10 per GB for cellular data in the U.S. and abroad. So a plan with unlimited talk and text with 3GB of data would be priced at $50. Google’s also only charging for data used, so customers who pay for 3GB and only use 1GB will get a refund.
Google is debuting a Project Fi early access program that’s available to customers who have a Nexus 6. According to Google, this is the first smartphone that supports the hardware and software necessary to work with Project Fi. Nexus 6 users can in areas where coverage is available can request access.
Google is the first major technology company to introduce its own wireless service, and it’s possible that other companies could follow in its footsteps. In the past, there were rumors suggesting Apple would take on the role of a mobile carrier, selling service directly to consumers, but in 2012, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple did not need to be a carrier and would be better off focusing its efforts on making great devices.
Apple to Offer Band Only Exchanges for Apple Watch
Apple is planning to offer customers an opportunity to exchange only their Apple Watch bands rather than an entire Apple Watch if a band is the wrong size or the wrong style. Retail employees have been instructed to suggest a band swap as an alternative to a whole watch return if an Apple Watch is being returned based on size, color, or band style.
A band swap, according to an internal employee training document, can potentially save the customer time as it eliminates the need to set up and sync an entirely new watch. Band swaps are available for the Apple Watch Sport and the stainless steel Apple Watch, but will not be available for the more expensive gold Apple Watch Edition.
There are several rules for band swaps:
– The new band must be within the same collection as the watch and must be an available band option for that watch face.
– The band swap is within 14 day return period.
– The watch must have been purchased at the Apple Online Store, Kiosk, or Apple Store App.
– You are not using band swaps as a way to configure a sellable product for a customer.
Band swaps won’t be done entirely in store. After an employee confirms that a customer is within their 14-day return window and wants a new band, the swap must be initiated through the Online Store call center. Customer support representatives will create a new band order, ship it out to the customer, and provide instructions on how to mail in an old band for a refund.
One interesting tidbit in the document suggests band swaps can’t be done for watches purchased at other retailers for warranty reasons, such as those bought from select boutiques around the world where the Apple Watch will be sold, including Colette in Paris, Dover Street Market in London, The Corner in Berlin, and more.
If a customer wants to make a full watch return rather than just a band return, the band must be provided. Apple will not provide partial refunds — bands that shipped with a watch cannot be returned for a refund and Apple Watches cannot be returned without their bands.
The document also outlines the full return guidelines for the Apple Watch Sport, the Apple Watch, and the gold Apple Watch Edition, with the latter requiring a “visual, mechanical, and micro-inspection” by a trained genius accompanied by a manager.
The Apple Watch is set to launch this Friday, with the first customers receiving their pre-orders at that time. Supplies are constrained, but Apple has been making efforts to get shipments out as fast as possible. Many Apple Watch bands are also in short supply with multi-week shipping estimates, so customers who do wish to exchange a band might have to wait awhile for their desired band to be available.
Apple Confirms Many Apple Watch Pre-Orders Will Arrive Sooner Than Expected
Earlier today, a number of Apple Watch pre-orders with delivery estimates of 4-6 weeks or later started changing from “Processing Items” to “Preparing for Shipment” on the Apple Online Store. Apple also began charging some credit and debit cards of customers with orders showing extended shipping times.
Apple has since confirmed to John Paczkowski at BuzzFeed that many customers will receive their Apple Watch pre-orders sooner than expected. The company says it is working hard to fulfill orders as quickly as possible based on the order in which they were received, and does note that some customers are still in for a long wait.
“We’re happy to be updating many customers today with the news that their Apple Watch will arrive sooner than expected,” an Apple spokeswoman told BuzzFeed News. “Our team is working to fill orders as quickly as possible based on the available supply and the order in which they were received. We know many customers are still facing long lead times and we appreciate their patience.”
Apple Watch pre-orders will begin on April 24 as scheduled, although exactly how many customers will receive theirs on day one remains to be seen. Ahead of the launch, customers in the United States have started receiving UPS shipment notifications confirming their upcoming Apple Watch delivery. Pre-orders became available on April 10 at 12:01 AM Pacific and sold out in less than six hours, with a combination of strong demand and limited supply quickly pushing back shipping estimates.
MacRumors reported earlier this month that Apple Watch pre-orders could arrive sooner than expected, based on an email exchange with an executive relations spokesperson that said extended shipping times were set deliberately to avoid disappointment.
NASA forms a coalition to look for life on other planets
NASA knows that it can’t rely solely on astronomers and robotic rovers to find life on other worlds, so it’s recruiting some help. The space agency has formed the Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS), a coalition of scientists who study astrophysics, Earth, other planets and the Sun. The group will use its collective knowledge to search for alien lifeforms using perspectives that NASA wouldn’t always have — how does the loss of atmospheric chemicals affect the chances for life, for example? NASA hopes that the group will not only determine the habitability of planets, but develop technology to study those planets in greater detail. There’s no guarantee that NExSS will discover organisms, let alone organisms that you might see within your lifetime, but the odds of success are now a bit higher.
[Image credit: NASA]
Filed under: Science
Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Three’s launching Voice over LTE support this autumn
Three’s hellbent on continually improving network reliability and coverage, and as part of that, the carrier has today announced it’s gearing up to add Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support to its network this autumn. The provider is currently on track to switch its VoLTE service on in September, facilitated by tagging additional 800MHz spectrum onto its existing 1800MHz network. This new slice of bandwidth is expected to significantly improve coverage in problem areas, particularly inside buildings, where 800MHz airwaves can penetrate more easily than other frequencies. Three expects roughly 1 million of its 8.5 million customers to be reaping the benefits of VoLTE by the end of the year, taking calls in places 2G and 3G signals can’t reach. The only catch is you’re going to need a VoLTE-compatible handset, such as the iPhone 6 or Galaxy S6. Any relatively new handset should do, though.
Three isn’t the only carrier readying VoLTE support, of course. EE and Vodafone are set to go live over the summer, which would make Three a little late to the party (O2 has misplaced its invite, it would seem). Three also touched on WiFi calling during today’s announcement, which it currently offers through its inTouch smartphone app. The plan is, in the not-too-distant future, to take the app out of the equation and make the feature native and seamless in exactly the same way EE has done it, and Vodafone intends to. WiFi calls handled in this way can jump over to VoLTE networks and vice-versa, meaning your conversation won’t end abruptly when moving from hot-spot to not-spot (or rather, former not-spot).
Scientists turn old smartphones into all-seeing eyes
That clunky old Android phone sitting in a drawer may be more useful than you think. A team from Carnegie Mellon University has created a program called Zensors that uses connected smartphone or surveillance cameras to track your environment, figure out what’s going on and give you valuable alerts and statistics. The team showed how a user can point a smartphone outside a window, circle an area of interest, and pose a natural-language question like “how many cars are in the parking lot?” Zensor then proceeds to track cars as they enter and leave, giving a business data about its customers.
Such tasks are way beyond the means of regular smart home cameras and sensors, but the tech isn’t quite as magical as it sounds. The researchers are relying on crowd-sourced workers to for complex tasks like counting cars, while easier tasks are calculated by algorithms. However, they hope that computers will gradually take on the more difficult jobs thanks to machine learning systems, eliminating the human factor.
Asking a machine to make complex observations sounds a bit far-fetched, given that IBM’s supercomputer-based Watson has only just learned to make a Bruschetta. On the other hand, machine vision is getting pretty darn good, and artificial intelligence has advanced enough to scare Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking. Right now Zensor is still in beta testing, but if it ever becomes a thing, it could open up a new way of monitoring your life without sticking chips into everything.
Filed under: Cellphones, Science
Source: Chris Harrison
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