Google financial results looking good according to Alphabet release
Alphabet has released 2015 third quarter financial results for Google and things are looking good for the search giant. Google experienced a substantial 13 percent growth rate year-over-year in revenues, driven in large part by strength in mobile search revenues. Google and Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat noted that “with six products now having more than 1 billion users globally, we’re excited about the opportunities ahead of Google, and across Alphabet.”
For the third quarter, Google generated $18.7 billion in revenue and achieved net income of almost $4 billion. Google owned sites, like YouTube, generated $13 billion in revenue, which was up 6% compared to the previous quarter. Paid advertisement clicks saw a 23 percent year-over-year increase which included a 35 percent increase in these clicks being generated by Google’s own sites. Other areas of Google’s operations, like Google Play or the Nexus line of devices, which are listed as part of “Other revenues” experienced an 11 percent growth rate.
On the expenses side of the income statement, Google’s operating costs tallied up to $6.93 billion, which was an increase from last year’s $6.1 billion. A big contributor to that growth included 8,400 new employees that have been added to the company’s ranks of Googlers.
source: Google
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Apple Watch Now Available at Target in Stores and Online
Target has delivered on its plans and is now selling the Apple Watch in U.S. stores and online (via The Loop). The large retailer is carrying both Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch models with the same pricing as Apple.
Target has also listed dozens of bands on its website, including the Classic Buckle, Leather Loop, Milanese Loop and Sport Band, but most remain unavailable for delivery or in-store pickup at this time. Apple Watch accessories and AppleCare+ are also listed.
Our hearts just skipped a beat! #AppleWatch is here. In stores and online. 💗💓💗 https://t.co/g4tkLB0P0e
https://t.co/t2mpjyIlPD
— Target (@Target) October 22, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsApple Watch also became available through B&H Photo earlier this month, as part of a growing group of Apple Watch authorized resellers.
OnePlus 2 invites changed, now last three days
The invite system utilized by OnePlus is loved by some and hated by others. But after hearing some of the complaints, it looks like the team at OnePlus is taking them into consideration. In a Facebook post today, the company announced that invites for the OnePlus 2 flagship device will now last three days, tripling the previous window of 24 hours. This means that from the time you receive an invite, you have 72 hours to actually purchase a OnePlus 2. This change comes after OnePlus received complaints and criticism over the short 24-hour time limit on invites. In many cases, users did not have time to purchase a device or even to gather the funds within one day. In others, the email containing the invite was simply lost in spam folders, or the users did not realize they had an invite until it was too late. By widening the time limit, OnePlus hopes to alleviate some of these concerns. Much to the chagrin of some critics, the invite system as a whole remains in place as the business model for OnePlus devices.
Source Android Central
The post OnePlus 2 invites changed, now last three days appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Android exec promises new emojis
Android executive Hiroshi Lockheimer has taken to Twitter to announce that his team is working on a new batch of emojis, presumably for our Android devices. He doesn’t go into any details about what icons will be included or when they might appear, but they are coming.
So I have a feeling y’all want new emojis? a) Thanks for the feedback, b) We’re on it, and c) Sorry!
— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) October 23, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThis might not be a completely random announcement though. The declaration comes hot on the heels of a new batch of emojis that arrived for iOS 9.1 the other day. There are 184 new little symbols for iPhone owners to use, ranging from tacos to rude hand gestures. So, if you have spotted some random characters that you can’t understand from any of your pals that own Apple devices, now you know why.
An update to Android’s bank of emojis, whenever it arrives, will bring us all one step closer to being able to communicate our every thought in little picture form. Hurrah. 
Gear S2 arrives Nov 12, go hands on at the Galaxy Studio
One of the highlights of IFA 2015 was Samsung’s new Gear S2 circular smartwatch, which comes with a unique rotating bezel and custom interface, which is unlike any other smartwatch. If you’ve been waiting to hear when it’ll launch, the wait is over: the Korean OEM has announced the Gear S2 will launch on November 12th in the UK, with pre-orders opening on October 29.
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The wearable will cost from £249.00 depending on the version you buy, which is an attractive price given that it’s closest competition – the Moto 360 2nd Gen, Huawei Watch and Apple Watch – all cost significantly more. If this price isn’t as appealing to you, Samsung has an interesting promotion for you; head down to Westfield, London (White City) and you could win one of 10 Gear S2 smartwatches or one of three Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones.
To put its range of devices in front of more people and allow potential customers to experience the Gear S2 along with Galaxy smartphones and the new Gear VR, Samsung has today launched the Galaxy Studio. Built across four key areas (Design, Life, Music, Multimedia), the Galaxy Studio brings together Samsung’s range of mobile devices and runs from today (October 23rd) until November 3rd.
Chong-Won Lim, Head of Product Marketing, IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland said:
“At Samsung we pride ourselves on having led the wearables category over the past few years. The Gear S2 is a landmark smartwatch for us – combining a stunning design with market leading technology and we want to show people just how much we think this device will enhance their everyday lives. This is why we are delighted to be bringing the full Gear S2 experience, as well as Samsung’s other latest products, to Westfield’s customers in our experiential Galaxy Studio today.”
The Gear S2 will be available in two models: Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic. The former features a sporty band and will cost £249.00 with either, a Dark Gray case and band or a Silver case with White band, while the latter will cost £299.00 in a Black case with a Leather band. For more information on Samsung’s latest wearable, check out our full Gear S2 review below.
‘WATCH’ THIS SPACE….SAMSUNG GALAXY STUDIO UNVEILED AT WESTFIELD WHITE CITY
Experiential pop-up giving visitors a sneak preview of the Samsung’s Gear S2 smartwatch as pre order date is confirmed for 29th October
LONDON, UK – 23rd October 2015 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced that its new experiential showcase, the Samsung Galaxy Studio, is now open to customers. The Studio, which will be open from Friday 23rd October to Tuesday 3rd November, in Westfield White City’s Main Atrium gives visitors the chance to experience Samsung’s new intuitive wearable experience, the Gear S2 smartwatch and other never seen before in the UK devices.
Visitors will be able to explore a host of different zones (all housed within a circular structure celebrating the design of the watch), including Life, Music, and Multimedia rooms, to try out and enjoy the latest additions to Samsung’s product portfolio including the innovative new Gear S2 in new and exciting ways. In addition, there will be 10 Gear S2 smartwatches and three of Samsung’s latest smartphone, the Galaxy S6 Edge, up for grabs for lucky visitors to win over the course of the 12 days the Studio is open.
Visitors to the Studio will experience the following:
- DESIGN: explore Samsung’s collaboration with other brands to deliver the ultimate smartwatch experience with the Gear S2
- LIFE: get a glimpse of how the Gear S2 could fit into their lives with the chance to try out the smartwatch for themselves. Plus, guests can try out Samsung’s mobile payment service, Samsung Pay, for the first time in the UK through the Gear S2
- MUSIC: music lovers can listen to special guest DJs through Samsung’s LEVEL headphones
- MULTIMEDIA: Experience a world like no other through virtual reality technology including the UK’s first look at the third edition of Samsung VR device
The Samsung Gear S2 smartwatch, which will be available to pre order from 29th October, combines a versatile, circular design with a host of advanced features that allow users to enhance and personalize their mobile experience. Packing the latest Tizen OS into a sleek, 11.4-millimeter thin design, the Gear S2 allows users to access messages and content quickly and easily from their wrist. Samsung’s Gear S2 is available in two different designs – the Gear S2 and the Gear S2 Classic giving tech fans a choice when it comes to picking a smartwatch that suits their personal style. Both designs feature a 1.2-inch circular screen and 360 x 360 resolution, to offer an incredible viewing experience.
Available for pre order from 29th October at the Samsung online shop, the Gear S2 will then be landing from the 12th November in selected high street retailers.
Commenting on the thinking behind the showcase experience, Chong-Won Lim, Head of Product Marketing, IT & Mobile Division, Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland said, “At Samsung we pride ourselves on having led the wearables category over the past few years. The Gear S2 is a landmark smartwatch for us – combining a stunning design with market leading technology and we want to show people just how much we think this device will enhance their everyday lives. This is why we are delighted to be bringing the full Gear S2 experience, as well as Samsung’s other latest products, to Westfield’s customers in our experiential Galaxy Studio today.”
The Samsung Gear S2 will have an RRP of £249.00, and be available in a Dark Gray case with a Dark Gray band and Silver case with a White band. The Samsung Gear S2 Classic will have an RRP of £299.00, and will be available in a Black case with a Leather band.
Android Marshmallow could be making its way to a car infotainment OS
2016 Honda Accord with Android Auto™
The Android Compatibility Definition Document (ACDD) has already spilled the beans on a few of the latest requirements made on OEMs when they want to use the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system. Ars Technica has been delving deeper into the document and has found references to an automotive infotainment version of the OS that would run directly on a vehicle’s own processing hardware.
What about Android Auto? Well, Android Auto isn’t an operating system, it is a smartphone projection standard. This means that your handset uses an app to broadcast a user interface onto your car’s touchscreen. Therefore, we shouldn’t expect to see any mention of this system within the ACDD.
In total, there are 13 mentions of “Android Automotive” within the document. As you can read from the snippet below, the latest document actual refers to a vehicle head unit running Android itself, which is quite different to Android Auto. Although, some vehicle manufacturers have already something similar with much older versions of Android.
Android Automotive implementation refers to a vehicle head unit running Android as an operating system for part or all of the system and/or infotainment functionality. Android Automotive implementations:
MUST declare the feature android.hardware.type.automotive.
MUST support uiMode = UI_MODE_TYPE_CAR [Resources, 5].
Previous reports have also pointed to an infotainment version of the Android operating system and mention in the ACDD confirm that this type of use is officially supported. There are also references in the document that specify that Android Automotive implementations can optionally chose to support a web browser, as well as back and recent functions, but must include a home button. Apparently the OS only comes with Music, Phone, and Maps apps, making a recent button rather redundant.
See also: Google tightens its OEM requirements for new Marshmallow devices
What we still don’t know is exactly how much the automotive operating system would differ from the phone and tablet versions, such as whether it will support the full Play Store or a car optimized version, or if any vehicle manufacturers are currently planning to implement such a system.
Yota aims for mass-market success after buyout
It’s fair to say that the global launch of Yota Device’s last E-Ink smartphone didn’t quite go to plan. Despite positive reviews and a successful crowdfunding campaign, the Russian startup was forced to scale back its US plans significantly following a manufacturing issue. That sad state of affairs goes a long way to explaining why it’s just accepted an large investment that puts a majority 64.9-percent stake in its company in the hands of Hong Kong-based investment company REX Global.
Android Marshmallow requires devices to show all battery stats
On top of the big changes coming with Android Marshmallow, Google is also forcing Android device makers to be more transparent about battery usage on all of their devices. Specifically, Google notes that devices “MUST be able to track hardware component power usage,” as well as attribute usage to individual apps, according to the Marshmallow Compatibility Definition Document. Up until now, some Android manufacturers have been able to obfuscate certain battery details, allowing them to potentially hide components or apps that could be draining battery life. The change will hopefully lead to more power efficient Android phones and tablets down the line. If anything, it’s surprising it’s taken this long for Google to clamp down on Android battery stats.
Via: Android Police
Source: Google
‘Jessica Jones’ trailer continues Marvel’s gritty Netflix vibe
Marvel’s Daredevil Netflix series was a surprising dark addition to Disney’s cinematic superhero universe, but it looks like the new Jessica Jones series is going to push things further into adult territory. The first trailer for the series introduces us to Jones, played by Kristen Ritter (Veronica Mars, Breaking Bad), a former superhero who’s now running her own detective agency. She’s like your typical tough-talking noir detective — except she has super-strength and the ability to fly. We also see a brief glimpse of Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, who’ll be getting his own Netflix series next year. The series co-stars former Doctor Who David Tennant as the baddie, Kilgrave, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Critical response to the first episode from this year’s New York Comic-Con was overwhelmingly positive, many reviews also highlighted the series’ refreshing depiction of sexuality. All 13 episodes of Jessica Jones hits Netflix on November 20, just in time for Thanksgiving binge watching.
Google’s cheapest Nexus phone is easy to fix, too
It turns out that the cheaper of Google’s two new Nexus Marshmallow devices, LG’s Nexus 5X, is a cinch to repair, according to iFixit. The 5.2-inch, $379 device can be taken apart with a Philips screwdriver, and many of the parts are then user replaceable, including the “Imprint” fingerprint sensor, camera and battery. One bit that isn’t DIY-friendly is the high-speed, fast-charging USB-C port, since it’s soldered to the motherboard. The display is also fused, meaning that you’ll need to replace the whole unit if you break either the LCD or cover glass. Overall, however, it scored a decent seven on the repairability scale. Not that Android purists needed more incentive than “$379.”
Via: Android Community
Source: iFixit
AIVAnet 