TalkTalk loses over 100,000 customers following hack
It was inevitable that last October’s cyber attack would drive some customers away from TalkTalk. At the time, the extent of the damage was unclear but the company has finally shared some numbers as part of its latest trading update. The provider says that in its third quarter, 101,000 subscribers cancelled their contracts, costing the company as much as £60 million.
The exceptional costs — including IT, customer response lines and other charges associated with the attack — totalled between £40 million and £45 million. The remaining £15 million is attributed to trading losses. It’s not all doom and gloom for the company, though: revenues grew by 1.8 percent and 489,000 customers accepted TalkTalk’s offer of a free upgrade, which it believes helped raise consumer confidence and ultimately stopped some customers from leaving.
While TalkTalk’s operations have largely been “dominated by the cyber attack,” investors are positive that the company has put the worst behind it. That’s led to a small rise in TalkTalk’s share price, which plummeted following the October announcement and hasn’t really recovered since. With BT currently the subject of a regulatory review, TalkTalk believes decisions could go in its favour, allowing it to capitalize on its position as “the value for money telecoms provider” in the UK market.
Source: TalkTalk
Will BlackBerry abandon BB10 in favor of Android?
BlackBerry CEO John Chen is hoping for a brighter future in the device manufacturing business. And though it hasn’t been clearly stated, it seems Android is a main factor in this mysterious equation for success. They have been sticking to the outdated (albeit secure) BB10 for years, but the BlackBerry Priv could have simply been the first of many Android devices to come.
Rumors of at least one new Android-running device coming from BlackBerry in 2016 have been spreading. Furthermore, the company is not dismissing the possibility of a mid-range Android phone coming in the future. This is enough commitment as it comes, but it seems that’s not where they are stopping. The latest statements from BlackBerry senior director Damian Tay suggest we will see more Android BlackBerry phones. Much, much more.
Also read:
- BlackBerry Priv review
- BlackBerry Priv – second opinion
- BlackBerry Priv: 5 things I like & 5 things I don’t
- BlackBerry giving you $100 worth of accessories if you buy a Priv before February 24
In fact, it seems the company may be considering straight out dumping their BB10 platform in favor of Android! Now, that’s a move I would call radical… and as Android fans we certainly wouldn’t dislike it.
“The PRIV device is essentially our transition to Android ecosystem. As we secure Android, over a period of time, we would not have two platforms, and may have only Android as a platform [for smartphones]. But for now, we have BB10 and Android platforms for our smartphones.
The future is really Android. We went for Android essentially for its app ecosystem. In addition, all the enterprise solutions that we have been doing have been cross-platform for a long time now. So it’s a natural progression towards Android.”
-Damian Tay, senior director, APAC product management at BlackBerry
Tay also mentions that the main reason why they keep selling BB10 handsets is government use, but the hope is to transition to Android as the company becomes more of a services provider, instead of a platform pioneer.
BB10 continues to be the more secure option, but the plan is to bring their Android handsets up to speed. Only then will BlackBerry be able to pull such a move.
Will they reach that point? Only time will tell, but until that day comes we can at least continue to enjoy more Android devices coming from BlackBerry. We know how much you love their keyboards and build quality, and definitely understand why.
Soft robotic fingers can pick up even fragile objects
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne’s (EPFL’s) new robotic grippers don’t look anything like fingers, but they can pick up even delicate objects like eggs. Their secret? Electroadhesion. That’s the same phenomenon that makes a balloon’s surface sticky enough to adhere to a wall when you rub it against your hair. The EPFL’s grippers are flexible and stretchable electrode flaps that act like a thumb-index finger combo.
When they’re connected to electricity, the flaps can hold objects and conform to their shape, and unlike other grippers, they don’t even have to know what the objects look like beforehand. They can also lie flat on a surface if they’re supposed to pick up pieces of paper. EPFL explains how the flaps work like so:
The electrode flaps consist of 5 layers: a pre-stretched elastomer layer sandwiched between two layers of electrodes, plus two outer layers of silicone of different thickness. When the voltage is off, the difference in thickness of the outer layers makes the flaps curl outwards. When the voltage is on, the attraction between the two layers of electrodes straightens out the membranes. This straightening of the membranes from a curled position mimics muscle flexion.
At the tips of the flaps, the electrodes of each layer are designed for optimal electrostatic grip. These interdigitated electrodes, which look like two combs fitted together, create an electrostatic field that causes electroadhesion.
Electroadhesion allows the soft grippers to carry up to 80 times their weight, so the technology has a promising future ahead. The EPFL scientists believe it could be used not only for prosthetics, but also for food factories and even to capture debris in space. Since we most likely won’t see the flaps in the wild anytime soon, check out the video below to see them in action.
Source: EPFL
Salvaging Samsung: Can the world’s largest OEM ever recover in China?
It is no secret that the past few years have become an increasingly competitive and increasingly challenging marketplace for smartphone manufacturers. Perhaps nowhere can this be felt more than with so-called “legacy” companies, or those who have been with Android from the beginning. This list includes HTC, Samsung, LG, and Motorola among others, each of whom has seen dramatic changes in business since Google’s mobile OS was first introduced.
Arguably no company has felt the heat as much as Samsung however, and no more clear could this be than the Korean OEM’s last earnings report and recent falling out of China’s top 5 smartphone manufacturers. This piece will analyze the overall situation in the country, as well as consider just what can be done – if anything – to “salvage” the market.
See also: Samsung’s fourth quarter earnings out, profits down 40%
A three-pronged problem
Samsung’s situation in China is arguably the product of three different forces, all of which are interrelated. On the one hand, the company has been selling expensive products made of plastic for years, and on the other hand rivals in China have been increasingly able to produce more competitive hardware that not only trounces Samsung in terms of specs and pricing, but better caters to the needs of the population. Then there is Apple, which is catering to the needs of “big spenders” and is arguably a much more prominent status symbol. Let’s examine all three.
See also: Xiaomi topped China’s smartphone market in 2015
Pricing Problem (A Sony-similar situation)
Samsung’s perceived pricing strategy problem is hardly a new one when it comes to the history of large IT consumer product conglomerates. One need look no further than Japan’s sinking Sony to understand quite readily. Once the epitome of the tech world – even Apple wanted to emulate it – things went awry when rival companies proved themselves able to produce similar products at significantly cheaper prices. One need look no further than the VAIO brand of PCs for example: their high cost placed them severely out of reach for consumers looking to buy a new computer but not break the bank.
Sony’s own pride arguably hurt it, for even when things started going downhill over a decade ago, it refused to change its ways to compete aggressively, Prices were still high even if some had fallen from what they once were. And look what has happened now: VAIO has been sold off, its TV market has been spun off, smartphone sales are stagnant, factories have been closed…some have actually gone as far as stating Sony should be calling itself “The Playstation Company” and focusing on what still works. Indeed in 2016, the once commanding conglomerate is perhaps better known for its IT network security shortcomings than it is for the amazing legacy it once had as a pioneer in so many different product fields.
The mid-range Galaxy S7 made be graced with glass, but in terms of high end specs it’s a definite pass.
Samsung is now on the verge of facing a similar situation. It’s products are still obscenely expensive when compared to the competition. The recently released Galaxy A7 (2016) for example, costs almost $440. While a very nice looking phone that seemingly can command such a price point, it is missing basic components such as a notification LED and haptic feedback for the capacitive buttons, as well as being priced much higher than rival products with similar specs. Heck, the OnePlus 2 launched at under $400.
Even more problematic, unlike the A7 (2016) which is a decidedly mid-range device, the OnePlus 2 is a formal flagship. The same could be said about numerous cost-efficient offerings by Huawei and Xiaomi. Why then, would any consumer chose to spend more money for a product that packs far less punch? Because it’s made by Samsung, as if that matters any more to many customers around the world. Especially in China, it has become apparent that customers are less and less interested in that Korean namesake.
See also: First impressions: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) falls just short of perfection
Catering its craft
TouchWiz – and skins in general – are loathed by many critics outside Asia.
It is no secret that many of the more outspoken critics in the Android community deplore skins. Samsung’s own TouchWiz has been criticized for years, as has LG’s user interface. MotoBlur was so divisive that the original Moto X used an almost stock ASOP build; clearly Google was not happy with what had been done when Motorola was an independent company.
In Asia however, and in particular China, OS skins are not only welcomed, but seemingly expected. Look no further than what Huawei does – something that irks at least one Android Authority staff member – as well as Xiaomi, OnePlus, Lenovo, and numerous others. In many ways, these skins are far more overbearing and all-encompassing than TouchWiz at its “worst.” And yet, Huawei and Xiaomi in particular, clearly have no sign of slowing down in their home country.
Perhaps even more telling? Lenovo, which now owns Motorola, has actually gone on record to state that come 2017 its own smartphone OS skin will be merged with Motorola’s to create a hybrid. At this stage details are non-existent as is any confirmation the chimera will grace devices sold outside of China, but just the fact that a “pure” OS skin is seen as a detriment to a product’s possible performance and desirability is telling.
Samsung meanwhile, is not making phones for the Chinese market when push comes to shove. Granted it does have some rare gems like the Galaxy S6-inspired Galaxy W2016 flip phone. And it did launch the Galaxy A series in China both in 2014 and with the new 2016 models as well. But these decisions come across less as catering to the needs of the Chinese and more awareness of its rapidly declining market share and thus making more aggressive pushes to release possibly “desirable” products there first.
Case in point: the Galaxy A series was the first to be made entirely of metal and glass. It made perfect sense that Samsung would want to launch it in China given that so many of its rivals there were already making metal phones that had some very aggressive specs and paradoxically low price tags. Another first? The presence of a Theme store – another popular portal for Chinese consumers – but which was eventually rolled out on a global scale.
Apple aggression
Apple is, in and of itself, a fascinating consideration. While iOS saw a reduction in sales this past quarter in key territories around the world, the one major market that defied the trend was of course, China. The following data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech illustrates the point quite clearly:
Kantar Worldpanel ComTech
Like it or not, Apple is still a major brand to be reckoned with. In China specifically, Apple products – namely iPhones – have often been the subject of news stories. Typically they involve Chinese people traveling overseas, buying hordes of iPhones, and then bringing them back to China and selling them for a massive profit. This was quite visibly seen when the iPhone 6 launched in 2014 in Japan, and as the Yahoo News writer discovered in an interview:
“If we are talking about the 128 gigabyte version we would buy it for as much as HK$18,000 ($2,322),” said Gary Yiu, the manager of the iGeneration reseller store. That is more than double the price of the top-of-the-range iPhone 6 Plus.
“I have around 200 pre-orders with 60 to 70 percent of these from mainland Chinese customers,” Yiu told AFP, adding he had dispatched 10 staff members to buy as many as possible.
Yiu said the golden version of the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus was the most sought after, and he could resell it for more than HK$20,000.”
This kind of brand image is seemingly unattainable for Samsung, especially given that so many of the company’s smartphones are far less impressive – either spec wise or build wise – than those from Apple. The end result is that Korea’s foremost OEM is stuck in a rut of sorts: Apple has control of the luxury smartphone market in China, and thus it is doubtful that many customers would be interested in spending reams of Renembi for a premium product that doesn’t come with an instantly quantifiable status symbol.
The possible considerations
There are two possible considerations for Samsung to “retake” its lost market share in China:
- It can adopt a more aggressive pricing strategy that allows it to better compete with the local competition. This is unlikely to be implemented however, as it would devalue the Samsung brand and therefore jeopardize the company’s ability to charge high prices for any products. It would also anger shareholders, individuals who expect high returns.
- It can better analyze the needs of the Chinese – outside of pricing – and make products that are specifically for, and only for, the Chinese market. This might include a sub-brand, much like how ZTE has Axon, which could focus on making unique and highly competitive products for the local market. Unfortunately this is not likely to occur either, as the company arguably would rather have some sales doing business as usual as opposed to more sales sacrificing its business model and devoting so much development to a market increasingly “conquered” by domestic competitors.
So where does this leave Samsung? Arguably in the same situation it’s currently in. Unless the OEM is prepared to take some drastic steps to reverse its declining market share, there is no real way to salvage its sinking ship. Chinese customers may indeed like Samsung, but they clearly are not going to pay the price of admission, and especially not when there is more than sufficient – and in many ways superior – domestic products to satiate.
See also: Apple’s latest earnings have good news for Google
Wrap Up
Now that Samsung’s spot in China has officially fallen from the coveted top 5 ranking, it is perhaps only a matter of time before the OEM finds itself sliding down the market share totem pole in other key Asian territories. Pricing is a major priority for some shoppers, and the prospect of better specs and similar – if not superior – construction from companies like Xiaomi, Huawei, and OnePlus goes a long way.
2016 will clearly be the start of a very new era for Samsung, one in which it needs to make some critical and crucial decision with respect to its business, its priorities, and its pricing. The Galaxy S7 (allegedly pictured above) may help somewhat, but given the high price tag it’s arguably not going to win over those who want something top tier yet affordable.
Arguments have been made in the past in favor of Samsung becoming a purely “high end” brand, much like Sony has done and Apple has been doing for years. This would basically allow it to continue making expensive hardware for the markets that are willing to pay for it, but will only last as long as sales are meeting or exceeding expectations. As has been seen with Apple, that was not the case with the iPhone recently, even if the company itself did post its highest profit ever.
Whatever may be, it is with severe scrutiny and eager eyes that those interested look upon that which is about to unfold.
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easyJet’s hybrid plane design has a hydrogen fuel cell inside
Aiming to save the European airline money, oh and the environment, easyJet hopes to trial new hybrid plane designs later this year. We’re not talking about a new paint job or minor wing design changes, however: the company wants to embed a hydrogen fuel cell into a new hybrid plane design, with aircraft brakes that absorb energy on landing to be reused, even powering the jet through taxiing without using its engines.
While the prototype designs have involved students at Cranfield University in the UK, the concept has been lead by easyJet‘s engineering director Ian Davies: “The hybrid plane concept we are announcing today is both a vision of the future and a challenge to our partners and suppliers to continue to push the boundaries towards reducing our carbon emissions.”
A reduction in fuel consumption, courtesy of energy-absorbing breaks and hybrid engines, will mean reduced carbon emissions — and less fuel to carry around, reducing those all important costs for an airline that likes to play to the margins.
Planning on visiting South Korea? Samsung will lend you a free Galaxy Note 5 for your stay
If you’re planning a trip to South Korea anytime soon, we have some fantastic news for you. The Korea Tourism Organization has teamed up with Samsung and SK Telecom to offer a free Galaxy Note 5 for a 5-day trial to 250 visitors arriving at Incheon International Airport each week. The handsets will come with a pre-loaded SIM with unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 1GB of data — so you won’t have to fork out for any hefty international roaming charges or go through the process of registering for a local prepaid service.
The objective of this scheme is, of course, to encourage more people to check out Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5. The manufacturer hopes that after 120-hours of using the device, you’ll fall in love with it and want to pick one up when you return to your home country. It’s also a pretty unique experience to loan a smartphone without having to pay a penny when visiting a foreign region, so you will almost certainly want to tell your friends about how you got to use the company’s latest flagship, which is great publicity for Samsung.
For those in need of a refresher on the devices specifications, the Note 5 packs a 5.7-inch qHD display, a 1.5GHz and 2.1GHz Exynos 7420 octa-core processor, 4GB of RAM, a Mali-T760MP8 GPU, a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter and a 3,000mAh Li-Po non-removable battery. There’s also a super-snappy biometric scanner hidden in the phone’s home key, and a heart rate sensor on the rear just below the camera module.
If you like the sound of this promotion and are visiting South Korea in the very near future, hit the source link below to head over to the KTO website where you will be able to register your interest in the scheme. Phones will start being distributed later this month on a first come, first served basis, so you better act fast as with only 250 units available and over 3000 people flying in to Seol each week, they’re definitely not going to be there for long.
Source: Samsung
Come comment on this article: Planning on visiting South Korea? Samsung will lend you a free Galaxy Note 5 for your stay
Uber drivers’ rates protest takes to the SF streets
The Uber drivers are milling around in the parking lot of the now demolished Candlestick Park and they’re antsy. But mostly, they’re pissed. They’re making less than when they first started driving for for the company. Their leader Mario (last name withheld) shows up a few minutes before the 2pm meeting time followed by an additional 20 cars. The group crowd around him as he hands out fliers and pepper him with questions. They’re getting organized and ready to show the ride-sharing platform how upset they are and in the process, screw up traffic in San Francisco.
They call themselves Uber Drivers United. Yesterday a video surfaced of Mario describing today’s event and inviting drivers to join them. He expected 1,500 to 2,000 protesters. The reality is far less. Maybe 150 protesters show up and listen to their leader air his grievances. The core issue is the dwindling amount of money they’re taking home. Mario tells Engadget that someone at Uber leaked information to him that a $.50 per-mile rate was coming ahead of the Super Bowl. For drivers already struggling with the fact that their take-home pay is less than when they started, it’s a powerful rallying point.
When you talk to the protesters, most won’t give their last name for fear of retribution. “I’m in the system,” John tells me. He’s a representative of a limo drivers organization that supports Uber Drivers United. Another driver, also named John, says that he started driving 18 months ago and was making $300 working eight to 10 hours a day. But as Uber has slashed prices, he’s working 14 to 16 hours to eke out $150.
“Who made this company a $60 billion company? Drivers!” he tells the crowd.
One after another, the drivers complain about how their weekly take-home has gotten smaller and smaller. The shared sentiment is that Uber wants to run Lyft out of business so it keeps slashing prices. When asked if the recent winter price cuts resulted in more riders, they all shake their heads.
Megaphone in hand, Mario riles the crowd up. “Who made this company a $60 billion company? Drivers!” he tells the crowd. He keeps hammering that they “have them by the balls” and that the $.50 per mile he heard was coming will arrive before the Super Bowl.
Uber has told Engadget that it is not lowering its per mile rates to $.50. The company also announced that it will raise the per-hour guarantee to $35 an hour during core peak hours while the Super Bowl is in the Bay Area. But the long-term damage is done and the crowd is itching to get on the road.
Uber has been the target of protests from drivers and cabbies both in San Francisco and elsewhere. All drivers are considered contractors so they don’t get the same protections as employees. The Seattle city council recently voted to allow Uber and Lyft to unionize. Unfortunately, federal law prohibits contractors from collective bargaining.
Their first stop is the parking lot at SFO (San Francisco International Airport) where Lyft and Uber drivers wait for fares. It’s full before the protesters show up. The idea is to recruit more cars to the caravan before heading into San Francisco. The plan seems to be to circle the lot honking their horns and blocking traffic. It works. By the time they convoy heads in to the city, roughly 40 percent of the parking spots are now empty. Some joined, while others may have just decided to move on to get riders at another location.
The drivers at the SFO lot are also less than forthcoming with their names. A few drivers say they just joined Uber so they’re not interested in protesting. Two drivers tell Engadget that they’ll join if the entire lot empties out. “We support them, but we have to make money,” one said. “This is the third or fourth time they’ve protested and nothing has changed,” the second adds. They’ve both been drivers for over a year.
Like the other drivers in the lot, Paul has been driving for Uber for over a year. But he has no interest in bringing traffic to a standstill. “I understand why they’re protesting, but it is what it is,” he said. Uber is his second job and not his main source of income. Like other drivers, he’s seen his take-home pay get smaller and smaller since he started. While he’s not going to protest, he thinks the winter price drop ahead of the Super Bowl is unethical.
The convoy hits an Uber office in the Potrero Hill area of San Francisco. They circle the block honking and disrupt traffic exiting highway 101. At this point it’s tough to determine who is part of the protest and who is stuck in the snarl the caravan has created. Everyone is honking either out frustration with the ride-share platform, or the traffic.
San Francisco traffic is already a mess because of the upcoming Super Bowl. While the protests are blocks from the city streets that have been closed for the event, as traffic tends to do, it’s rippled through the streets for miles. A throng of 200 or so Uber drivers is making it worse.
The drivers circle City Hall horns filling the air before eventually showing up at Uber headquarters on Market street. Mario, megaphone in hand, talks about drivers living in their cars. He tells the story of an Uber driver that lost his legs in an accident while driving for the company. He says Uber won’t cover the guys medical bills. Meanwhile the cars silently circle the block. The police have started handing out tickets for honking. They’ve been shadowing the group all day.
Mario keeps yelling at the building. He told Engadget that he tried to set up a meeting with Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. The company head never got back to him. So the city of San Francisco can expect to see more of Mario and the Uber Drivers United group. They’re already planning another protest during the Super Bowl to fill the local highways. “We will shut it all down.”
Update: Uber sent Engadget the following statement: “Seasonality affects every business and Uber is no different, so when holiday parties wind down in SF that can mean a slow start to the year for our driver-partners. By cutting prices for riders, we can give them one more reason to take a ride, which helps keep drivers busier during the slow season. To put drivers’ minds at ease, we have hourly earnings guarantees in place.”
One billion Gmail accounts are now active every month
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Gmail achieved the milestone of one billion Android app downloads some time ago, but getting to one billion Gmail accounts being active every month? That’s an entirely different matter.
Google announced this exact feat this morning during its earnings call, confirming that its monthly active user count had breached the billion user mark after reporting 900 million at last year’s Google I/O event. Gmail now joins the elite company of Google Search, Chrome, Android, Maps, YouTube and Google Play with a billion monthly users, but crucially requires that the user choose to use Gmail over other email clients, whereas the other apps in the “one billion club” are undisputed leaders in their space.
In its call, Google didn’t mention Inbox at all and whether it is helping Gmail as a whole, but it definitely seems to be in an early experimental state for now. One thing’s for sure: Gmail is here to stay.
What do you think about one billion Gmail accounts being used every month? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: TechCrunch
The post One billion Gmail accounts are now active every month appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Preview premium channels for free on Verizon FiOS
Verizon announced a new perk for its FiOS customers on Monday that will allow them to preview HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, EPIX or Starz for up to 48 hours. The offer will be available on not only live TV but also for On Demand titles and through the Fios Mobile App. While you’ll be able to preview each channel individually, you’ll only be able to do so once a year. Still, it beats waiting for those randomly timed free preview weekends.
Source: Verizon
EOS-1D X Mark II: Canon’s flagship DSLR goes 4K
There’s no doubt Nikon stole CES 2016, thanks to the D5, D500 and KeyMission 360 announcements. But rival Canon seems to have saved its best for after the show. Today, it’s introducing the EOS-1D X Mark II, a highly anticipated successor to the company’s flagship DSLR from 2012. Since this is Canon’s top-of-the-line model for photographers, major upgrades can be found across the board. The second-generation 1D X sports a 20.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, Dual DIGIC 6+ processors, up to 51,200 native ISO (409,600 expanded) and a 14 fps continuos shooting mode (16 fps with mirror lock-up).
Canon has also revamped the 61-point autofocus system: every AF dot supports an f/8 max aperture, making the camera a perfect option for nature and wildlife shooters. Additionally, the 1D X Mark II’s insane burst setting lets it capture as many JPEG images as the memory card is able to fit in. While said feature only works with a CFast card, you get a CF slot too, as well as a fixed 3-inch LCD (1.62 million dots), built-in GPS and a 3.5mm headphone jack — handy for monitoring audio in video mode.
Speaking of which, Canon’s finally bringing 4K to a consumer-grade DSLR. The 1D X Mark II is capable of recording 4K internally at up to 60 fps, while 1080p handles 120 fps for slow-motion videos. Interestingly enough, Canon says the touchscreen is limited to video use, meaning you can tap on it to focus with the Dual Pixel CMOS AF, but not anything else outside of that — no browsing the menus, no pinch-to-zoom on photos.
The EOS-1D X Mark II is expected to begin shipping in April for $6,000 (body-only), or $6,300 for a kit that includes a 64GB CFast card and a reader for it.
AIVAnet 