Steel yarn jackets absorb energy from the sun to keep you warm
ThermalTech’s jackets don’t look too different from a North Face, but the company promises they’re more unique (and less bulky) than the standard fare. See, they sandwich a “smart” fabric layer made of lightweight stainless steel yarn in between the outer layer and the lining. That fabric absorbs UV rays from the sun and converts whatever it collects into heat to keep you warm. The company says the jackets can reach 18 degrees F in just two minutes under the sun even when it’s cold. You don’t have to worry even if a snowstorm’s blocking out the sky either — the jackers can absorb energy from artificial light, as well.
Sadly, you can’t buy one to protect you from the cold right now. ThermalTech has launched an Indiegogo campaign you can back to get one as early as August 2016, though you really shouldn’t treat Indiegogo/other crowdfunding websites as a pre-order platform. If you’d like to take a chance, you can get the “Street” version of the jacket when you pledge $139, which is 50 percent off its expected retail price. To get the more heavy-duty versions, “Explorer” and “Extreme,” you’ll have to pledge $10 and $20 more, respectively.
Source: Thermaltech
LG Display sees Q4 profits tumble, bets big on OLED
LG Display has just announced its fourth quarter and yearly accounting details, revealing a tough fourth quarter but another overall profitable year for the industry leading display manufacturer.
Between October and December 2015, LG Display generated an operating profit of 61 billion won ($50.6 million). This equals a quarter-on-quarter decrease of 82 percent and a year-on-year fall of 90 percent, when the company posted a 626 billion won profit in Q4 2014. However, revenue generated in Q4 2015 was down only 10 percent compared with 2014. Annually, LG Display increased its operating profit by 20 percent, from 1,357 billion won up to 1,626 billion won.
LG suggests that falling global panel prices, particularly as a result of cheaper Chinese competitors, and a generally poor economic outlook had directly impacted on its business. Furthermore, LG Display is in the process of making a number of expensive acquisitions and investments as its moves part of its business into the production of new OLED displays, which the company is anticipating high demand for in the coming years. According to a recent filling, the company is investing a further USD$380 million into a new production facility.
See also: LG announces substantial investment in next gen OLED production
After accounting for all of the company’s expenditure, LG Display posted a net loss of 14 billion won in the quarter, compared with an income of 389 billion won a year earlier. However, annual net income came in at KRW 1,023 billion, a year-on-year increase of 12 percent from KRW 917 billion.
As we know, LG Display provides panels to the company’s smartphone division, therefore one profits directly from the other. LCD mobile panels accounted for 32 percent of sales last year. Although LG did not particularly specify, the lower Display profits in Q3 and Q4 are likely closely linked to the company’s lower smartphone sales in the tail end of the year, when compared with 2014.
Although LG’s smartphone division may have posted a loss for the year, some of this is offset by the revenue that it created for LG Display, so the overall picture still looks quite healthy for LG.
Read more: LG posts narrower loss, sold 60 million handsets last year
Looking ahead, LG Display is not expecting demand to recover quickly in the first quarter of the year, but still plans to press ahead with investments into new OLED production facilities.
LG Display Reports Fourth Quarter 2015 Results
SEOUL, Korea (Jan. 27, 2016) – LG Display reported today unaudited earnings results based on consolidated K-IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) for the three-month period ending December 31, 2015.
Revenue in the fourth quarter of 2015 increased by 5% to KRW 7,496 billion from KRW 7,158 billion in the third quarter of 2015 but decreased by 10% from KRW 8,342 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2015 recorded KRW 61 billion, a quarter-on-quarter decrease of 82% from an operating profit of KRW 333 billion in the third quarter of 2015, and a year-on-year decrease of 90% from the operating profit of KRW 626 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014.
EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2015 was KRW 882 billion, compared with EBITDA of KRW 1,178 billion in the third quarter of 2015 and with EBITDA of KRW 1,532 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014.
Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2015 amounted to KRW 14 billion, compared with net income of KRW 198 billion in the third quarter of 2015, and with net income of KRW 389 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014.
LG Display announced its fifteenth straight quarterly operating profit at KRW 61 billion, and surpassed an annual operating profit of KRW 1,000 billion for three consecutive years based on its product differentiation and technology leadership amid falling panel prices due to global economic recession and the expanded supply by Chinese panel makers.
The company recorded annual revenue of KRW 28,384 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7% from KRW 26,456 billion in 2014, and annual operating profit of KRW 1,626 billion, a year-on-year increase of 20% from KRW 1,357 billion in 2014. EBITDA for 2015 was KRW 5,001 billion, and annual net income was KRW 1,023 billion, a year-on-year increase of 12% from KRW 917 billion.
Despite the significant panel price decline resulting from global economic recession and the expanded supply by Chinese panel makers, LG Display was able to continue its fifteenth straight quarterly operating profit through expansion of differentiated products such as Ultra HD TV panels, Advanced In-cell Touch (AIT) panels, and In-Plane Switching(IPS) panels.
The Board of Directors meeting decided on a dividend of KRW 500 per common share, in keeping with the previous year’s dividend. The decision is subject to the approval of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in March.
LG Display will strengthen its market leadership by providing customers differentiated value with continuous investment for OLED market expansion and competitiveness enhancement.
TFT-LCD panels for TVs accounted for 34% of revenue in the fourth quarter of 2015, mobile device panels for 32%, tablet PCs and notebook PCs 19%, and monitors 15%.
With 78% in the liability-to-equity ratio, as of December 31, 2015, and decreased inventory asset to KRW 2,352 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with KRW 2,876 billion in the previous quarter, the financial structure of the company remains stable.
Mr. Don Kim, CFO of LG Display, said “Given the continuing economic uncertainty, we are not in a favorable situation to expect demand to recover in the first quarter of 2016. However, the company aims to sustain market credibility and create value focusing on differentiated technology competitiveness. We will continue preparing for the future of OLED and invest in differentiation including in new OLED facilities.”
About LG Display
LG Display Co., Ltd. [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220] is the world’s leading innovator of display technologies including thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, OLEDs, and flexible displays. The company manufactures and provides TFT-LCD panels in a broad range of sizes and specifications for use in TVs, monitors, notebook PCs, and various other applications including mobile devices and tablets. LG Display also produces OLED light panels in a variety of shapes and sizes. LG Display currently operates fabrication facilities in Korea and China, and back-end assembly facilities in Korea, China and Poland. The company has a total of 50,000 employees operating worldwide. Please visit http://www.lgdisplay.com <http://www.lgdisplay.com> for more information.
Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current plans, estimates and projections, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on them. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any of them in light of new information or future events. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Additional information as to factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements can be found in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Lenovo Vibe X3 arrives in India with HD Audio and fingerprint scanner
The Lenovo Vibe X3 will go on sale in India on January 28 for Rs. 19,999, following a successful launch in China in November. The device will be available exclusively through Amazon India starting at 2 PM local time, making it the second Lenovo device to be launched in the sub-continent after the Lenovo K4 Note earlier this month.
The Lenovo Vibe X3 specs include a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, hexa-core Snapdragon 808 (with two A57 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz and four A53’s at 1.4 GHz), 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage and microSD expansion up to 128 GB via a multi-purpose dual-SIM slot.
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The Vibe X3 also packs a fingerprint scanner, 21 MP primary camera with a Sony IMX230 sensor, PDAF, LED flash, f/2.0 aperture and support for 4K video. Up front there’s a beefy 8 MP selfie camera and the whole thing is powered by a solid 3,500 mAh battery, making the Vibe X3 a force to be reckoned with.
Running Lenovo’s Vibe UI on top of Android 5.1 Lollipop, the Vibe X3 is jam packed with a lot of the same entertainment features as the K4 Note, including support for VR TheaterMax via the optional AntVR headset, Lenovo Sound via the Dolby Atmos-Equipped dual front-facing speakers, some funky Skull Candy headphones and HD Audio quality through both the speakers and headphones. In case you can’t tell, audio fidelity is one of the main selling points of the Vibe X3.
What do you think of the Vibe X3 for the price? Have you had a Lenovo phone before?
Lenovo will launch the Vibe X3 in India tomorrow for INR 19,999
Following the Vibe X3’s launch in the United States back in December, Lenovo has today announced it will release the mid-range handset in India on Thursday, January 28, at 9:00 AM. The device will be available to purchase exclusively through independent online retailer Amazon India in either Black or White colorways for ₹19,999, which is approximately $295.
Just in case you missed its announcement, the X3 packs a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 808 hexa-core System-on-Chip (SoC), 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable internal storage, a 21MP rear-facing camera, an 8MP front-facing shooter, a 3,500mAh battery, a couple of front-facing stereo speakers and a snappy biometric scanner.
In terms of connectivity, this Vibe variant is a little different to the one that launched in the US as this model has dual-SIM compatibilities on board. All other networking options remain the same, meaning that it still bundles support for 4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1 (LE) and A-GPS.
The handset will ship running the latest version of Lollipop straight out of the box. However, it is expected to receive the recently-announced Marshmallow update before the end of the second-quarter.
To find out more about picking up the Lenovo Vibe X3 in India — hit the source link below.
Source: Amazon India
Come comment on this article: Lenovo will launch the Vibe X3 in India tomorrow for INR 19,999
Safari Crashing for Both iOS and Mac Users, Fixes Identified
Safari users are today reporting an odd issue causing Apple’s web browser app to crash on both Macs and iOS devices. Several Mac users are also not receiving autocomplete suggestions when entering text into Safari’s address bar, with many pages including sites like Google failing to load completely. For many iPhone and iPad users, simply tapping on the URL bar causes Safari to crash.
URL searches, autocomplete, Top Sites and other Safari features rely on queries being sent to and returned by Apple’s servers, suggesting this is where the problem lies. The issue also seems to depend on what data the browser most recently cached.
The current fix for iOS and Mac involves disabling Safari Suggestions, which stops the app from crashing to the home screen. On your iOS device, go into Settings, tap Safari, and toggle off the “Safari Suggestions” switch. On your Mac, the same setting is found in Safari -> Preferences -> Search.
Alternatively, opening a Private Browsing window also appears to solve the issue.
The problem appears to be affecting users around the world and will likely be resolved when Apple corrects the service on their end.
Discuss this article in our forums
Snapchat for Android updated with support for ‘Video Rewind’ filter
Snapchat has begun rolling out a much-requested maintenance update for its Android client through the Play Store. According to the short changelog, the upgrade introduces the sought-after Video Rewind filter, which previously was only available to users of the social networking platform who sent snaps using an iPhone, iPod or iPad.
The filter enables users to record a standard 10-second video using Snapchat, then play it in reverse by applying the Rewind overlay. Using the feature couldn’t be easier. Once you’ve recorded the video, just swipe right until you see three reverse arrows appear on the screen. Then you can watch the clip in reverse.
There are two ways to download the update. You can manually fetch it by grabbing your smartphone or tablet, opening up the Play Store, toggling the hamburger menu by swiping in from the left-hand side of your display, selecting ‘My Apps’, clicking on ‘Snapchat’, then tapping the ‘Update’ button. Alternatively, you can sideload it onto your handset by installing the APK below.
Come comment on this article: Snapchat for Android updated with support for ‘Video Rewind’ filter
Apple News is reportedly getting subscription articles
Apple is getting ready to bring paywalled articles to its News app, sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters. If true, this would signify a major change in the service, since it would provide publishers with paywalls (such as The New York Times and Wall Street Journal) a new way to display their entire content. Currently, these publications can only provide excerpts from articles to Apple News users, and the app doesn’t support account logins for subscribers. That’s very different than the full reading experience offered by free, ad-supported publishers.
As Reuters points out, making such a move would also benefit Apple tremendously. Not only would the company appease paid publications, but it would help differentiate News from other similar products — including Facebook’s Instant Articles. There are no details on how (or when) this will work within the iOS application, but something tells us we could learn more about that at Apple’s rumored March event, if not sooner.
Source: Reuters
Amazon brings one-hour Prime Now deliveries to Liverpool
After launching one-hour Prime Now deliveries in London last summer, Amazon brought the option to Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester before year’s end. The retailer has grand plans to take the convenience to “many more cities in 2016,” today announcing Liverpool and nearby areas as the latest expansion. Customers living in eligible postcodes in Liverpool and adjacent settlements including Birkenhead can now pay £7 to have any of over 15,000 products delivered within one hour, or select a same-day, two-hour window for free.
The catch, of course, is that you need an Amazon Prime membership — currently £79 per year — to take advantage of the speedy delivery option. That may have become a slightly more attractive investment today though, with Amazon also announcing a new playlist feature for its Prime Music streaming service.
Source: Amazon
Photo contest awards $10,000 for finding ‘everyday heroes’
Attention class, it’s time to get your submissions ready for Mr. Jefferson’s “Everyday Heroes” photo contest. Well, not really, but Life is Strange publisher Square Enix is bringing the sweepstakes from its tale of a time-traveling teen into the real world. Unlike in the game, you aren’t competing for a trip to San Francisco to showcase your work. Here you’re vying for a $10,000 scholarship while you hopefully “discover and capture how normal people make the world a better place,” as a post on the Square Enix blog puts it.
The team at Dontnod will print, frame and sign a trio of finalist’s photos, in addition to sharing them across Square Enix’s social accounts. The rules state there’s only one grand prize winner taking home the $10,000 earmarked for art school tuition, art classes or art supplies (at the winner’s discretion), however. What’s more, you’ve only got one shot at your chance for glory. So maybe the Polaroid of the blue butterfly you saw land in the girl’s bathroom at Blackwell Academy may not be the best option. But, you might want to hurry considering the contest is only open through February 16th of this year.
Via: Square Enix
Source: Everyday Heroes
Amazon adds playlist ‘stations’ to Prime Music in the UK
Ten months after its US debut, Amazon is bringing Prime Stations to its music streaming cohort in Great Britain. The feature allows Prime Music listeners to launch ad-free playlists centred around an artist or genre, removing the need to queue tracks or weigh up individual recommendations. As you jam along to Amazon’s picks, you can give each song a thumbs up or thumbs down to improve and personalise the algorithm. While welcome, this is a feature that many of Amazon’s rivals have offered for years — why it’s taken so long to reach Prime Music in the UK is a mystery. Still, if you have an active Prime subscription, this should make the service a little more viable as your default streaming app.
Source: Amazon (Press Release)
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