Galaxy S6 sales are hitting Samsung’s internal targets, beating GS5 sales
Samsung was dealing with quite a bit of pressure with the launch of the Galaxy S6 this year. Sales for their previous two flagship Galaxy S devices had waned, with the Galaxy S5 failing to hit its internal targets for the company over the course of 2014. With that in mind, Samsung had to launch a fantastic device in 2015 that would solidify why they were the top dog in the Android market.
For the most part, they did. The Galaxy S6 was met with nearly universal praise (our own review commended the fantastic screen, amazing camera, and solid design of the device) while the crazy counterpart device, the Galaxy S6 Edge, has done far better than anyone anticipated. So while everything seems great, Samsung hasn’t publicly announced how well their current flagship is selling.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a concrete number. What we do have, however, is an unnamed Samsung executive saying that the GS6 is performing very well, and actually a little better than Samsung imagined. This same also believes that the GS6 should surpass the GS5, and while it’s not always an impressive feat to out-do a device that you considered a failure, improvement is always a good thing.
This commentary does come from an exec at Samsung, so obviously it should be taken with a grain of salt. But with Samsung’s bold marketing and serious commitment towards making a great phone, I think we should all expect the S6 (and the S6 Edge!) to have a pretty solid 2015.
source: Korea Times
via: GSM Arena
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Xbox One ‘Independent Developers Pack’ revealed with new controller
It’s not E3 yet, but Microsoft has taken the wraps off of this limited edition “Independent Developers Pack” Xbox One, in Australia of all places. Besides packing download tokens for five ID@Xbox (Hand of Fate, Threes!, #IDARB, The Jackbox Party Pack, and Never Alone) and DLC add-ons for two others (Warframe, Smite beta) it also has the new Xbox One controller with integrated headphone jack that we’ve been expecting. In Australia, the bundle is priced the same as any other Kinectless XB1 pack, at $499AU. There’s no word on a launch for the US or anywhere else, but with the big gaming conference just a couple of weeks away, we should hear more soon.
Update: It looks like Microsoft removed the reference to a new controller from its store page, but we have a picture of the listing as it originally appeared after the break. That detail may not have been intended to leak this early, but we’ll check to see if there’s any other information.
Introducing the ID@Xbox console bundle – 7 great indie games in one pack. http://t.co/RB5Vf0GMmG @iocat @ID_Xbox pic.twitter.com/ggQLFpyVaJ
– Jeremy Hinton (@AusXbox) June 2, 2015
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft Store Australia
HTC launches the dual-SIM Desire 820G+ in Taiwan
HTC has announced a new mid-range, dual-SIM phone for the Taiwanese market. The new device joins the Desire lineup and will be called the Desire 820G+.
The 820G+ features Android 4.4 and a 5.5-inch display that has a surprisingly nice 720p HD resolution. You’ll also find a 13 megapixel rear camera, an 8 megapixel front cam, an octa-core CPU with 1 GB of RAM, and a microSD card slot.
It doesn’t look like the device will launch outside of Taiwan, but considering it’s a dual-SIM device that also doesn’t feature 4G connectivity, it definitely looks like HTC made this one with that specific market in mind. If you are looking for a Taiwanese device that features decent mid-range specs, though, the Desire 820G+ just might fit the bill.
source: NDTV Gadgets
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NASA tests airplane wings that shrug off insect guts
You may not think of insects as a problem for aircraft (Bambi Meets Godzilla comes to mind), but they really are — the residue from those splattered bugs slows aircraft down and hikes fuel consumption. NASA may soon have a way to keep those critters from causing so much trouble, however. It recently conducted flight testing for a promised non-stick wing coating that stops ex-bugs from inducing drag. The layer, which combines a lotus leaf-inspired (“microscopically-rough”) repellant surface with anti-sticking chemicals, was good enough to cut back on the nasty organic residue by as much as 40 percent.
The real-world results support what researchers predicted in the lab, and they suggest that you could both improve the fuel use for existing aircraft and design smaller, more efficient flying machines. You could get away with a 17 percent tinier tail on an airliner like the trial run’s Boeing 757, for a start. Although it’ll take a while before you see these augmented wings at the local airport, they could eventually do a lot to help the environment… and save ground crews from rather disgusting clean-up jobs.
[Image credit: NASA Langley/Paul Bagby]
Filed under: Transportation, Science
Source: NASA
Apple Expands ‘Shot on iPhone 6’ Gallery With New Video Section
Apple today updated its “Shot on iPhone 6” microsite to include a new video section, entitled “World Gallery in motion.” The new section more heavily emphasizes the video taking capabilities of the iPhone 6, with a tagline that reads “The camera that changed photos does the same for video.”
The Shot on iPhone 6 site previously featured a few videos captured with the iPhone 6, but the newly introduced video-specific gallery includes a total of six videos that are new. The short 15-second videos, also available on YouTube, cover subjects ranging from birds, dogs, and bugs to landscapes. All are set to accompanying music and end with the text “Shot on iPhone 6.”
Several of the videos, including the one featured above, show off video-specific iPhone 6 features like slo-mo and timelapse, while others simply depict scenes with impressive colors and clarity. Like Apple’s “Shot on iPhone 6″ photos, the videos were shot by iPhone 6 users rather than professional videographers. Photos on Apple’s site include information on what filters were added, but these videos do not include details on software used for editing or changes made to coloration.
Apple first introduced its “Shot on iPhone 6″ photo gallery and microsite in March, showing off a selection of photos taken by iPhone 6 users in a range of countries around the world. Apple’s effort showcased the work of more than 70 photographers in 24 countries, with the photographs being used in print media, transit posters, and billboards across the world.
Huawei Mate 2 owners can now register to test Android 5.0 Lollipop update
Huawei is easily one of the best Chinese smartphone makers out there, and with recent products they have done a lot to push both hardware and design forward to levels that compete with more mainstream OEMs. One area of weakness, however, is the software. Not only is Huawei’s EMUI one of the more bloated software experiences out there, Huawei is also less than great when it comes to updating to newer versions of Android — as evidenced by the fact that my Mate 7 is still running on KitKat-based software. The good news for Mate 2 owners is that Lollipop is finally about to arrive.
The good news for Mate 2 owners is that Lollipop is finally about to arrive. As we speak, Huawei is allowing Mate 2 owners to register for the opportunity to test out an upgrade to Lollipop-based software. During the first testing phase only a select number of registrants will be chosen, though they will slowly roll out more invites as they come closer to the Mate 2’s full rollout next month.
It seems a bit ironic that the Mate 2 is now receiving Lollipop ahead of higher-end devices like the Mate 7, but it’s still great news to see Huawei supporting the Mate 2, especially considering it is one of the few Huawei devices officially available in the U.S. market. Mate 2 owners looking to register can do so from Huawei’s website.
Sony Mobile cuts 1000 workers in Sweden
Sony Mobile has certainly dropped from its previous high atop the smartphone pile and the Japanese manufacturer has announced that almost 1000 of its Swedish workforce will be let go as part of a wider restructuring initiative, which is designed to push the handset maker towards profitability.
The layoffs – at one of Sony’s key manufacturing and R&D centres – consists of 575 staff and 400 contract positions, covering both administrative positions and technical staff. The cuts will mean that Sony’s Swedish workforce will be reduced by almost half, with only 1200 employees remaining in the Scandinavian country.
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Earlier this year, the company announced that the handset maker would lay off 2100 employees in its mobile division, bringing the total to around 5000 employees and last week, the company announced that its North West Europe President was also leaving the company as part of the wider restructuring shuffle.
In a statement to TechCrunch, the company confirmed the cuts were part of the wider restructuring efforts:
As part of its ongoing measures to drive transformation into a profitable and sustainable company, Sony Mobile will change its organizational structure effectiveApril 1st, aiming to increase its operational efficiency and transitioning it to a leaner, more agile organization.
In relation to these changes to its organizational structure, Sony Mobile announced today that approximately 1,000 employees and consultants in Lund will be affected by job closures. This number is included in the approximately 2,100 global headcount reduction announced at Sony’s earnings announcement on February 4th, expected to be completed by the end of FY2015. Sony Mobile filed a redundancy notification (“varsel”) with the Swedish authorities today in this regard.
Lund will continue to be an important site for Sony Mobile, with its main focus on software development, and Customer Services.
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Sony have been widely reported to consider selling its smartphone division but the company has denied these claims. Earlier this year, Sony vowed to make the division profitable by next year and the company’s latest handset – the Xperia Z4 – was announced last month. The Xperia Z4 may be perfect for Japan but its European variant – which goes under the Xperia Z3+ moniker – is certainly not the flagship smartphone we were all waiting and hoping for.
Whether these improvements and changes are enough remains to be seen, but with the company dropping off the Top 10 global smartphone makers list, the immediate future certainly looks bleak.
Nintendo reveals a flood of new games ahead of E3 2015
The NX console isn’t the only product Nintendo’s working on behind the scenes, naturally. Via a Direct Micro video session, the company has now shared an outlook of its game plan for this year and beyond — though we’re sure it’s not telling us everything. Most notably, Nintendo revealed the Dr. Mario franchise is making a comeback with Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure, which will be launching for the 3DS on June 11th (exclusively in the eShop). But there’s more: Bravely Second is finally coming to North America, where it’s going to be available on the 3DS sometime in 2016.
And looking ahead to the summer games in Brazil, Nintendo also announced Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for Wii U and 3DS, featuring a slew of characters and playable sports. The best news, however, is that the legendary N-Zap ’85 is debuting tonight as an add-on for Splatoon, Nintendo’s wonderful third-person shooter. You can watch today’s Nintendo Direct Micro below.
The N-Zap ’85 is coming to #Splatoon, along with the new Port Mackerel map – and they’re coming TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/BsIhFLL65T
– Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 1, 2015
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Nintendo
Source: Nintendo
Rumored Apple TV service isn’t ready for WWDC next week
Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference will kick off next week, on July 8th, and the company might announce a new music streaming service, a thinner set-top box and OS updates. You know what we might not see at the event, though? That subscription TV service Cupertino’s reportedly cooking up. According to Recode, Apple did plan to unveil the new product at WWDC, but it had to postpone as the company’s apparently not done negotiating financial terms and finalizing licensing deals with broadcasters yet. Even CBS CEO Les Moonves, who said last week at the Code Conference that his company will “probably” sign a deal with Apple, admitted that they’re not finished talking about money. In addition, Apple’s still working on the technology needed for broadcasters to deliver local programs to its Web TV service.
Cupertino hasn’t revealed any details about this new product yet, but according to earlier reports, that local TV integration is a part of why it’s different from the likes of Sling TV, or even PlayStation Vue which has local TV but is only available in a few cities. Apple wants to bundle channels (around 25 or so) for streaming for $30 to $40 a month, according to the WSJ, and to launch the service this fall. However, industry executives say even the launch date might be moved to much later this year, or even to 2016.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Apple
Source: Recode
HERE for Android adds Intel device support
Location company HERE has updated its Android application with support for devices based on Intel’s x86 architecture. Announcing the update on its blog, the company announced that the latest version of its application (version 1.1 on the Google Play Store) now supports the Vietnamese language and will be able to run on devices using Intel’s mobile processors, such as the Asus ZenFone 2.
HERE for Android brings the company’s location services – which includes offline mapping, voice navigation and point of interest information – to the Android platforms and offers a credible alternative to Google’s own Maps solution, which will gain offline mapping later this year. Point of interest info on HERE for Android comes with ratings and reviews from TripAdvisor and LonelyPlanet and also displays 3D indoor maps for popular POIs such as shopping centres and airports to help you find your way around.
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HERE for Android also offers real-time traffic and incident information in over 40 countries around the world, while offline maps are available for over 100 countries and public transport maps and schedules are available for over 20 countries. To download the update, head over to Google Play, Galaxy Apps or the Amazon AppStore.
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