Google Drive plug-in distracts you from using Microsoft’s OneDrive with Office
Google wants you to make documents with Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Microsoft wants you to make documents with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Then, when storing those documents or any other files, the two companies are split between Drive and OneDrive. Among the benefits of sticking with one company’s services is how everything works seamlessly. Google, however, wants Microsoft Office users to enjoy the benefits of Drive despite using a competing service.
Starting today, documents made with Office can be opened and edited before being saved silently back to Drive. Google has released a new plug-in for people with Office on Windows devices that allows files to go to and from Drive with ease. Along with background syncing, the plug-in allows users to upload documents that are saved on the computer directly to Drive rather than having to use a separate program or site.
Source: Google
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App Store Sees Best Quarter Ever With 24% Revenue Growth
During today’s third quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted App Store sales, noting that the iOS and Mac App Stores saw their best quarter ever, with a 24 percent growth in revenue. The number of transacting customers also grew by 19 percent.
The services category, which includes the App Store, iTunes, Apple Pay, AppleCare, and other licensing/service fees, generated a record $5 billion revenue during the quarter, up from $4.5 billion during the year-ago quarter.
Apple’s iTunes Store has become an increasingly important revenue source for Apple in recent years, largely due to the ever-growing popularity of the App Store. China has been an important factor in the App Store’s recent growth, with App Store revenue more than doubling in the country during 3Q15. Chinese developers have created more than 250,000 apps, according to Apple CFO Luca Maestri.
Overall, Apple saw revenue of $49.6 billion during the quarter, with a net profit of $10.7 billion, or $1.85 per diluted share. The company sold 47.5 million iPhones, 4.8 million Macs, and 10.9 million iPads.
Tim Cook: Apple Watch Sales ‘Exceeded Expectations’
As expected, Apple did not share specific sales numbers on the Apple Watch during its third quarter earnings call, but Apple CEO Tim Cook did shed some light on how well the Apple Watch did during its first quarter of availability. According to Cook, Apple Watch sales “exceeded expectations” despite supply continuing to trail demand at the end of the quarter. “We feel really great about how we did,” he said.
Cook also pointed out that Apple Watch sales during their first few months of availability were higher than sales of the original iPad and iPhone when those devices first became available for sale. June sales, he said, were higher than those in April or May.
Apple includes the Apple Watch in its “Other Products” category in an effort to keep its competitors from getting a detailed look at its shipments. Other Products includes the Apple Watch, the iPod, the Apple TV, and accessories like Beats headphones.
During the third quarter of 2015, the Other Products category saw $2.6 billion in revenue, up from $1.7 billion during the second quarter of 2015, a difference of nearly a billion.
Cook said “it would not be inaccurate” to look at the sequential change or the year over year change and “assume that’s the Apple Watch revenue,” hinting that Apple Watch revenue in the quarter hovered around $1 billion or higher. Apple CFO Luca Maestri made a similar statement to the Associated Press, stating revenue from the Apple Watch amounted to “well over” the $952 million increase between the two quarters. Both Maestri and Cook also pointed out that iPod and accessory sales, which are also included in the category, are shrinking.
Aside from analyst estimates that range from an estimated 2.85 million sales to 5.7 million, the $1 billion revenue difference between Q2 and Q3 is the closest we’ve come to learning how many devices Apple sold.
Cook went on to say that beyond the “very good news in sales,” Apple is excited about how the Apple Watch is positioned for the long term. There are now 8,500 apps available for the device, and the company is poised to release watchOS 2 in the fall, which will bring native apps and performance improvements. “We believe the possibilities for Apple watch are enormous,” said Cook.
iPhones and China fuel Apple’s growth, not the Watch
It’s that time again – Apple just dropped its Q3 2015 earnings and despite missing Wall Street’s always-lofty expectations, it’s been a solid three months of growth thanks to the two usual suspects. Say it with us now, folks: It’s all thanks to the iPhone and China. (If you’re the sort who cares, Apple just missed most Wall Street estimates by posting earnings of $1.85 per share.)
Just under 27 percent of the 49.6 billion dollars in revenue Apple generated in the past three months was thanks to Greater China, which is more than double the amount of the pie the country accounted for this time last year. (The addition of a ritzy, massive new Apple store in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong should help wealthy mainlanders get their fix that much easier, too). Meanwhile, iPhones were still far and away the most sought after gadgets in Apple’s portfolio with 47.5 million moved in a single quarter – not quite as much as last quarter’s blowout but a big lift over the year before. To hear CEO Tim Cook tell it in the early stages of the customary earnings call, the iPhone grew at “almost three times the rate of growth of the smartphone market overall, and we gained share in all of our geographic segments.”
Meanwhile, iPad sales continued to dip for another quarter, but the Mac line is doing more than just hanging steady; it’s actually growing a little bit. Apple moved 4.7 million Macs this time, just a hair better than it did last quarter and last year’s quarter.
Oh, and then there’s the elephant in the room. There’s no such luck for anyone hoping to see Apple Watch sales numbers this quarter – Apple lumped revenues in with its “Other Products” category where the Apple TVs once-great iPods now live. Still, there’s perhaps just a little insight to be gleaned here since the category as a whole has only grown about a billion dollars since this time last quarter. It’s possible (if unlikely) that the Apple Watch drove all that growth despite the iPod’s near-irrelevance, but we’d figure some nice post-price cut Apple TV sales helped a lot too. Still, CFO Luca Maestri told the New York Times that the Watch’s first nine weeks on the market “exceeded those of the iPhone and iPad in their first nine weeks of availability.”
Update: Maestri just gave us a little more info on the Apple Watch situation, saying it was responsible for “over 100 percent” of the “Other Product” category’s growth in the quarter and offset any losses from iPod and accessory sales. That means the Watch was responsible for around a billion dollars in sales on its own, though there’s still no way to tell exactly how many units that shakes out to.
Filed under: Mobile
Source: Apple
California bill allows firefighters to ground pesky drones
As wildfires scorched sections of California Interstate I-15 last week, firefighters found themselves hamstrung and unable to deliver aerial water coverage for nearly 20 minutes because a couple of schmucks were flying their quadcopters directly overhead. In response, Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) and Senator Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado) have introduced Senate Bill 168. The bill would grant “immunity to any emergency responder who damages an unmanned aircraft in the course of firefighting, air ambulance, or search-and-rescue operations.” The bill will also levy stiff fines and potentially even jail time for people whose UAVs inhibit an emergency response.
This isn’t the first time that drones have caused havoc over wildfires in recent months. Aircraft couldn’t take off to fight the Lake Fire last month and were similarly delayed by an errant drone hovering over the Mill Creek Canyon Fire on July 12th. “Drone operators are risking lives when they fly over an emergency situation,” Assemblyman Gatto told KCAL 9. “Just because you have access to an expensive toy that can fly in a dangerous area that doesn’t mean you should do it.” The bill does not stipulate how firefighters would deal with offending drones. My guess: water cannon.
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Misc
Via: Slashdot
Source: KCAL 9
The PS4 will get an officially licensed media remote
You’d think that Sony would have released a remote control for the PlayStation 4 given that video is even more important this time around, but that’s not the case — without a compatible TV remote via HDMI-CEC or Harmony setup, you’re usually stuck using a gamepad. The next best thing is coming, however. Accessory maker PDP has quietly unveiled an officially licensed PS4 media remote that gives you an easier way to navigate both your console and your TV when watching movies. PDP hasn’t formally announced launch details, but US retailers have it shipping in October for $30. That’s not a trivial amount, but it could be worthwhile if you spend as much time watching Netflix as you do grinding through Destiny.
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, HD
Via: GameSpot, GameInformer
The FCC is set to approve AT&T’s DirecTV acquisition
As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the FCC is gearing up to approve AT&T’s $49 billion acquisition of DirecTV. Commission Chairman Thomas Wheeler confirmed that he is set to call a vote on the matter with the FCC’s other four commissioners. According to Wheeler, the proposal will “directly benefit customers” by increasing competition in the broadband marketplace. If the deal passes their vote, it will be clear to close. The deal will transform AT&T into the nation’s largest pay television provider as well as its second largest telecom, combining AT&T’s U-verse and DirecTV’s satellite offerings.
STATEMENT OF FCC CHAIRMAN TOM WHEELER ON RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING AT&T/DIRECTV TRANSACTION
Washington, July 21, 2015 – In light of news reports concerning the AT&T/DirecTV transaction, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler issued the following statement:
“An order recommending that the AT&T/DirecTV transaction be approved with conditions has circulated to the Commissioners. The proposed order outlines a number of conditions that will directly benefit consumers by bringing more competition to the broadband marketplace. If the conditions are approved by my colleagues, 12.5 million customer locations will have access to a competitive high-speed fiber connection. This additional build-out is about 10 times the size of AT&T’s current fiber-to-the-premise deployment, increases the entire nation’s residential fiber build by more than 40 percent, and more than triples the number of metropolitan areas AT&T has announced plans to serve.
“In addition, the conditions will build on the Open Internet Order already in effect, addressing two merger-specific issues. First, in order to prevent discrimination against online video competition, AT&T will not be permitted to exclude affiliated video services and content from data caps on its fixed broadband connections. Second, in order to bring greater transparency to interconnection practices, the company will be required to submit all completed interconnection agreements to the Commission, along with regular reports on network performance.
“Importantly, we will require an independent officer to help ensure compliance with these and other proposed conditions. These strong measures will protect consumers, expand high-speed broadband availability, and increase competition.”
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[Image Credit: Associated Press]
Filed under: Networking, Internet, HD, AT&T
Source: Wall Street Journal
AT&T raising activation fees by $5 and increasing AT&T Next activations by $15
AT&T will be raising activation and upgrade fees for new one or two year contracts. They are also adding an activation fee for AT&T Next and BYOD customers. The new fees will go into effect August 1st.
The old price was $40 and will now be bumped to $45 for upgrades making it the highest activation fee out there. Verizon is still at $40, but will probably follow suit at some point in the future. If you choose to sign up for a new contract after August 1st you’ll still be eligible for a discounted phone, but will pay $5 more than before.
Also on August 1st AT&T Next customers will be paying a $15 activation fee when they get a new phone. Even if you bring your own device the fee still applies for new activations.
If you already have an AT&T Next account (before August 1st) you will not have to pay anything on your next upgrade. However AT&T said this could change in the future. Meaning the next upgrade you might get away with being free, but plan on paying it the time after.
Source: droid-life
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The Sprint Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ head to the FCC
Only last week did we see all other major carrier Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ head to the FCC expect for Sprints. No one knew exactly why they didn’t go with all the others, but today both phones showed up under model numbers SM-N920P (Note 5) and SM-G928P (S6 Edge+).
There is nothing special listed in the documents other than that they are for sure Sprint variants.
The pictures listed below show the overall shape along with the bands tested on Sprints network.
Via: Droid-Life
Source: FCC and FCC
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Nextbook Ares 11 2-in-1 Hybrid Android tablet/laptop review
T
he division in device computing is no longer just the battle between PC and Apple, or Android vs Apple. It is now also tablet versus laptop. When tablets first hit the scene, they were a breath of fresh air. Tablets provided a convenient easy carry option and the ability to interact with a touch screen making for an awesome user experience. Like any new product, you have early adopters, new platform haters, and cross-genre copycats.
After being around for a few years and the need to push the tablet platform to new levels we have begun to see new fresh iterations of the tablet genre. Further adding fire to the battle of who will prevail keeping users computing experience.
Nextbook has created a hybrid tablet The Nextbook Ares 11 2-in-1 Android Quadcore Tablet.
The Nextbook Ares 11 2-in-1 comes preinstalled with Android 5.0 Intel Atom Quad-Core 1.8GHz processor, 64GB of internal memory with a microSD card slot that expands to an additional 64GB of storage. The Nextbook Ares is also equipped with an 11.6-inch screen with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and resolution of 1366×768. Given it is a hybrid, the Nextbook has an additional feature – a detachable keyboard making the device a tablet and laptop combination similar to the Microsoft Surface.
The Nextbook Ares 11 Features
11.6 inch High-resolution 1366 x 768 IPS Screen
• Intel® Atom™ Quad-Core /1.8GHz (Z3735F)
• 1GB DDR3L; 64GB onboard storage
• WIFI 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Front facing 2.0 camera
• Back Camera 2.0 M
• Micro HDMI Port
• Blue Trim and Backlit Keyboard with two standard 2.0 USB Port
• Micro-SD card slot for expansion to 64GB
• Support 3 -axis G-sensor
• Built-in microphone
• 9000MAH Internal rechargeable battery
• Charging indicator light
• Android OS 5.0 Lollipop
I’ve spent the last 15 days using the Nextbook Ares casually some days, and other days forcing myself to use it for all of my computing, social, and entertainment needs.
The tablet itself is light weight (2.97pounds with the keyboard) and durably made of a smooth rubber finish that provides ample grip and feels good in the hand. Even though the tablet totes a huge 11.6-inch screen, and I have moderately small sized hands, I was still able to hold it comfortably and reach all the screen real estate that I wanted to swipe or touch. The button placement is baffling to me being this device is new.
The buttons are camouflaged on the back of the device, not along the edges like the majority of today’s devices. In order to access the buttons, I had to turn the device over or peek my head over the screen, to figure out the button’s location. The buttons are nearly flush with the device, and have the same smooth finish as the backing. The button placement makes it difficult to make a selection quickly because you have to first find the placement fiddle with them to make sure it is the desired button then press it wasting time unnecessarily. When you have hunted down where the buttons are located, the buttons are very clicky and respond well. After overcoming being baffled, I assume the thought process of placing the buttons on the back of the device is to prevent possible accidental touches. Although over the past few years, the button placement has been almost standard for today’s devices where you have an up and down volume rocker on the side, and a power button on the side of the device. As a consumer, I have enjoyed that feature because I know exactly where the buttons are located and can easily control them one handed as needed.
The tablet packs underwhelming front and back facing 2-megapixel cameras. The quality of the photos are lackluster and grainy, and nearly not worth using. If you are competing with tablets and laptops, you are giving your product a disadvantage as most laptop cameras are now HD quality and tablets are ranging from 4MP and up. If you are going to give a device a 2MP rear camera it isn’t even worth adding it to the device.
Attaching the keyboard enables a whole new user experience. I have never used a touch screen laptop so I was anticipating what I could do with the Nextbook Ares. Attaching the tablet to the keyboard is effortless and clicks in place nicely. The keyboard itself is constructed durably, has a smooth textured finish that also feels comfortable in the hand and looks sleek. The keyboard is a shrunken down laptop keyboard and has top number rows but does not include 10 keys. For the most part when I pressed a function or key with the keyboard it responded intuitively with the tablet. Although I did notice multiple times when I used the keyboard button to brighten or dim the tablet or control the audio with speaker buttons it stopped video playback which I found annoying.
Also, the tablet is advertised as back lit which you can enable on or off. The catch is that the keys are not illuminated just the spacing between and around the keys illuminate, so when the room is completely dark you still have to search for the keys due to the fact the keys are black and not visible in the darkness. The keyboard is equipped with multiple useful shortcuts just to mention a few camera, calendar, recent apps, and home button. These quick keys are extremely helpful and keep you from having to go into alternate screens or unnecessary move your hands off the keyboard. Keeping your hands on the keyboard is important because even though you have a keyboard you will have to go through a learning curve on how to use it accurately if typing with proper hand placement. Compared to a laptop keyboard the Nextbook’s keys are undersized and can be difficult type two handed naturally with their smaller stature.
Playing games and watching video content is enjoyable with the multiple viewing angles provided, with being able to adjust the screen viewing angles while attached to the keyboard. On the other hand, the screen resolution leaves much to desire. The Nextbook Ares screen does not get very bright enabling a flat pixelated screen that lacks definition and color. Be prepared to use headphones or a bluetooth speaker to actually hear the audio from the Nextbook Ares – the speakers are located on the back of the device the audio quality is muffled and low. It would have been nice, that once connected to the keyboard that you would gain added bolder louder speakers that are on the keyboard.
The Nextbook Ares 11 2-in-1 is a good entry level tablet/laptop for young children that are just getting introduced to laptops and is a good transition to having their own device. Since most young children already have experience using their parents cell phones and tablets. The Nextbook is also great for older adults who don’t want to spend a lot of money on a tablet or laptop but need something cheap to use for emails, quick document creation, or streaming digital content. The Nextbook Ares is also great for an alternate tablet/laptop option for traveling or just office usage due to the fact it’s price point is only $197 at Walmart.
What We Like
- Price
- 11 inch form factor
- Storage space,
- HDMI and USB ports
What We didn’t Like
- Keyboard keys are not back-lit
- Volume is raspy and low
- Lackluster screen resolution
Final Thoughts
The Nextbook Ares 11 2-in-1 hybrid features a budget-friendly price point and it makes it an attractive device. Although the device has multiple cons I was able to overcome them and enjoy using the device. I found myself using the device more than my Samsung tablet due to the convenience of the Nextbook Ares keyboard feature. The Nextbook Ares 11 2 in 1 doesn’t do any one thing particularly great, but the size, keyboard, price, expandable memory, and 64GB internal memory makes for a heck of a deal.
If you’ve liked what you’ve read about the NextBook Ares 11 2, be sure to let us know what you like about it below, and you can grab it from Walmart for only $197.
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