Netflix’s TV apps get their first major update since 2013
While Netflix has focused on rolling out more original content to more countries over the last couple of years, we haven’t seen as many updates to its software as we used to. Last week the streaming video service said it would start optimizing its mobile apps, but first up is a tweak for the TV apps you probably use more often. Netflix says this is the first major change its TV apps have had since the new look rolled out in late 2013, and it will start or resume video as soon as you select a title, while keeping the info on the screen (check after the break for a GIF showing how it works). An earnings report earlier this year mentioned bringing video “forward” in the TV experience, and this seems to be a part of that plan, delivering what Netflix says is a more cinematic experience.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Netflix Blog
Qualcomm ‘realignment’ includes job cuts and a possible split
The rumors of Qualcomm planning a huge reorganization were true — and unfortunately, that means a lot of people are about to lose their jobs. The mobile chip maker has announced a “strategic realignment” plan that will see the company slash 15 percent of its full-time jobs (the company has about 30,000 total employees) as part of a bid to cut $1.4 billion in costs. It’s also considering the possibility of splitting into separate businesses. That may well happen, since a hedge fund calling for the split just got spots for two of its nominees on Qualcomm’s board of directors. You’ll hear about the company’s direction by the end of the year.
There’s certainly a lot of pressure to shake things up. Qualcomm’s latest quarterly results show that it’s facing trouble if it doesn’t act quickly — its net profit has dropped almost by half in the space of a year, to $1.2 billion, and it’s losing customers and left and right. MediaTek now manufactures a large portion of the chips for low-end and mid-range mobile devices (particularly in China), and Samsung’s decision to ditch Qualcomm for the Galaxy S6’s processor is hurting sales of high-end Snapdragon parts. Simply speaking, Qualcomm has to scale back and acknowledge that it’s no longer the unquestioned market leader in smartphone silicon.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile
Via: Reuters
Source: Qualcomm (1), (2)
Apple already took 75 percent of the smartwatch market
The official numbers for Apple Watch sales are still a mystery. But, according to a report by research firm Strategy Analytics, the Cupertino company shipped an estimated 4 million units during the second quarter of 2015. As a result, Apple’s already captured 75 percent of the smartwatch marketshare across the world, despite only being available since late April. Strategy Analytics also points out that, thanks mostly to the Watch, global smartwatch shipments saw a remarkable 457 percent growth year-over-year. Meanwhile, Samsung was the big loser in Q2 2015, as it fell to second place and is said to have shipped a mere 0.4 million devices during that timeframe.
While Apple hasn’t been clear-cut about how its Watch business is doing, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri did reveal yesterday that the product was responsible for around a billion dollars in quarterly sales. A billion dollars doesn’t sound half-bad, sure, but wouldn’t it be much better if Apple just told us how many wrist wearables it has sold so far?
Filed under: Misc, Peripherals, Wearables, Apple
Source: Strategy Analytics
XBMC’s Kodi media player officially makes its way to the Play Store with version 15 update
The popular Kodi media center application, formerly known as XBMC, has finally made its way to the Play Store. The app launched in Google Play last month in beta form, but now it’s officially available for all to download. Along with the big Play Store announcement, Kodi is getting a hefty update to version 15 which brings some notable features that make the app even more functional than ever.
For starters, version 15 brings 4K support, refresh rate switching and HEVC playback to capable Android devices, such as the NVIDIA Shield Android TV. It should be noted that Android 5.0 Lollipop is required to take advantage of these new additions.
Read more: 11 best media center apps
Also new to the application is an all-new chapter selector window that lets you visually browse and choose different chapters in supported video formats. Take a look at the video below for a quick demonstration:
Another small, yet notable feature in this update is adaptive seeking functionality, which allows you to skip forward and backward more quickly by tapping the navigation key several times. The developers have made a quick video for this feature as well, so check that out below:
The update also brings new audio and subtitle lists, language add-ons and expanded international preferences, as well as an improved add-on manager. There are a ton of other small improvements listed in the changelog, so feel free to check out the source link for more details. Thankfully the app is now available in the Play Store, so interested folks can get these changes right away.
Senator Lindsey Graham takes a meat cleaver to his flip-phone
Billionaire and presidential candidate Donald Trump has begun to heat things up for his opponent Senator Lindsey Graham. At a campaign stop in South Carolina, Trump gave out Graham’s private cell phone number to the public, rendering it useless.
What is one to do with a cell phone that continues to get called by numbers across the country, haunted with strange voicemails and text messages? Well, with the help of the IJReview, Graham has a few ideas, which involve golf clubs, blenders, fire, and more.
Click here to view the embedded video.
And that’s how you put your trusty flip-phone to rest. Surprisingly, Graham has acted calm about this ordeal, and now he is trying to decide which smartphone to get next.
One thing’s for sure: he won’t be giving his private cell number to too many people, and especially the Donald.
source: IJReview (Twitter)
via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: Senator Lindsey Graham takes a meat cleaver to his flip-phone
AT&T announces the ASUS ZenFone 2E for prepaid GoPhone subscribers
AT&T and ASUS have just introduced a new smartphone called the ZenFone 2E for the budget-conscious crowd. This device is the newest in AT&T’s prepaid GoPhone lineup and only costs $119.99.
The ZenFone 2E a 5.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1280 x 720 resolution, a dual-core Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of on-board storage and microSD expansion up to 64GB. It’s also 4G LTE-capable, and has an 8MP rear-facing shooter, a 2MP front camera, and a 2500mAh non-removable battery. It runs ASUS’ ZenUI software overlay atop Android 5.0 Lollipop, and comes in both Black and White color options with swappable back plates.
Take a quick look at the video below to see the device in action.
The ZenFone 2E is now available in both Walmart and Target retail locations in the United States, though it won’t be available in AT&T stores until Friday, July 24th. Best Buy will also have the device on sale starting August 2nd. Considering the list of decent specifications, $119.99 for the off-contract price of the phone really isn’t too bad at all. We’ll let you know when the device becomes more available, but for now, feel free to check out the press release by following the source link below.
You can own a 24K gold-plated HTC One M9 for about $2,466
Is the golden HTC One M9 simply not snazzy enough for you? If that’s the case, you may want to take a look at the offerings from Goldgenie, a company that makes it its mission to cover your devices with precious metals and make them as luxurious as a jewel. Their latest offering will get you an HTC One M9 covered in real 24K gold for £1,580.83, or about $2467 USD.
It may not be cheap, but will still cost you less than getting your hands on an Iron Man Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, which has been selling for tens of thousands of dollars. You also get the added benefit of having your phone plated with an actual precious metal and shipped in a luxury cherry oak box.
Here’s how it works. You can go ahead and put your name to a gold-plated HTC One M9 by paying a 50% deposit, which adds up to £790.42. The Other half will be charged once the phone is ready to ship. Alternatively, you can opt for platinum or rose gold for an added charge (platinum is the priciest at £1,680.83.
Now, if you already have an HTC One M9, or would rather save a few bucks, you can send in your own device and get it covered in gold for £822.50. This is rather surprising, because it would mean the company is charging you a whopping £757.50 for the phone alone. That translates to about $1182 USD, which is way above the HTC One M9’s $649 MSRP.
While this is still an exclusive product for the wealthy, we have definitely seen other companies do much worse. There’s Vertu, which does make an awesome phone with great support and precious minerals on-board, but that thing costs $10,000 USD! Meanwhile, most other “boutique” phone makers sell you devices for a fortune, and while they look good, most times they feature horrible specs. At least with Goldgenie you know you are getting a high-end smartphone with good support from a major manufacturer. They also cater to those who prefer a Samsung, BlackBerry or Apple device.
Are any of you willing to pay this much for a gold-plated phone? If you are, just head over to Goldgenie’s official website to learn more. I would honestly spend my money on this before other luxury offerings in the market.
Sony partnering with ZMP to make drones
Here at Android Authority we mostly know Sony Mobile for its smartphones and tablets, but soon we may see them venturing into a whole new market. The Japanese manufacturer has announced a partnership with ZMP, in which they will band together to build drones.
We haven’t seen many smartphone makers delve into the drone business; the most notable one is probably OnePlus with its tiny DR-1. Making an autonomous flying machine requires a special set of skills, which is why Sony Mobile is not going into this project alone. The joint company will go by the name of “Aerosense Inc.”, and both players will focus on their specializations.
Sony Mobile will be applying its camera, sensing, telecommunications and robotics technologies. Meanwhile, ZMP aims to bring its automated systems and robotics skills to the the table. Let’s keep in mind Sony is a leader in imaging and mobile technologies. Their smartphones and tablets may not be as successful as the company wishes they were, but the Xperia creator does have a foothold on mobile camera solutions.
Sony is known for mass producing camera sensors baked into leading smartphones in the industry – including the iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S6 and, of course, Sony’s own devices. ZMP would be hard-pressed to find a better partner for this type of business.
Don’t expect to rush to your nearest store and find a Sony-made drone, though. Aerosense will be focusing on enterprise solutions. The idea is not really to sell drones, but to leverage this new market’s potential and expand its camera sales and cloud services. These technologies are expected to be applied towards the industry, not consumer electronics; or at least that’s the plan for now.
With each company owning about 50% of Aerosense, maybe Sony will have a say in future decisions and push towards a wider adoption, considering they are a big consumer player. At the very least we hope to see more Sony cameras in other drones. This could be a way for Sony to prove other drone makers that these technologies would be well-suited for their products.
Sony and ZMP will get everything started in August, so let’s just sit tight and see what happens. What do you think of this deal? Were you hoping to see Sony drones coming to your nearest store? I personally think we have great consumer options right now, and Sony did well focusing on a more specialized market.
New York City halts its plan to slow down Uber
After battling with not only Uber, but also celebrities and New York Governor Cuomo, the De Blasio administration has shelved plans to cap Uber growth in New York City. At least until after it conducts a four month study on the effect of Uber on traffic according to the New York Times. The proposal would have limited the amount of new Uber and other car-for-hire services licenses granted in the city to one percent. To counter the proposal, Uber launched a fake “De Blasio” feature in its app that showed no vehicles available for hire and warned that this is what the app would be like if the City Council bill passed. It also bought commercial spots blasting the mayor and saying the bill would destroy 10,000 jobs. According to NYT sources, the agreement between Uber and the De Blasio administration includes the sharing of Uber data with the city.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation
Source: New York Times
These are your favorite video game soundtracks
Not that long ago we published a list of the Engadget crew’s favorite game soundtracks. But, of course, we left some of your favorites out. Well, we listened. What you’ll find below are a selection of soundtracks that y’all made impassioned pleas for in the comments and on Facebook and Twitter. The big takeaway? You gals and guys really like the music from Eastern-developed games like Chrono Trigger and Shadow of the Colossus. You’ll find those along with other, perhaps more modern, examples as well.
AIVAnet 