Danny Boyle Refers to ‘Steve Jobs’ Wide Release Plan as ‘Arrogant’
Following an initial wave of laudatory reviews at a few film festivals in September, the new Steve Jobs movie earned only 7th-place during its debut box office weekend. The film’s director, Danny Boyle, has given a reason behind its poor performance, calling the release strategy “arrogant” during a fundraising event for the annual Shuffle Festival in London (via Business Insider).
“We were arrogant to release it very wide, very quickly,” the director said over the weekend. His remark refers to the somewhat hazy rollout plan for the film, which saw it premiere in just New York and Los Angeles on October 9 — where it made a small, but impressive mark — before going wide on October 23 and subsequently failing to impress. The initial longer-term plan for the movie saw a few more weeks of time spent rolling out to more select venues across the country, generating positive word of mouth, before expanding to a wide release closer to the end of the year and poised closer to the Oscar season.
The film’s opening weekend predictions were estimated to be between $15 and $19 million, but Steve Jobs made just $7.3 million in its debut three-day weekend, gaining it the 7th-place slot at the box office. Boyle was noted as voicing hope for Apple’s massive fanbase to create an event around the film, but after disappointing the first weekend, the studio decided to pull it from over 2,000 theaters across the United States, leaving the movie in about 300 theaters in total.
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A9X Die Photo From iPad Pro Reveals 12-Cluster Graphics, No L3 Cache
Financial news website The Motley Fool has shared details of the A9X die featured in the new Apple iPad Pro, thanks to analysis from electronics teardown firm Chipworks. The photo reveals the A9X’s dual-core CPU and a 12-cluster GPU to drive the device’s massive display.
While the CPU core count observed in the A9X matches that of the A9 from the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the 12-cluster GPU is twice as powerful as the six-cluster GPU found in the A9 design. Otherwise, the core and cluster designs appear to be identical to those found in the A9 die shots.
Dual-core CPU boxed in green, six dual-cluster GPU regions boxed in blue
Chipworks confirms that the die shown in the photo is fabricated by TSMC, and it does indeed show similarities with the existing A9 TSMC die already pictured by Chipworks.
The Motley Fool also points out that the 8 MB third level cache featured on the A9 to help manage data flow to and from memory is not present on the A9X die, suggesting that the absence of this cache is due to the increased memory bandwidth that the A9X enjoys by having a memory interface twice the width of the A9 die. Indeed, in the included die shot, an expansive DRAM memory interface can be observed across three sides of the die.
It is also worth mentioning that while the display resolution is much greater than on other iPads, the iPad Pro does not feature the 12-megapixel camera of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus that would place additional demands on the memory hierarchy for real-time image processing.
The presence of only two CPU cores is also interesting, given that the A8X featured in the iPad Air 2 had three CPU cores. The iPad Pro can make up any resultant performance deficiencies through a combination of higher efficiency, thanks to the new architecture, as well as the large clock speed boost compared to the A8 designs.
Even with the absence of L3 cache and only two CPU cores, the A9X measures 147 square millimeters. This is just 18 square millimeters shy of Apple’s largest chip design ever, the A5X featured in the first iPad with retina display. Unsurprisingly, the A5X was quickly phased out and replaced by the smaller A6X seen in the fourth-generation iPad. The A9X’s 147 mm^2 die is also larger than the latest quad-core Skylake design from Intel, which comes in at 122 mm^2 on its 14nm FinFET process.
While it may simply be a perfect mixture of die space saving and adequate memory bandwidth for the A9X design, the lack of the third level SRAM cache may tip future design decisions should memory bandwidth improve substantially. 3D IC packaging designs are rapidly approaching mainstream consumer electronics, and they boast a variety of memory configurations, which stand to significantly improve memory bandwidth while also providing lower power dissipation. As we covered recently, packaging technologies enabling these high bandwidth memories may arrive as soon as Apple’s A10 SoC for devices next year.
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Apple Releases (PRODUCT)RED Leather Cases for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
An official (PRODUCT)RED version of Apple’s leather case for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus has been spotted in at least one Apple retail store today, as reported by French tech site iGeneration [Google Translate]. When the new line of iPhones debuted in September, only the silicone case was offered in a (PRODUCT)RED option.
The (PRODUCT)RED leather case for the iPhone 6s hasn’t appeared yet on Apple’s online store, but will most likely soon follow if the company keeps slowly rolling out the case to its retail locations around the country. When it does, it’ll no doubt come in at the same price of the other leather cases sold by Apple, costing $45 for the iPhone 6s version and $49 for the iPhone 6s Plus version.
A portion of sales from Apple’s entire (PRODUCT)RED lineup goes to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS programs in Africa. Most recently, the company introduced (PRODUCT)RED accessories for the Apple Watch, debuting a new collection and band in the bright red color option during its September “Hey Siri” media event.
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UN says dating apps helped foster a teen HIV epidemic
Dating apps certainly have their virtues, but a new UN study suggests that they could sometimes play a big role in spreading sexually transmitted diseases. The report finds that dating apps helped spread an HIV epidemic among teens in the Asia-Pacific region by facilitating more casual sex. Effectively, they created networks where infections could quickly spread — one HIV-positive person could easily ruin numerous lives.
Source: The Guardian
VTech’s data breach affected five million customers
Kiddie toymaker VTech tried to downplay the extent of last week’s data breach, which affected its “Learning Lodge” app store, but now it’s revealed that five million customer accounts were compromised. Vtech says it’s alerted Learning Lodge customers of the hack, and if you’ve got one of its devices, you should change your password (and password retrieval info) immediately. While the attack didn’t reveal credit card data or sensitive personal information (like Social Security numbers or driver license IDs), it gave hackers access to customer’s names, addresses, encrypted passwords and even birthdays and genders for kids. VTech says it’s still investigating the situation, and it’ll look into ways to strengthen its security. Breaches like this aren’t unusual (it’s thought to be the result of a relatively easy SQL injection attack), but it’s notable since it involves products aimed at kids, which normally don’t get much attention when it comes to data security.
Source: VTech
[Deal] Amazon selling the Galaxy S6 at $399.99 for the next 18 hours
Black Friday might be over, but now Cyber Monday is here with some even sweeter deals. This time around, Amazon is selling a handful of Samsung Galaxy S6’s at a discounted rate for a limited time. The handset comes certified Factory Unlocked and is the 32GB model.
Amazon is selling the devices for 33% off, bringing the retail price down to a meager $399.99 for the next 18 hours.
As a quick refresher, the Galaxy S6 has a 5.1-inch 2560 x 1440 display, an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 16-megapixel rear camera, and a non-removable 2550mAh battery. It’s also running Android 5.1 with Samsung’s own TouchWiz UI on top.
Keep in mind that this model won’t work on CDMA carriers like Sprint or Verizon, but you should be smooth sailing with either AT&T or T-Mobile.
At $399.99, this handset is a difficult one to pass up. Any takers?
[Amazon]
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Amazon selling the Galaxy S6 at $399.99 for the next 18 hours
Oppo to begin selling the R7s in Europe come December 1
Oppo today announced that the company would begin selling the R7s in Europe starting December 1. Those interested will be able to pick up this mid-ranger from Oppo’s own online store and through Amazon in the UK, Germany, and France.
As a quick reminder, the R7s is sporting a 5.5-inch Full-HD AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 615 SoC, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage space, microSD support, a 13MP rear camera, an 8MP front camera, and a 3070mAh battery. It has the latest version of Oppo’s ColorOS atop of Android 5.1 as well.
The device is available for pre-order on Amazon in the UK for a meager £259. European pricing for the R7s is €349, which again, isn’t a bad price for such a beautiful and powerful smartphone, even if it may be a mid-ranger.
Anyone plan on picking one up?
via: Android Central
Come comment on this article: Oppo to begin selling the R7s in Europe come December 1
Samsung files patents for a scrollable smartphone, a folding tablet, and more
Over the past year, we’ve seen an assortment of Samsung patents filed for all kinds of digital devices that most can dare only dream of. The latest offerings are perhaps the most impressive yet. They were discovered by Patently Mobile, who has requested that tech sites covering the story limit use of the designs to just one image. To that end, we will discuss the main find, however readers are strongly encouraged to visit the source link to see all the other offerings.
The above patent was filed last year in Korea, and according to the source, this past May in the USA. According to the diagram above, the right side (flat) portion will pull out (unfurl) from the base. Patently Mobile writes that, “Samsung notes that the flexible display may include an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) or a flexible LCD display that replaces a glass substrate with a plastic film.”
In additional pictures found on the website, diagrams can be seen with the device fully extended and showing two different elements on each half of the screen: on one side weather widgets and such, and on the right a phone dialer. Yet another image shows the extended “scroll” folded in half thus making it almost like a book, or similar in shape to a device like Lenovo’s Yoga Tab series which also makes use of a barrel-style base.
From an earlier patent-related post covered by Patently Mobile.
Other findings on the Patently Mobile link, unrelated to this specific product design, include another look at what could very well be Project Valley, and yet another design for a bendable smartphone that is seen folding over on itself, almost like a clip-on belt carrying case and cover for a smartphone.
We highly encourage readers to check out all the designs. Clearly Samsung is thinking quite big when it comes to foldable products, and these patents showcase that. We would like to point out that these are ultimately just conceptual diagrams: there is no guarantee any of them will leave a testing laboratory if they are even prototyped at all. Still, the sky’s the limit when it comes to digital dreams…
Cricket slashes Galaxy S model prices in half for limited time
Cricket Wireless, a prepaid service provider which operates on AT&T’s network, is halving the price of three Samsung phones. As part of a Cyber Monday promotion, Cricket will cut the cost of the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S5, and Galaxy S6 in half. Indeed, this means you can score an off-contract Galaxy S4 phone for as low as $99.
““Once-a-year bargains like this enable customers to save money on holiday shopping, so they can put more savings in their pocket or buy more gifts for friends and family. Samsung lovers need to be ready early Monday morning. The early bird gets the phone.”“
The limited-time pricing:
- Samsung Galaxy S4: $99.99 (originally $199.99)
- Samsung Galaxy S5: $199.99(originally $399.99)
- Samsung Galaxy S6: $249.99 (originally $499.99)
The deal starts today, of course, but actually runs until December 3. Cricket says you can also take advantage of the $100 credit for porting your number. In other words, bring your existing phone number to Cricket and you’ll get a $100 credit to be used on accessories, a future bill, or another handset.
The post Cricket slashes Galaxy S model prices in half for limited time appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Black hole ejects massive energy jet after devouring a star
For the first time, scientists have caught a glimpse of a black hole ejecting a hot “flare” of matter after devouring a star the size of our sun. The discovery was made thanks to the quick action of of scientists from John Hopkins University, who worked in conjunction with a team from the University of Oxford. Hubble fellow Sjoert van Velzen from Hopkins heard last year that Ohio State U researchers had spotted a transient star that was caught in the gravitational pull of a black hole some 300 million light years away. In theory, the event (dubbed ASASSN-14li) would result in a “tidal disruption” of the star, resulting in a hot flare burst energy jet emitted by the supermassive black hole.
Source: John Hopkins University
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