Sony to invest billions in its image sensor business
Sony’s mobile division has been having a tough time lately, but the company’s image sensors are still proving hugely popular in the smartphone and wider camera markets. In a bid to play to its strengths, Sony is looking to invest heavily in additional production capacity for mobile image sensors.
To raise the necessary funds for this expensive investment, Sony will be issuing new shares for the first time since 1989, which caused an 8.25 percent fall in Sony’s share price. The company is planning to raise around $3.6 billion through a combination of selling new shares and convertible bonds.
Of the total, much of the proceeds are earmarked for investment into additional production capacity for smartphone image sensors, such as those used in Apple and Samsung products, as well as its own handset line-up. Despite high demand for Sony’s cutting edge camera modules, its current production capacity is preventing the company from maximising its revenue.
In April, Sony Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida stated that the company would be investing ¥210 billion in image sensors during the current fiscal year and ¥80 billion on camera modules. The company is also expected to more than quadruple its operating profit for the 2016 fiscal year, following a company-wide restructuring program and strong sales of digital sensors.
For Sony, this is part of a broader plan to focus on its strongest products – music, movies, gaming and device components. We will have to see what this means for the company’s struggling mobile hardware business in the coming years, especially as Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai hasn’t ruled out abandoning the market all together.
Samsung Canada throws in a free 6-month Google Play Music subscription if you buy a Galaxy S6
If you live in Canada and you’ve been on the fence about purchasing a Galaxy S6 smartphone, Samsung has just announced another incentive to tip you over the edge; a free six-month subscription to Google’s Play Music service.
The six-month Google Play Music subscription allows you to listen to over 30 million songs from the catalogue, tons of radio stations as well as playlists suited to any occasion ranging from cooking to working out at the gym. You can also upload up to 50,000 songs from your personal music collection.
If you’ve been thinking of buying a different Samsung smartphone, don’t fret, you can take advantage of a free 3-month Google Play Music subscription. Is the inclusion of a Google Play Music subscription incentive enough for you to order a Galaxy S6? Let us know in the comments.
Via: MobileSyrup
Come comment on this article: Samsung Canada throws in a free 6-month Google Play Music subscription if you buy a Galaxy S6
BBC Trust backs plan to make BBC Three online-only
After months of waiting, the BBC Trust appears to have finally driven the knife into the back of BBC Three, or at least as we know it. As part of its “public value assessment” of the BBC’s planned television changes, the Trust says it sees “clear long-term potential” in moving the channel from TV to online, allowing the BBC spend £30 million more on BBC One programming and ramp up its bid to engage younger viewers.
The governing body has set some conditions to ensure the BBC offers licence fee payers value for money. They include a commitment from BBC One and BBC Two to deliver more BBC Three programmes and the scrapping of a new BBC One+1 channel, as it could unfairly take away viewers and revenues from rival channels (including ITV and Channel 5). BBC One+1 was originally proposed as a direct replacement for BBC Three in the listings, but the Trust rejected the plan based on the new channel’s “lack of distinctiveness.”
The Trust’s provisional approval is another setback for the 295,000+ people trying to save the channel. The online petition, which was created over a year ago, argues that the Beeb doesn’t cater enough for younger viewers and could drive them away from the BBC completely if BBC Three moves online. The Trust admits that there will “be an impact on some of BBC Three’s audience” in the short term, but believes the broadcaster is “seeking the best way to serve audiences in the future.”
Following today’s ruling, the BBC will need to respond to the Trust’s concerns by July 28th. Another consultation will then be held, before the governing body makes a final decision in the autumn. Should it get the go-ahead, the BBC could start moving BBC Three online early next year.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: BBC Trust
Microsoft is launching a site to help teachers master ‘Minecraft’
Minecraft has proven to be an invaluable tool for educators and students. Not only is the game popular with children and adults, but its open, customisable nature means it can be used for all sorts of different purposes. Like learning to code, understanding Britain’s geography and reimagining modern art. Microsoft clearly knows this, so it’s launching a new portal where teachers can discuss the game and share classroom resources. The full site isn’t live just yet, but the trailer below gives you an idea of what Microsoft and Mojang are aiming for. After this and its Hololens demonstration, it’s clear the company sees its $2.5 billion acquisition as more than just a game with a guaranteed smash-hit sequel.
[Image Credit: MinecraftEdu]
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Via: Microsoft
Source: Minecraft for Education
Apple Music in the UK: what you need to know
After months of waiting, Apple Music is finally upon us. The company is now ready to take the wraps off its new streaming service, which will deliver millions of tracks on demand, host a free 24-hour radio station with slots from some of the world’s biggest artists, and include a bevvy of social features. It’ll go live in over 100 countries today (June 30th), but as is often the case with new Apple services, there’s still some uncertainty around what you get and how much it’ll set you back. Fear not, for we’ve pieced together everything you need to know about Apple Music in the UK. Read on to find out.
What do I need and what time will it launch?
Thanks to Apple Music senior director Ian Rogers, we have a clear idea of when you can get streaming. The company will release the new iOS 8.4 update at 4pm UK time, which brings the Apple Music app with it. Once that necessary update has installed, you’ll be able to sign up for the three-month free trial and get to grips with all of the app’s features. As for Beats 1, Apple’s first foray into live radio: that will go on air one hour later.
Apple will also make its first ever Android app for Music. That won’t launch until the autumn, but you’ll be able to access the service on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch (via a paired phone) and on your Mac or PC via iTunes from day one.
How much will it cost?
When Apple unveiled Music, it only provided pricing for US customers. However, in the lead up to the launch, the company revealed the cost for Brits within iOS 9 beta updates. When you initially sign up, you’ll take advantage of a 90-day free trial, but after that you’ll have to pay £10 per month to continue streaming.
If you use Apple’s Family Sharing scheme for song, e-book and app purchases, there’s also a new option for Music that costs £15 each month and allows up to six family members to use individual Apple Music accounts. If you’ve had issues with Family Sharing in the past, this might not be the best option, but it definitely offers good value for money.
What will I get?
Apple already offers around 30 million tracks on iTunes and it’s very likely that the majority of them will be available to stream on day one. We don’t yet know what the bitrate will be, but reports suggest that Apple Music will mirror iTunes Match, which offers tracks at 256Kbps AAC quality.
While you’re free to stream your favourite artists, Apple Music will also offer curated playlists from “the most talented music experts around the world.” These will include mixtapes from Apple’s own curators, but there’ll also be playlists created by respected music publications like Rolling Stone, Q Magazine and Pitchfork. Apple says the more you listen to these playlists, the more relevant they’ll become. You’ll be able to find them in the “For You” section of the app, which will also suggest albums and new releases you might enjoy. If you want to create your own compilations, Apple will let you pull together (and share) playlists featuring tracks from the steaming service, and those you’ve purchased from iTunes or saved in Match.
If you’re one of those people who can never decide what to listen to and prefer the good old-fashioned radio experience, then Apple has you covered. With Beats 1, the company is launching a free, 24/7 global radio network with Zane Lowe fronting the show in Los Angeles, Ebro Darden in New York and Julie Adenuga in London. Lowe’s first slate of programming will feature an interview with Eminem and there’ll also be appearances from Dr. Dre and model-cum-actress Cara Delevigne. Apple has also said it will offer a daily schedule, so you’ll know who will be featured and when.
With Apple Music’s Connect feature, the company hopes it can do a better job at social than it did with Ping. Connect has a tab of its own inside the Apple Music app, and will allow verified artists to, you know, connect with fans. Pharrell, for example, could fill his Connect feed with tracks, photos and video. You can then heart posts, add a comment or share the updates to Facebook or Twitter, giving musicians and Apple Music a chance to enjoy more social exposure.
Apple will likely share more details when Apple Music launches — we’ll make sure to notify you as soon as any new information becomes available.
Source: Apple Music
Falcon 9 disaster messes up SpaceX’s launch schedule
SpaceX is still trying to unravel the cause of Falcon 9’s unfortunate explosion on Sunday. Until it figures things out, the company’s putting future missions on hold for a few months, according to Parabolic Arc. It originally had seven launches left for the year, including ferrying NOAA’s Jason-3 satellite to space in early August, so it can track ocean levels and help the agency predict a cyclone’s intensity. Plus, it had plans to demo the Falcon Heavy rocket sometime later this year, which will likely be affected as well. Reuters said SpaceX’s customers are still waiting to hear what exactly went wrong and how the company plans to fix it to ensure the next launches are successful. But thus far, its customers seem to remain confident in Musk and his team.
NASA admitted it was disappointed over the loss of cargo for the ISS yet again, but reminded everyone that SpaceX had fulfilled six successful flights for the agency in the past. “We know they can replicate that success,” the agency said in its announcement. In the same vein, Iridium Communications told Reuters it doesn’t have any concerns about flying with Falcon 9. Iridium has a seven-flight contract with Musk’s corporation, and it understands if its missions are moved to a later date.
SpaceX lost its $100 billion Dragon capsule to the explosion, which was carrying supplies and tools for the ISS, including Microsoft’s HoloLens headsets for the astronauts and a camera designed to capture meteor showers. This is the third time NASA has lost ISS supplies within the past few months: Orbital Sciences’ rocket blew up in October last year along with 5,000 pounds of food and other necessities, while a Russian Progress cargo ship plummeted back to Earth in May due to a technical problem, carrying 6,000 pounds of tools and rations with it. Another Russian Progress spacecraft is heading to the space station this Friday, July 3rd, carrying the same amount of supplies. The ISS crew has enough food and water to last them until October, but we’re sure they’d prefer this upcoming mission to be a success.
There was an overpressure event in the upper stage liquid oxygen tank. Data suggests counterintuitive cause.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 28, 2015
[Image credit: SpaceX/Flickr]
Filed under: Science
Via: Parabolic Arc
Source: Reuters
Press render of Moto G 2015 is leaked, pretty much confirms its new appearance
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Fans of mid-range devices are likely eagerly awaiting the announcement of Motorola‘s next generation Moto G smartphone – the previous two Moto G’s have been wonderfully balanced, all-round devices for a positively average price, and the Moto G 2015 is expected to be more of the same. We’ve heard precious little about the device, however we’ve gotten our best look at the device so far today with a number of press renders leaked by TechnoBuffalo.
The look of the Moto G 2015 in these renders matches exactly the leak we had a few weeks ago, sporting a brand new back cover with a strip of plastic running down from the camera and marked with the Motorola logo – we’re assuming it’s purely ornamental. The front of the device also shows the return of the dual front speakers and what should be Android 5.1 whenever this device launches. Hardware-wise, we’re expecting a 5-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 410, 1GB RAM and a 13MP camera, which doesn’t change much on paper from last year’s version, but will nevertheless make it a tantalizing mid-range option.
What do you think about the look of the Moto G 2015? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: TechnoBuffalo via Android Police
The post Press render of Moto G 2015 is leaked, pretty much confirms its new appearance appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Amazon’s Prime Now service brings one-hour deliveries to London
If you live in London and have wished that your Amazon Prime deliveries would arrive even quicker, you may be happy to find out that Amazon has just announced the arrival of its Prime Now service to subscribers in the UK capital. Over 10,000 items are now available to have delivered within the hour if you are eligible for Prime Now. We have more details after the break.
Depending in your postcode, your options will vary between 1-hour, 2-hour or same-day delivery when buying an eligible item ranging from nappies, gaming consoles or more importantly, coffee. Orders can be delivered between 8am – midnight, with 1-hour deliveries carrying a £6.99 charge, although 2-hour and same-day deliveries are free. We have the list of eligible postcodes below, and you can also download the Amazon Prime Now app from the Play Store via the QR code and link below to place your orders. If you are eligible for the Prime Now service and enter LONDONNOW at checkout, you can also get £20 off your first order of £50 or more.
Amazon’s Prime Now service is available to the following postcodes: E1, E2, E3, E14, E1W, EC1A, EC1M, EC1N, EC1P, EC1R, EC1V, EC1Y, EC2A, EC2M, EC2N, EC2R, EC2V, EC2Y, EC3A, EC3M, EC3N, EC3R, EC3V, EC4A, EC4M, EC4N, EC4R, EC4V, EC4Y, SE1, SW1Y, W1B, W1C, W1D, W1F, W1G, W1H, W1J, W1K, W1S, W1T, W1U, W1W, WC1A, WC1B, WC1E, WC1H, WC1N, WC1R, WC1V, WC1X, WC2A, WC2B, WC2E, WC2H, WC2N, WC2R.
Currently, the Prime Now service is only being offered in London, although Amazon has stated that it plans to bring the service to other UK cities before the end of 2015.
We have the full press release below:
Click here to view the embedded video.
LONDON — June 30th, 2015—Amazon.co.uk today announced Prime Now, the newest benefit for Prime members, which offers one-hour delivery on over ten thousand items through a mobile app. Prime Now is powered by Amazon’s growing network of fulfilment centres that utilise high-end technology to speed up order delivery times for customers. Now, Prime members can get daily essentials such as coffee, batteries and nappies, as well as other popular items like games consoles, toys and sports equipment, delivered right to their door in an hour or less. The service launches today in selected London postcodes and is expected to reach all of London and additional UK cities by the end of the year.
“Millions of customers across London can use the Prime Now app today and discover over ten thousand items for one-hour delivery, or select a free two-hour, same-day delivery slot,” said Christopher North, Managing Director of Amazon UK. “This is just the beginning. London is our first Prime Now city in the UK and we are already working on making Prime Now available in more postcodes in London and beyond.”
All Prime members can immediately download the Prime Now app, available on iOS and Android devices, to find eligible delivery postcodes and request notification when the service is available in their area. Customers can also visit www.amazon.co.uk/primenow to discover eligible delivery postcodes. Prime Now customers can choose delivery within one hour of ordering for £6.99, or free delivery within a choice of two-hour, same-day delivery slots between 8am and midnight, seven days a week.
Prime Now is made available through Amazon Logistics, Amazon’s technology and logistics platform that empowers independent local, regional and national delivery companies across the UK to deliver Amazon parcels to customers seven days a week. Amazon Logistics’ delivery station in East London will serve as the first hub for delivery of Prime Now orders.
Amazon Prime is already an immensely popular service with millions of members in the UK. On a base of tens of millions, worldwide paid membership to Prime grew 53% last year. Prime members in the UK enjoy unlimited One-Day Shipping on more than 9 million items, unlimited streaming of more than 15,000 popular movies and TV shows through Prime Instant Video, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive, and access to more than 800,000 books to borrow for free with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Customers can sign up for the Amazon Prime Free 30-day trial at www.amazon.co.uk/prime.
Come comment on this article: Amazon’s Prime Now service brings one-hour deliveries to London
6 months free Google Play Music when you buy a Galaxy S6 in Canada
There have been a number of good Samsung Galaxy S6 deals available for US customers recently and now Canadians are receiving a bargain of their own. Google and Samsung have teamed up to offer six months of access to Google Play Music for free when you buy a new Galaxy S6 in Canada.
The offer is also partially extended to other Samsung handsets in the country. Customers will be gifted three months of access to Google’s music service subscription for free with the purchase of any new Samsung smartphone. With over 30 million tracks to listen to, it’s a rather good deal for the music lovers out there.
To help spread the word about the offer, Samsung is dispatching teams to music festivals taking place around Canada, who will be providing Play Music demos.
Should I buy a Galaxy S6?
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Google has also recently launched an ad-supported version of Play Music in the US, which aims to compete with other free ad-based music streaming services, such as the popular Spotify platform. This ad-supported version won’t be arriving in Canada for a little while yet, but a free subscription might help to tide you over.
Honor 7 official with 20MP camera and fingerprint sensor
Huawei may sell handsets under its own name but the company also offers devices under the Honor brand in both China and Western developed markets. Honor was initially launched as Huawei’s answer to low-cost competition from the likes of Gionee and Xiaomi but the Honor 6 and Honor 6 Plus from last year represented some of the best mid-range devices on the market.
Today, Huawei has just finished unveiling its next Honor smartphone – the Huawei Honor 7, which comes in three different variants and has a lower price tag that rumors previously suggested.
The price tag is simply phenomenal given the incredible specs included in the handset, which is a mini version of the popular Ascend Mate 7 phablet from last year. The lowest variant of the Honor 7 costs 1999 Yuan ($322) and offers 16GB storage with LTE while the middle option offers the same storage and dual SIM 4G LTE for 2199 Yuan ($354). The top end model offers 64GB internal storage and dual 4G LTE SIM support for 2499 Yuan ($402).
Other than these differences in storage and SIM support, all three models have the same specs. The all-metal device has a 5.2-inch Full HD (1920×1080) display offering a respectable pixel density of 423 pixels per inch and above the display is an 8MP front facing camera with fixed focus and F2.4 aperture.
Switch to the back and the Honor 7 uses a Sony IMX230 camera with 21 megapixels and Phase Detection Auto Focus allowing it to focus on a subject in just 0.1 seconds. Beneath the camera is the fingerprint sensor which initially debuted on the Ascend Mate 7 and can be used to unlock the phone with one tap. The fingerprint sensor can also be used for security measures in some banking and payments applications for additional security.
Under the hood, the Honor 7 is powered by an octa-core Kirin 930 processor, which has 4 Cortex A53 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and 4 more clocked at 1.5GHz. There’s also a Mali T628 GPU, 3GB RAM and a microSD card expansion slot allowing you to increase the storage by up to 128GB. The Honor 7 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Huawei’s Emotion UI v3.1 on top and is powered by a 3100mAh battery with fast charging allowing you to charge the phone to full in 1 hour and 25 minutes or charge to 50% in just 30 minutes.
Like most Huawei phones, the Honor 7 is rich in connectivity, including NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz – 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, GPS and LTE Cat 6. The Honor 7 is currently only available in China and the LTE bands supported are FDD-LTE B1/B3 but a global variant should be available in a few months supporting all major LTE frequencies (dependent upon market).
Popular Huawei Smartphones:
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The Honor 7 will go on sale in China on July 7th and is available to pre-order now. I personally hope that Honor bring this handset to every market in the world as, on paper at least, it’s a really exciting phone. Having used both the Honor 6 and the Honor 6 Plus, I have high hopes for the Honor 7 but what do you think? Is the feature-rich and stylish Honor 7 smartphone, the one for you? Let us know your views in the comments guys!
AIVAnet 