Apple Adds $800 Lightning Adapter ‘Audeze EL-8’ Headphones to Online Store
Apple today introduced a new pair of headphones onto its online storefront that support an iPhone’s Lightning connector in lieu of a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack (via The Verge). The “Audeze EL-8 Titanium Closed-Back Headphones” will run users $799.95 and are being touted by Audeze as the “world’s first headphones with a fully integrated Apple Lightning cable.”
The included Lightning cable streams a complete 24-bit digital signal from the iOS device to the speakers in the headset through a high quality DSP and 28-bit DAC, giving the headphones “superior performance” for not only music but voice calls as well. The company has also created a companion app that allows users to customize specific sound presets for the device, and the built-in microphone used for making phone calls also supports Siri.
The EL-8 model gives you a lifelike listening experience with an extended frequency response that opens up a new breadth of sound. Its driver is four times larger than most other headphones and gives excellent bass response along with extremely low distortion. To match the EL-8’s impressive audio, its industrial design is by BMW’s DesignWorks. And durable aluminum construction ensures that you’ll have lasting enjoyment.
The EL-8’s “Cypher Cable,” which maximizes and enhances the sound quality of the iPhone’s playback, is one of the added costs of the headphone’s top-tier pricing, as pointed out by The Verge, resulting in a $100 premium over the standard EL-8 headphones. Still, in comparison to Audeze’s LCD collection of headphones, its Apple MFi certified EL-8 lineup debuting today is somewhat of a bargain. Most LCD models range between $900 and $1,500, but the most expensive reaches nearly $4,000.
Those interested can purchase the Audeze EL-8 Titanium Closed-Back Headphones for $799.95 on the Apple online store beginning today. Shipping sits at about 2-3 business days at the time of writing, but anyone close to an Apple store could opt-in for personal pick-up instead.
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Apple to Release New Apple TV Remote App for iOS With Full Siri Functionality in First Half of 2016
Apple senior executive Eddy Cue has confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the company is developing a new Apple TV Remote app with full Siri Remote functionality on iPhone to be released in the first half of 2016.
“We’re working on a new Apple TV remote app that will give you the full functionality of the Siri Remote on your iPhone,” Cue said. “We’re hoping to ship that in the first half of next year.”
Apple released tvOS 9.1 for the new Apple TV on Tuesday, enabling support for the current Remote app on iOS devices and the Apple Watch.
Cue also said Apple’s new tvOS App Store is off to a “great” start, with over 2,000 apps available in the store.
“We’re seeing tremendous developer interest,” Cue told BuzzFeed News. “Already we have over 2,000 apps live in the store. And on the customer side, things are going great. What we’ve found is that a little over half of transactions are coming from people upgrading from the last Apple TV and just about the other half are coming from new customers that are buying their first Apple TV.”
Many of those apps are pick-up-and-play games such as Crossy Road and Mr. Jump, and Cue mentioned how the new Apple TV caters to casual gamers that aren’t looking to purchase an Xbox or PlayStation.
“What we’re seeing with the new Apple TV is to me very similar to what happened with gaming on the iPhone,” Cue said. “When we first announced the iPhone, we didn’t tout it as a gaming device. But games became a huge part of iPhone, because it turns out that a lot more people than just hardcore gamers love games. We expanded the market. I think the vast majority of people around the world probably aren’t looking to buy an Xbox or PlayStation. But that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy playing games. I think Apple TV expands the gaming market to those people.”
The new Apple TV launched in October and features an App Store, Siri, tvOS and more.
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New ‘djay Pro’ App for iPad Brings Redesigned Interface, Powerful Mixing Tools, and More
Following the launch of the ultra powerful iPad Pro, Algoriddim, the developers behind the popular line of djay apps for Mac and iOS devices, set out to build a professional quality djaying app designed with the new tablet in mind.
The result of that effort is djay Pro, which is available today for both the iPad Pro and older iPads. djay Pro takes some of the best parts from the djay Pro app for Mac and refines and improves them for use on a touch screen. Algoriddim tells MacRumors that the screen size and the power of the iPad Pro allowed the app to come together amazingly fast because they were so excited by what’s possible with Apple’s latest tablet.
djay Pro is designed for professional users, but it also has a clever interface that’s able to shift and grow with skill level. Algoriddim’s Michael Simmons likened it to the layers of an onion, with users able to add or subtract layers of tools for as much simplicity or power as they desire.
At its core, djay Pro has a fresh design that’s modern and less distracting while still incorporating all of the tools a professional needs. The default app interface includes two decks along with a range of different mixing tools, but it is able to incorporate up to four decks, displayed vertically or horizontally for mixing up to four audio tracks together. Advanced performance modes offer access to horizontal and vertical colored wave forms, live sampler and drum pads, and FX racks.
The built-in music library is able to combine local music, a Spotify catalog, and files stored in iCloud Drive or Dropbox into a central location so tracks can be mixed together and manipulated regardless of where they’re stored. It also includes a song recommendation engine that’s able to suggest tracks that will go well with what’s playing.
djay Pro includes all of the video features from vjay, allowing users to create video mashups to go along with song mixes. The video features sync to the music and there are audio visual effects with video tweaks that mimic sound effects like echoes and strobes. Pre-bundled video content is included, and there’s support for title and image overlays.
djay Pro offers support for iOS 9’s split-screen multitasking feature, allowing the djay Pro app to be used with Slide Over or full Split View mode on compatible iPads. With split-screen multitasking, djay Pro has the potential to be used along with other music apps, and because it includes integration with music libraries and Spotify, it is the first app that allows users to select and control their music using the multitasking window. Apps like Spotify and Apple Music have not yet integrated multitasking support.
Specific to the iPad Pro, the new app includes a selection of more than 70 keyboard shortcuts for the Smart Keyboard that merge touch and key strokes in a unique way that can only be done on a tablet, plus access to the camera and AirPlay for recording 1080p videos and displaying them in real-time. Also unique to the iPad Pro is the ability to import and work with both 4K and 1080p video when using the app’s video manipulating features. The iPad Pro is the only device that can handle two 4K/1080p video streams at once as the Mac version only supports 720p video.
The app integrates with professional DJ hardware and Cue Points, beat grid edits, metadata, and FX purchases from other versions of djay for Mac and iOS will sync to the new djay Pro app.
djay Pro was designed with the iPad Pro in mind, so the iPad Pro is going to offer the absolute best performance with the app, but it is also fully functional on other iPads like the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 4, aside from the iPad Pro only features.
djay Pro can be downloaded from the App Store for $19.99, a limited time sale price that will rise to $29.99 in the future. [Direct Link]
In celebration of the launch of djay Pro, Algoriddim is also making djay 2 for iPhone, normally $2.99, available for free for a limited time. [Direct Link]
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Google claims to have proven that its D-Wave machine has quantum compute capabilities
Google has just published a paper which it claims proves that its controversial D-Wave quantum computer really can tap into quantum physics to solve problems. There have previously been some questions raised about the actual capabilities of the D-Wave sold to Google, but the company now appears to be much more confident about what it can do.
Google has been running a couple of tests on its D-Wave 2X computer, pitting it against a more typical computer chip. The results found that the D-Wave’s quantum annealing (solving optimization problems) is considerably faster than simulated annealing, suggesting that the machine may actually have, at least some, quantum compute abilities.
We found that for problem instances involving nearly 1,000 binary variables, quantum annealing significantly outperforms its classical counterpart, simulated annealing. It is more than 108 times faster than simulated annealing running on a single core. We also compared the quantum hardware to another algorithm called Quantum Monte Carlo. This is a method designed to emulate the behavior of quantum systems, but it runs on conventional processors. While the scaling with size between these two methods is comparable, they are again separated by a large factor sometimes as high as 108.
The test results can be achieved 100,000,000 (100 million) times faster on the D-Wave when compared to a single core quantum simulation running on a traditional chip. A very compelling result.
However, Google will have to wait for a peer review of the results before truly celebrating and questions have already been raised about the experiment. Apparently, an alternative algorithm or exploit in the simulated D-Wave annealing algorithm could have been used on the conventional computer that may have allowed it to win. However, Google has its own quantum computer design efforts underway that should remove this bug, meaning that this shortcut probably won’t be available in the future anyway.
“building a quantum computer is really, really hard, so first of all, we’re just trying to get it to work and not worry about cost or size or whatever,” – John Martinis, head of Google’s quantum hardware program
The D-Wave has long come in for criticism from some in the field, with suggestions that the company oversold the machine’s capabilities. Previous research attempts have been unable to prove exactly whether the computer was making use of quantum effects or not, but Google’s results could help settle some of the debate.
Eventually, quantum computing could lead to major performance boost for some data heavy tasks, ranging from image recognition through to artificial intelligence. There is still a long way to go before commercial viability and uses are realized, but Google’s results suggest that we are on the way.
Samsung Galaxy S7 rumor roundup: release date, price, specs, features
The Samsung Galaxy S7 is the most anticipated smartphone of early 2016. The Galaxy S7’s specs, price, and release date will be the subject of heavy speculation over the next weeks, especially if the rumors of an early launch turn out to be accurate.
If you’re excited about Samsung’s next flagship release, we’re here to bring you all the credible info on the Galaxy S7 in one neat package.
Keep it tuned, as this post will be updated often in the weeks leading up to the Galaxy S7 release.
Before we start
Every bit of Galaxy S7 info is hot commodity, and it’s easy to see why. While Samsung’s days of massive growth may be over, the Galaxy S series remains the best selling and most representative Android smartphone. Millions of people see Android through Samsung’s lens, making the Galaxy S7 a hugely influential device.
The massive interest in the Galaxy S7 means that every last detail of the Galaxy S7 release date or specs will be sought out, extracted, analyzed, interpreted, hashed, and rehashed by dozens of publications, some more credible than others. Almost inevitably, some false information will make its way to the public.
While we do our best to avoid the questionable stuff, please keep in mind that, lacking confirmation from Samsung, we’re dealing with rumors and speculation.
Background
Samsung’s rise to the top of the mobile industry has followed closely the ascent of the Galaxy S series. From the original Galaxy S, to the road opening S2, to the breakout S3 and the record-setting S4, the series turned Samsung into a behemoth. But, with clout and profits, came arrogance, and the weak performance of Galaxy S5 was proof that the market punishes companies that think they’re too big to fail.
Samsung tried hard to make up the lost ground with the Galaxy S6, a phone that finally brought “premium” materials to the series, coupled with top features and a toned-down software experience. But it was the Galaxy S6 Edge that really caught our eye. The dual curves of the phone gave Samsung a way to set itself apart from the dozens of nimble, aggressive competitors.
Popular as the Edge turned out to be, the market has moved on, and Samsung had to hurry the Galaxy Note 5 out to shore up another mediocre sales year. It’s telling that Samsung din not trumpet any sales milestone for its flagships this year.
And that brings us to the Galaxy S7. The stakes are even bigger for Samsung this time around, because the Galaxy S7 probably won’t have the benefit of a brand new design. More worrying for Samsung, a formidable opponent rose to prominence this year. Huawei is dominating China and making itself known in the West, making Samsung’s situation even more complicated.
Of course, Samsung isn’t just giving up without a fight. The conglomerate recently changed the head of its Mobile division. Outgoing JK Shin was replaced by Dong-jin Ko, who didn’t mince words in his first statement: “next year will be tough.”
Galaxy S7 release date
Let’s play the “guess the release date” game. Looking at the past generations of the Galaxy S series, the S4, S5, and S6 were announced between late February and mid-March. The Galaxy S4 had its standalone launch event in New York, while the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy S6 were revealed on the sidelines of MWC Barcelona.
Judging on history alone, one could bet that Samsung will introduce the Galaxy S7 right before MWC, which in 2016 will be held on February 22 to 25. In that case, Sunday, February 21 looks like a good guess for the Galaxy S7 launch.
However, Samsung’s situation is a little different in 2016. The company may choose to release the Galaxy S7 earlier than usual, just like it did with the Galaxy Note 5, which arrived three weeks ahead its regular schedule. At the time, reports suggested Samsung released the Note 5 early because it wanted to avoid the fierce fall competition and to make up for the less than stellar sales of the Galaxy S6. Will that happen again with the S7?
One source that claims the Galaxy S7 will arrive early is Korea’s ETNEws, an outlet that has a relatively good track record when it comes to news from its home country. According to ETNews, the Galaxy S7 will be released in January (January 19 is mentioned as a specific date), with in-store availability to follow in February.
Adding credence to the theory, Samsung had reportedly started mass manufacturing of the Exynos processor expected to power the S7, as well as developing the firmware for the device.
Then again, Twitter “leaker” @ricciolo1 claims that “nothing has changed” and that MWC Barcelona remain the time and place where Samsung will reveal the Galaxy S7.
In our opinion, there’s a very good chance that Samsung will indeed release the Galaxy S7 earlier than usual. Samsung skipped IFA with the Note 5, and it has some solid reasons to skip MWC with the Galaxy S7.
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Galaxy S7 price and availability
According to rumors out of China, the Galaxy S7 may be 10% cheaper than the Galaxy S6 at launch. The caveat is we’ve heard similar rumors in the past, and at the end of the day Samsung’s flagships remained as expensive as always.
Unless Samsung decides to sacrifice profits for market share, we expect the Galaxy S7 to be priced in the typical $600-$700 (unlocked) price range.
As for availability, there’s a small possibility that Samsung will withhold the Galaxy S7 from some markets, like it did with the Note 5 in Europe. But that’s just speculation and unlikely to happen.
We expect the Galaxy S7 to become available in stores with 3-4 weeks from its official announcement.
See also: Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ review
Samsung Galaxy S7 specs
With the Galaxy S6, Samsung made some divisive decisions: most controversially, the microSD and removable battery were sacrificed on the altar of design. Will Samsung do an about face with the S7? Should we expect other controversial choices?
Display
Prediction: ~5.2-inch SAMOLED Quad HD (1440 x 2560 pixels), Gorilla Glass 4
Very likely, Samsung will stick with its tried and tested formula for the display of the Galaxy S7. That means keeping the 5.1-inch Quad HD display panel utilized on the Galaxy S6, though it’s possible (and likely) that Samsung will improve the efficiency and overall quality of the display. We can’t rule out the possibility of seeing a slightly larger display (5.2-5.3 inches), given the market trends.
We don’t think Samsung will come up with a 4K display, like Sony – sort of – did with the Xperia Z5. It’s simply too soon, and the drawbacks outweigh the benefits, at least for now.
Processor & RAM
Prediction: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (USA, China); Samsung Exynos 8890 (Europe, Asia); 4GB RAM.
This section is also fairly predictable. Several reports suggest that Samsung will once again use a mix of Qualcomm and Exynos chips. According to Electronic Times, Samsung plans to use the Snapdragon 820 in the US and China, and the in-house Exynos 8890 in other markets. Either choice should provide great performance, despite alarmist rumors about overheating issues.
Given that the Note 5 has 4GB of RAM, Samsung will probably use the same amount on the Galaxy S6, though it’s possible it will stick with 3GB, which is still very good.
Storage
Prediction: 32/64GB, microSD.
The Galaxy S6 came with a pricey 128GB version, but Samsung dropped the option for the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge+. It’s possible that the 128GB model was a sales failure, and Samsung considered that not enough people want that much storage. If that’s the case, it’s likely that the Galaxy S7 will be offered in 32GB and 64GB models only.
There’s a rumor from a Chinese leaker (with a few good reports under their belt) that Samsung has “listened to the customers’ voice” and decided to bring back the microSD card slot to the Galaxy S7. There’s no technical reason why Samsung couldn’t do that, and indeed that seems like a good way to win (back) some customers. But would Samsung change its mind so easily?
Cameras
Prediction: 20MP Sony IMX300
Two distinct rumors about the main camera on the Galaxy S7 surfaced in early November. The first one claims that Samsung is going to source the sensor from Sony, the undisputed leader of the sensor industry. Samsung is reportedly interested in the Sony IMX300, the 25MP sensor used in the Xperia Z5. According to the second rumor, Samsung is going to use an in-house ISOCELL sensor of just 12MP, but with larger pixels, for improved low-light sensitivity.
Samsung has combined Sony and in-house sensors before, but the technical differences here are just too big to allow for a similar experience across all devices.
So, which rumor is correct? We tend towards the one pegging the Sony IMX300 sensor, but we’ll definitely need more supporting evidence in this area. One Korean source said the camera experience is where we should look for real improvements in the Galaxy S7, so signs are promising.
Battery
Prediction: ???
The Galaxy S6 has a decent, but not great 2,550-mAh battery, and in real life, screen on time is typically unimpressive. Is Samsung going to be doing something about it? We sure hope so, but for now, we have no real clue about the Korean giant’s plans in this direction.
Fast charging and wireless charging will definitely be making a comeback.
See also: Wireless charging technology: what you need to know
Connectivity
Prediction: LTE Cat. 12
All versions of the Galaxy S7 are expected to support LTE Cat 12 download speeds, which means that, in ideal conditions, download speeds can reach 600Mbps. In real life, you probably won’t be able to get anywhere near these theoretical high speeds.
Galaxy S7 features
Samsung Pay and the fingerprint sensor will make a return, probably in improved forms. In terms of new stuff, one Chinese source claims that Samsung will integrate Synaptics’ ClearForce technology, a force-sensing solution. If that’s accurate, Samsung may be taking another page from Apple’s book – 3D Touch. Synaptics announced that ClearForce will be arriving in smartphones in early 2016, but for now, we are taking this report with a big grain of salt. Incidentally or not, Samsung has a patent on a force sensing implementation.
Another ace in Samsung’s sleeve may be the use of a “super-high performance, 32-Bit Stereo DAC targeted at audiophile-grade mobile applications” from ESS Technology. This chip should provide extended sound range with minimal distortion.
Finally, Samsung will adopt a USB Type C connector for the S7, part of the industry’s general trend towards the new standard.
Galaxy S7 design
After years of criticism, Samsung finally abandoned plastic in favor of metal and glass for the Galaxy S6, to generally enthusiastic response. There’s no doubt that the S6 is the nicest Galaxy S yet, but how will Samsung top that?
We don’t expect any major changes in terms of appearance. Samsung will probably tweak what is already a refined and minimalist design, without departing too much from the Galaxy S6 template. Our hunch is supported by a recent report from the Korea Times, citing a source with knowledge of the matter that had this to say about the Galaxy S7:
“As the S6 and S6 Edge represented progress, the S7 will have improvements both in picture quality, performance and some other new features. But because smartphones have already been commoditized, you don’t need to spend more on a surface overhaul…The key point is can consumers enjoy content with enhanced viewing quality and boosted processing speed.”
Assuming there will be any visual changes to speak of, Samsung will probably just redraw accents like the camera and the home button, and perhaps offer some new finishes.
One questionable leak shows a design that is largely similar to the S6, with the biggest apparent change being an oddly-shaped power button/fingerprint sensor.
Galaxy S7 Edge
2015 has been the year of the Edge. After an experimental phase with the Note Edge, Samsung went all in with the Galaxy S6 Edge, and people loved it. The company underestimated demand for the curved smartphone, which reportedly made up half of the total Galaxy S6 sales, compared to the 20% that Samsung had predicted internally. Samsung eventually ramped up production and took the concept further with the 5.7-inch Galaxy S6 Edge+.
There’s no doubt that Samsung will release an Edge variant of the Galaxy S7. The question is, will there even be a flat-screened version at all? According to a Vietnamese site, Samsung will drop the regular, flat version altogether and launch the Galaxy S7 in two sizes, 5.2-inch and 5.8-inch, both with dual curved displays. That would be a very bold move, that could give Samsung the unique selling point it needs in order to stand out in the crowd, at the risk of losing customers who dislike Edge screens. Many pundits have argued that Samsung should have taken this step with the Galaxy S6. Perhaps, Samsung will take the plunge in 2016?
Bits and pieces
- Rumored code numbers:
- Verizon (SM-G930V, SM-G935V)
- Sprint (SM-G930P, SM-G935P)
- US Cellular (SM-G930R4, SM-G935R4)
- AT&T (SM-G930A, SM-G935A)
- T-Mobile (SM-G930T, SM-G935T)
- International unlocked (SM-G930F, SM-G935F)
- China (SM-G9300, SM-G9350)
- Canada (SM-G930W8, SM-G935W8)
- Korea (SM-G930 S/K/L, SM-G935 S/K/L)
- Code name: Project Lucky
- Rumored accessories: Glitter Cover, S View Cover, Clear Cover, Keyboard Cover
Wrap up
There you have it – our best guesses of the release date, specs, and features of the Galaxy S7. Nothing is official just yet, and as always, conflicting reports and rumors will surface between now and Samsung’s big launch event next year.
One thing is clear. The Galaxy S7 will be a turning point for Samsung and for the mobile industry.
Sound off
What do you hope to see on the Galaxy S7? And what do you think about our predictions?
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AT&T rolls out HTC One A9 December security update
As promised, HTC has quickly been updating its One A9 smartphone with the December version of Android’s latest security patches and US carrier AT&T has this week begun rolling the update out to consumers. The announcement was made yesterday by HTC’s Vice President of Product Management, Mo Versi.
AT&T HTC One A9 customers may have already spotted an OTA update notification come through, or can expect to see one in the coming days. If not, you can always force a check manually by heading on over to the settings menu. As well as a new security update, the OTA also includes some unspecified improvements to the handset’s camera.
Happy Tuesday! AT&T HTC One (A9) Owners – The latest security updates including improvements to the camera will be OTA’d out by tonight.
— Mo Versi (@moversi) December 8, 2015
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December’s Android security patch includes a number of high alert and critical issues, including one that could enable remote code execution through email, MMS and websites. Fortunately, Google states that it hasn’t received any reports of consumer handsets actually being exploited by these new issues.
The Marshmallow powered HTC One A9 is scheduled to go on sale in India early next week and has also been promised an update to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow later in December. It’s great to see that HTC is managing to stick with its update and security promises for its latest smartphone.
Google Play Store bids the Nexus 6 farewell
You read that right: The Motorola-made handset is no longer sold through Google’s online shop. Droid Life has discovered that the Nexus 6 has been taken out of the Play Store, a little after a year since the phone was launched. As always, though, you don’t have to permanently say bye-bye, au revoir, adios or sayonara to the model, since there are a lot of third-party sellers out there — a cursory search on eBay shows us tens of thousands of Nexus 6s for sale. If you’d rather not trust an online seller, well, there’s always Google’s newer phones: the LG-made Nexus 5x and the bigger, Huawei-manufactured Nexus 6P.
Source: Droid Life
ICYMI: Pegleg cat, X-ray laser sight and recharging tabletop
Today on In Case You Missed It: A cat born without part of its hindlegs got an upgrade with 3D-printed prosthetics implanted in its bones. A camera that basically gives X-ray vision has been invented, peering around corners with lasers, then recreating images of objects that are out-of-view. And design students in Copenhagen dreamt up a charging pad for phones that is powered by the heat given off by a cup of coffee.
Finally, The Back to the Future anniversary has come and gone but this new Kickstarter project wants to get you in the mood again, with a jacket that is self-drying just like Marty’s in the movie.
If you see any interesting science or tech videos, please share with us! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd.
Samsung wants to get into the self-driving car business
It’s too soon to crack wise that Apple will design a self-driving car and Samsung will build it, but we’re another step closer to that being a reality. The Korean conglomerate is launching a new division of its business that’ll manufacture car components for other companies, beginning with in-car infotainment gear. According to the release, the eventual aim is to branch out into the components necessary to build autonomous vehicles for other companies. The move follows that of its local rival LG, which formed a vehicle components division in 2013 and is now gearing up to produce components for car companies.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Samsung’s move into the automotive components business comes at a time when its smartphone arm is suffering. The company recently moved mobile chief JK Shin out of his office in favor of a younger, hipper replacement in the hope of reviving its flagging profits. Of course, that may turn out to be a fools errand, given that the mobile industry’s boom years seem to be at an end.
On the upside, self-driving cars share more than a few components with smartphones, so it makes sense that Samsung’s know-how would transfer across. Expertise in battery technology, GPS, mobile computing, wireless chips, touch screens and similar tech are all found in autonomous vehicles, so it should be fairly simple. In addition, by producing the components for other companies, there’s a smaller element of risk than if it attempted to go it alone straight out of the gate.
Those with longer memories will also recall that Samsung used to actually make cars in the ’90s, although the project was ill-fated. The company launched Samsung Motors in 1994, but by the time it had begun to produce vehicles, the 1997 Asian financial crisis forced it into a sale. The division was picked up by Renault, although Samsung maintains a 19.9 percent stake in the firm, as well as control over use of the name Samsung.
Rovio CEO Leaving ‘Angry Birds’ Company After Just One Year
Rovio, the company behind the successful Angry Birds mobile franchise, today announced that its current CEO Pekka Rantala will be stepping down from the role after just one year in office. As Retuers reported, Rantala’s time at the company included multiple job cuts and restructuring plans within Rovio, and his tenure coincided with the company’s first reported profit decline since the launch of Angry Birds in 2009.
The company has now announced that chief legal officer Kati Levoranta will take the reins as CEO in the first quarter of 2016, after Rantala officially vacates the position. It also revealed a new initiative where “more independence” will be given its two biggest branches: games and media. Mikael Hed, former Rovio CEO, will lead the media branch while Wilhelm Taht, the current head of external products, will take the lead on the games side. According to the company, this corporate-wide policy change is what spurred Rantala to step down.
“We used to have a corporate model with centralized decisions, but that resulted into too slow reacting in very competitive markets,” chairman and main owner Kaj Hed told Reuters in an interview. “As the CEO will not be so hands-on anymore, he (Rantala) felt that it wasn’t for him anymore.”
Earlier in the year, reports confirmed that 2014 included Rovio’s first major profit decline due to a lessening interest by fans in the company’s physical consumer products like clothing and toys. Rovio’s profit decline from 2014 also led to the forecasting of impending decline this year, causing 213 jobs to be cut at the company back in October.
The Finnish developer’s Angry Birds franchise brought the company huge success, but has seen diminishing returns recently. At the time of the decline in profit announcement, Rantala hung hope on the impending launch of Angry Birds 2 and next summer’s The Angry Birds Movie as ways to bring the franchise back into the public consciousness.
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