Online retailer experiments with junk mail you can’t delete
Between promoted tweets, unduly specific banner ads and a never-ending onslaught of marketing emails, it’s impossible to escape targeted advertising. Luckily, though, the white noise of the internet can largely be ignored or hidden by ad blockers and spam filters. But what if paper and ink letters started falling through your door, encouraging you to buy that novelty mug you showed an interest in the other day? Well, that nightmare scenario is already a reality, and could become much more prevalent if a trial between Royal Mail and an online retailer proves fruitful (as far as they are concerned, anyway). The UK postal service and an unspecified retailer are currently experimenting with targeted advertising, delivered by snail mail, based on consumers’ online activity.
To be clear, only registered users of the retailer who’ve agreed to receive marketing materials are at risk of being targeted. The letters they receive will be akin to email alerts, promoting individual or seasonal products they’ve previously expressed interest in. Royal Mail is also keen to point out it simply delivers the post, and that all customer data is held by the retailer. Jonathan Harman, chief of Royal Mail’s direct marketing division, has previously talked up the potential benefits of postal campaigns for online retailers. “Sure, it’s a lot more expensive per thousand than online display, but it may also be about 100 times more responsive.”
Some of the junk mail we currently receive is “targeted” to some extent, of course. If you’ve ever spoken to your bank about a loan or a credit card, for example, then you can bet there was a brochure in the post before you even put the phone down. Still, we’re sure Orwell would agree there’s a slight difference between a tailored Facebook ad and a nod to your browsing history delivered to your door in physical form. And think of the trees, man. Think of the trees.
[Image credit: Shawn Gearhart/Getty]
Filed under: Internet
Microrobotic tentacles pick up bugs without squishing them
Some researchers develop soft robots, while others specialize on building tiny ones. This robotic tentacle by a team of engineers from Iowa State University, however, is both soft and tiny. In fact, that’s a true-to-size ant encircled by the tentacle in the picture above and not a scaled-up version of the bug. Associate electrical/computer engineering professor Jaeyoun (Jay) Kim wanted to “pioneer new work in the field with both microscale and soft robotics.” So, he and his team set out to make microtubes using a silicon-based material called PDMS, measuring 8 millimeters in length and less than a hundredth of an inch in width.
The engineers admitted that it was tough to design a teensy tentacle that can delicately handle small and fragile objects. In addition to figuring out how to peel off such tiny tubes from the production templates, they also had to add modifications to the tubes to give them more coils — they detailed the process in their paper published on Scientific Reports. According to Kim, his team’s microrobotic tentacles could be used for medical applications, since they don’t squeeze an object to pick it up — they’re “soft, safe and small” and just gently wrap around what they’re trying to hold. Thanks to the way they work, they won’t damage tissues, nerves or even blood vessels during medical procedures.
[Image credit: Jaeyoun (Jay) Kim]
Filed under: Robots
Source: Scientific Reports, Iowa State University
Somewhat unlikely: Samsung Galaxy S7 to battle the Apple iPhone 6S in second half of 2015
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We rarely like to rule out rumours too early just in case they do actually happen, but this one seems a little ludicrous (although the reasons do hold some water). According to Newsis, Samsung is readying the Samsung Galaxy S7 to battle the Apple iPhone 6S, which is expected to released at the end of September. This would put the Galaxy S7 in the same release timeframe as the Galaxy Note 5, Samsung’s other flagship device, and the idea that these devices would be released together seems unlikely and more of a detriment to Note 5 sales than a benefit, but who really knows.
On the flip side, preparing a flagship device to release alongside, or even before, the Apple iPhone 6S could be a stroke of genius though we wonder what that would genuinely do for Samsung’s market share against Apple’s – it would presumably be detrimental to Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge sales which are on track to reach 45 million. All the same, we’ll have to put this rumours aside until we hear some other news to corroborate it.
What do you think about Samsung releasing a Samsung Galaxy S7 in the second half of this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Newsis via Phone Arena
The post Somewhat unlikely: Samsung Galaxy S7 to battle the Apple iPhone 6S in second half of 2015 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Rumour says Samsung might skip on releasing an Edge version of the Note 5
If you’re a fan of the Galaxy Note Edge and were hoping to pick up this year’s version you may be disappointed according to today’s rumour. While some of us have been looking forward to seeing Samsung launch a dual-edged version of the upcoming Note 5, it seems that the Korean tech giant might not be on the same page.
The rumour says that Samsung doesn’t have any plans to release a Note 5 Edge and that only the standard version of the Note 5 will be announced in September at the IFA in Berlin. It’s widely believed that the Note 5 will carry the following specifications:
- 5.89-Inch display with 2560 x 1440 (2K) resolution
- Exynos 7422 processor
- 4GB of RAM
- UFS 2.0 Flash memory
- 4,100mAh battery
- 7.9mm thin
- Android 5.1.1
- Auto-ejecting S Pen (rumoured)
- USB Type-C (rumoured)
All that is nice and good, really, but what about us folk that held off from buying the Note Edge last year in the hopes that the 2015 version would be better implemented?
It should be said that this is just yet another rumour. It may or may not be correct, and the proverbial pinch of salt should be taken when reading rumours from unnamed sources. There’s still a couple of months to go until the big unveiling. Until then, you can guarantee that this will not be the last rumour we hear about the Note 5. I wouldn’t even bet against it being the only rumour today.
There is another way to look at this: Could Samsung have decided to only release a dual-edged Note 5 and forego the standard version? How’s that for an example of looking for a silver lining.
Finally, a couple of my own worries about the Note 5. With the praise that the Galaxy S6 design received, I wonder if the Note 5 will incorporate design cues from Samsung’s latest Galaxy S flagship. If so, will it also break with tradition by not supporting MicroSD cards and moving to a non-removable battery? Only time will tell. It’s going to be quite a ride until IFA in September, that’s for sure.
Source: cq.qq.com
Via: SamMobile
Come comment on this article: Rumour says Samsung might skip on releasing an Edge version of the Note 5
Fancy testing Google’s GoPro VR camera rig?
Google and GoPro teamed up to produce Jump, a VR camera-rig that’ll record 360-degree footage using 16 of the little action cameras. Just a few weeks later and the search engine is asking if anyone wants to test the hardware for themselves. Much in the same way it did for its head-mounted computer, the company wants applicants to describe the ideas that they have for the system. If you’re a filmmaker, journalist, producer or, er, “other,” then you can head into this Google Document and register your interest. As TechCrunch notes, the more “awesome” your answer, the better chance you’ll get to the top of the list. We’re told, incidentally, that you can make things significantly more awexxome by cApiTaliZing letters inside words and adding superfluous Xs every now and again.
[Image Credit: Bloomberg/Getty]
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Google Document
BBC’s Newsbeat app is its first aimed solely at young adults
BBC Radio 1 is struggling to keep young listeners tuned in. The station’s audience has shrunk to its smallest size in over a decade, but the BBC believes it has a strategy: expanding Radio 1 beyond traditional broadcasting. That means embracing YouTube, iPlayer and now, bite-sized mobile apps. The BBC is breaking out Newsbeat into a standalone app for iOS and Android, repackaging many of the stories it currently runs on the web. The design consists of three feeds — Latest, Popular and Topics — and individual news reports are shown as cards with large, bold photos. The BBC says it’s aiming the app at 16- to 24-year-olds and will be focused on entertainment news, interviews and social trends. While it’s true that millennials spend a lot of time on their phones, the broadcaster could have a tough time drawing their attention away from apps like Snapchat.
Filed under: Misc
Via: The Next Web
Source: BBC Newsbeat (iOS), (Android)
TalkTalk’s new (almost) gigabit broadband is actually affordable
While BT’s broadband networks dominate the UK, other ISPs want to avoid giving their rival any more money by creating their own. Just yesterday, Virgin Media announced it had begun installing 152Mbps connections across Manchester as part of a £3 billion UK expansion, but now TalkTalk is going one better with the launch of Ultra Fibre Optic (UFO) broadband in York. Although it’s effectively a gigabit service, TalkTalk has steered away from using the term, choosing instead to brand it under the UFO name. Homes and businesses in the city will enjoy up to 940Mbps, which is over six times faster than Virgin Media’s current theoretical limit and 12 times quicker than BT’s current fibre allocation.
While TalkTalk isn’t the first to roll out gigabit speeds in the UK, it is the first to incorporate them into its standard packages. Home packages start at £21.70 a month and £25 per month for businesses — and that’s with line rental included (and no data caps). UFO will come to the Huntingdon and Groves areas of the city this autumn, but TalkTalk is taking a page from Virgin Media’s playbook by letting residents ‘vote’ for access by submitting their addresses.
TalkTalk’s UFO service has been more than a year in the making. In April last year, the company confirmed it had teamed up with Sky and CityFibre to deliver gigabit broadband to York. It suggests that Sky could soon follow up with its own announcement, which may also include additional areas like Basingstoke, giving BT and Virgin Media something to really think about.
Filed under: Household, Internet
Source: Ultra Fibre Optic – TalkTalk
John Lewis stores to sell mobile phones
Retailer John Lewis will enter the highly competitive UK telecoms market for the first time in a bid to fill a void left by the sudden collapse of former incumbent retailer Phones4U last September. Beginning today, customers can go to the John Lewis website to buy 25 mobile phones sans-contracts and from mid-August, two flagship stores – the one on Oxford Street, London and Cheadle Manchester – will begin offering contracts in a store as a pilot. If successful, the plan is to roll out the service to other stores around the country.
The best phones…
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John Lewis plans to set itself apart from the competition – and provide a viable challenge to sole independent high street retailer Carphone Warehouse – by offering a standard two year warranty on all handsets and free insurance. The two year warranty also applies to Apple iPhones, which come with one year warranty by default. Given that customers currently opt to buy tablets and other electronics from John Lewis over other suppliers thanks to the additional warranty on offer, it’s hoped that the same offer will appeal to potential contract customers.
The firm will offer two plans on Vodafone in a bid to simplify the often complex search for a mobile phone contract: a low data tariff with unlimited free minutes and texts and a high data tariff, which also comes with unlimited free minutes and texts. The new mobile concessions stores will appear alongside similar concessions currently in place inside John Lewis stores and will be run by both John Lewis and Vodafone staff. For customers who want other plans, John Lewis will also be able to offer phones on any Vodafone contract.
Buying Director Johnathan Marsh said:
‘We’ve got a very strong technology business, and being able to offer customers mobile phones is important.‘
We know from our website traffic and searches that customers are actively looking for mobiles from us, but it’s important we go into this market in a John Lewis way.’
At the moment there are thousands of potential combinations of mobile handsets and tariffs on the market, which can be really daunting for customers.’
Retailer Phones4U suddenly collapsed last September five days before the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, leaving thousands of customers who had pre-ordered, stranded and without any hope of a refund. The move left Carphone Warehouse as the only independent high street retailer able to offer contracts from multiple networks and while John Lewis will only offer plans from Vodafone UK, it will offer some competition for Carphone Warehouse.
Would you buy from John Lewis to get two years’ warranty and free insurance? How important are warranty and damage protection plans to you? Let us know your views in the comments below guys!
Analysts cut Q2 profit forecasts as the LG G4 under performs
The LG G4 may be an excellent flagship smartphone, but it seems that industry observers are a little concerned about how many units LG will be able to sell. Various analytic and security firms have downgraded their second quarter profit forecasts for LG as sales of its latest flagship may be lower than initially thought.
At launch, the LG G4 had been expected to sell eight million units in 2015, meaning that around 2.6 million G4s would need to be sold in each remaining quarter of the year. However, second quarter shipments are expected to come in at less than 2.5 million units for Q2, meaning that actual sales will be even lower than that. This is a rather poor result for the flagship’s first quarter on the market. Last year’s LG G3 sold 5.9 million units in its first year and LG was hoping to beat this target by 20 at least percent.
There are several possible reasons as to why LG G4 sales may be lower than initially expected. Pricing could be a factor, as could the lack of major differences from last year’s G3. It’s also possible that LG’s promise of another higher-end flagship later this year has resulting in potential customers deferring their purchases.
In addition to under performing sales, LG has also seen its marketing expenditure increase this quarter. The company has been pushing the G4 as a serious competitor to the Galaxy S6 and Apple’s iPhone, but this additional advertising is going to come at the expense of some profits. Combined with lower than expected sales, we can begin to see where the analysts are coming from.
Perhaps there wasn’t a large enough difference between the G3 and G4 to drive early sales?
In terms of figures, Daishin Securities and Korea Investment & Securities have lowered their forecasts for LG’s Mobile Communications Division to 56 billion won ($50.7 million) and 68 billion won ($61 million) from 102 billion won ($92.3 million) and 115 billion won ($104 million) respectively. NH Investment & Securities has dropped its expectations to 64 billion won (US$58 million) from 95 billion won (US$86 million) as well.
More on the LG G4:
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The consensus seems to be that LG’s operating profit will fall somewhere in the region of 60 – 65 billion won, which would be a decline from its first quarter profit of 73 billion won (US$66 million) and Q4 2014 profit of 86 billion won (US$78 million).
However, this isn’t to say that LG’s entire smartphone business is performing poorly. Just yesterday LG said that it would invest a substantial $155 million into India and could even set up production there if the company gains enough market share.
Instead, it looks like LG is suffering from some form of slowdown in its high-end market. Any ideas why?
The Kickstarter-backed world’s thinnest watch project has been shelved
Crowdfunding has given hope to many companies looking to introduce new products to shake up existing markets and while many have gone on to be inherently successful, some just quite haven’t made the cut. Two and a half years ago, a company called Central Standard Timing launched their own Kickstarter project, looking for $200,000 in funding to create the world’s thinnest ever watch.
Prynt smartphone case instantly prints out photos, now on Kickstarter
Sounds great, right? There’s just one slight problem: almost two years after the company’s Kickstarter campaign was successfully funded, there’s still no watch and the company has pretty much given up any hope of ever delivering these watches. The company has canned the CST-01 watch after running into numerous production problems and pretty much running out of money.
Watches in video:
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The company has fallen out of favour with its chosen manufacturer (Flextronics) after apparently deciding the company didn’t know how to work with a small startup, although one of the company’s Kickstarter updates suggests the manufacturer wanted them to sign a contract that prevented them from providing any updates on the production process. Either way, the company hasn’t said it’s given up on the project but an update with its financials shows it has pretty much exhausted all of the money raised from Kickstarter and its own website pre-orders.
The CST-01’s unique design offered a flexible watch (not a smartwatch) with an E-Ink display that was less than 1mm thick but ever since meeting its $200,000 target in just 5 hours and going on to raise over $1 million from Kickstarter, the company has faced numerous problems. From a key battery supplier going bust – and being replaced by a supplier who made poor quality batteries – to numerous parts that were DOA, several redesigns and the damning realisation that the actual product would cost double the amount pledged to actually make, the latest update on Kickstarter pretty much confirms they’ve given up.
The company is still trying to find a way to bring the product to market but with over $1 million needing to be raised just to fulfil the pledges and pre-orders and investors seemingly unwilling to provide this, it seems unlikely you’ll ever get your watch. The company is also considering whether to sell all of its assets and inventory to (partially) refund backers or alternatively, make the project open-sourced so you can make the watch yourself (if you have the means and knowledge to do so).
When Kickstarter & Indiegogo funding go wrong
Whatever happens to the company now, it’s an unfortunate lesson for almost 8,000 people who backed the project on Kickstarter and while a few people have actually received their watches, thousands will be left without anything to show. This project was an early indication of the power of crowdfunding but while others have been extremely successful – the Pebble Time and 3Doodler are great examples of this – the CST-01 will forever be a reminder that you’re backing someone’s dream and there’s no guarantee you’ll get your reward.
AIVAnet 