Facebook to allow Live Video streaming from any device
Facebook has been really pushing Live Video lately, with a revamped app experience designed to elevate the feature to its users. Today at F8, Facebook’s Developer Conference, the company has announced plans to increase its Live Video efforts even more. It’s opening up a Live API so that anyone can build in the ability to stream live from any device. At the conference, Zuckerberg showed that the ability to stream live video to Facebook has been built into a drone, which will be streaming live video from the conference over the next two days.
Developing…
9.7″ iPad Pro’s ‘Excellent’ Display is ‘Major Upgrade’ Over iPad Air 2
DisplayMate has performed in-depth testing of the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro and determined that its IPS LCD display is a “truly impressive top performing display” and a “major upgrade” over the iPad Air 2.
While both tablets have similar tech specs, including matching 4:3 aspect ratios, 2,048×1536 pixel resolutions, and 264 PPI, Apple has made several underlying improvements to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro that qualified it as DisplayMate’s “best performing mobile LCD display” it has ever tested.
Specifically, the exhaustive display shootout found the 9.7-inch iPad Pro to have two color gamuts that deliver “color accuracy that is visually indistinguishable from perfect” and “very likely considerably better than any mobile display, monitor, TV or UHD TV” that most people own.
The tablet uses a “new DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut that is used in 4K UHD TVs and Digital Cinema,” in addition to the sRGB/Rec.709 gamut, described as “the color standard for most content” that is “needed for accurate color reproduction,” that all previous iPhones and iPads have used.
DisplayMate also determined that the 9.7-inch iPad Pro display is “more than 20 percent brighter than the other current iPads” and the “brightest full size production tablet” that it has ever tested. The tablet’s brightness measures 511 cd/m2 (nits), compared to 415 nits for the iPad Air 2.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro also has “by far the lowest low screen reflectance of any mobile display,” meaning that its image colors and contrast in high ambient light — such as sunlight — will “appear considerably better than any other mobile display.” The tablet uses a new anti-reflectance coating that reduces its reflectance to just 1.7 percent, compared to the iPad Air 2’s reflectance of 2.5 percent. The difference can amount to longer battery life in real-life usage.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro earned high marks for its contrast ratio of 1,022, described as “very good” for a mobile display, and almost identical to the iPad Air 2. However, its ratio was slightly lower than the record 1,631 for the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Similarly, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro’s contrast rating in high ambient light is 301, by far the highest that DisplayMate has ever measured, and topping the iPad Air 2’s rating of 166.
The tablet was found to have “excellent viewing angle performance” with “no visually noticeable color shifts,” recording a 47 to 55 percent decrease in brightness at a “modest 30 degree viewing angle,” which DisplayMate said is slightly better than the iPad Air 2 and all other iPads. Meanwhile, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air 2 had the same overall power efficiency.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro’s display also outperformed its larger 12.9-inch sibling in virtually every category:
The display on the new iPad Pro 9.7 outperforms the iPad Pro 12.9 in every single display performance category except (obviously) size, and then just its Black Luminance, which results in a higher Contrast Ratio in the dark. The iPad Pro 12.9 is still a very good display, it’s just that the iPad Pro 9.7 is so much better than anything else.
DisplayMate speculates that Apple could adopt several of these improved display technologies on the iPhone 7:
Since Apple likes to expand new technology across its product lines, an educated guess for the upcoming iPhone 7 is that its display could be a small version of the iPad Pro 9.7. Improvements could include adding the new DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut and also adding an Anti-Reflection coating that could lower the screen Reflectance from the current iPhone 4.6 percent down to 1.7 percent (a factor of almost 3 improvement). Both of these would also improve the iPhone screen performance and readability in high ambient light. True Tone could be added if Apple upgrades the Ambient Light sensors so they measure Color in addition to Brightness.
Read the full-length 9.7-inch iPad Pro vs. iPad Air 2 display shootout for detailed analysis and in-depth comparison charts.
Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Tag: DisplayMate
Buyer’s Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)
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HTC 10 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
My first glimpse of the HTC 10 was in the hands of the executive who flew from Taiwan to San Francisco to say: “We believe that the HTC 10 is all about perfection.”
OK, then. Make me believe.
Up close with the streamlined metal HTC 10…
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But HTC’s major Android phone didn’t wow me during our hands-on time together. Maybe it can’t ever. CNET will, of course, lovingly review the 10’s ins and outs at our first opportunity. But for now, after a good chunk of time with it, this is what I see: a pretty-enough, powerful-enough device with some competitive hardware specs. A phone like any other major Android phone. Not especially different in my brief experience so far, but competent like it should be. (Skip to the end for the full specs list.)
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Picking up the 5.2-inch HTC 10 for the first time, I noticed the matte finish that won’t gum up with fingerprints and some aggressively chamfered edges that form the phone’s only real design character, unless you count the ridged power and lock button on the side. It’s kind of cool and different that there’s no fingerprint-reading home button you physically push to go home, unlock, and pull up Google Now. There’s a slightly recessed trough that senses your digits instead, and it works really well.
The 10 is a bit bigger than the iPhone 6S and about the same size as Samsung’s Galaxy S7 when I held them side by side. HTC’s phone feels solid and heavy, because it’s all aluminum. Since I seem to be the klutziest phone reviewer on the planet, the 10 fell onto the sidewalk while I was walking. I’m actually really impressed that it only sustained some scuffed edges and not terrible gouges or a cracked screen. This time. (But please don’t be like me. Use a case!)
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Android 6.0 Marshmallow worked fast and smoothly, no surprises here. Extremely eagle-eyed HTC fans will notice that the 10 drops some apps, like HTC’s gallery, in favor of Google apps, like Photos.
New cameras, loud and proud audio
Opening HTC’s native camera app shows you a made-over menu that seems pretty sensible so far, but it’s too early to say anything definitive about the photo quality on the 12-megapixel (oh excuse me, “Ultrapixel”) camera and front-facing 5-megapixel camera (which comes with optical image stabilization — an industry first, as far as I know). Autofocus did seem snappy, but I had some questions about the camera’s color accuracy. Rest assured, we’ll test both cameras silly by the time the full review rolls around.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Listening to music and watching videos was awesome when I plugged in the included high-definition earbuds (which HTC says are worth about $100), even at the lowest volume level. When I pulled out the headphones and turned up the volume, audio (21 Pilots this time) flooded the room. You’ll have to watch where you put your hands so you don’t cover the mics, and you’ll muffle the sound if you turn the phone face down.
If you like what you’re reading so far, keep an eye out for the HTC 10 to launch globally in black and gray, white and silver, black and silver or gold. Preorders for the unlocked version start today, April 12, for $700 from HTC.com in the US or £569 in the UK. Australian prices are yet to be announced but the UK price converts to around AU$1,060. The phone will begin shipping in early May.
Keep scrolling for all the hardware specs.
Spec comparison
| HTC 10 | Samsung Galaxy S7 | LG G5 | Apple iPhone 6S |
| 5.2-inch; 2,560×1,440 pixels | 5.1-inch; 2,560×1,440 pixels | 5.3-inch, 2,560×1,440 pixels | 4.7-inch; 1,334×750 pixels |
| 564 ppi | 576 ppi | 554 ppi | 326 ppi |
| 5.7×2.8×0.35 in | 5.6×2.7×0.3 in | 5.88×2.90×0.3 in | 5.4×2.6×0.28 in |
| 145.9×71.9×9 mm | 142.4×69.6×7.9 mm | 149.4×73.9×7.7 mm | 138x67x7.1 mm |
| 5.7 oz; 161 g | 5.4 oz; 152 g | 5.61 oz; 159 g | 5 oz; 143 g |
| Android 6.0 with HTC Sense | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Apple iOS 9 |
| 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel | 16-megapixel, 8-megapixel wide | 12-megapixel |
| 5-megapixel | 5-megapixel | 8-megapixel | 5-megapixel |
| 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 | 2.15GHz + 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor | 2.15GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor | Apple A9 chip (64-bit) |
| 32GB, 64GB (varies by region) | 32GB, 64GB (varies by region) | 32GB | 16GB, 64GB, 128GB |
| 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 2GB |
| 2TB | 200GB | 2TB | None |
| 3,000mAh (nonremovable) | 3,000mAh (nonremovable) | 2,800mAh (removable) | 1,715mAh (nonremovable) |
| Home button | Home button | Home button | Home button |
| USB-C | Micro-USB | USB-C | Lightning |
| N/A | Water-resistant | Pull-out battery, two rear cameras | N/A |
HTC selling the HTC 10 directly in the U.S. for $699
Preorders for the new flagship start today, with the phone shipping in May.
The HTC 10 is officially official. And as it’s done previously, HTC will be selling the phone directly in the United States. That’s in addition to it being carrier on Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.
Here’s what you need to know about buying the HTC 10 in the United States:
Verizon
Verizon has confirmed it will offer the HTC 10 but did not give any specifics on its plans. Here is the carrier’s full statement:
The HTC 10 from Verizon combines the most customizable Android experience with the nation’s most powerful network. The HTC 10 will be available in the U.S. first on Verizon. You’ll be able to order it in the coming weeks.
Sprint
Sprint will offer the HTC 10, but again, that’s all we know at this point. The carrier stated, “An availability date will be announced shortly.” Pricing was not revealed.
T-Mobile
The U.S. Un-carrier has announced the company will stock the HTC 10 come May with details on pricing and preordering to be released in the coming weeks. To celebrate the launch of HTC’s new flagship smartphone, T-Mobile decided to unbox the handset as if it were done in a Mission Impossible movie.
Unlocked from HTC
HTC is taking preorders for the HTC starting today, April 12. It’ll run $699, which is in line with other flagship Android smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the LG G5. The phone will start shipping in early May.
The HTC 10 will come in Glacier Silver and Carbon Gray. It also will come with HTC’s “Uh Oh Protection,” which will give you one free replacement within your first year of ownership should you crack the screen or the phone suffer water damage.
See at HTC
HTC 10 supports Apple’s AirPlay streaming standard
A three-finger swipe will stream to Apple TV, or any AirPlay-capable speaker or receiver, without a third-party app.
Funny thing about standards — there are so many of them that you’ve got a pretty good chance your device supports at least one. But when it comes to Apple’s AirPlay, Android devices haven’t been invited to play. At least not out of the box. Third-party apps can get the job done, but there’s something to be said for a phone supporting standards natively.
And the HTC 10 supports Apple’s AirPlay standard, out of the box.
That’s a big deal for a few reasons. One is that supporting more standards is almost always better. (Not to be confused with there being too many standards in the first place.) If you live or work around someone who uses an iOS device, this puts you on the same playing field, at least in that regard.
The other is that AirPlay is baked into all sorts of things. Apple TV is the obvious one, of course. With it you can push apps and displays from iOS and OSX devices (as in Macs and iPhones and iPads) to a television a lot like we can with Chromecast and Android. But loads of stereo receivers and speakers support AirPlay, too. (Again, just as more are starting to support the Cast protocol natively.)
HTC Connect — which you activate by swiping three fingers up on the display — is one of those criminally underrated features on HTC’s past few phones. It’s a great thing to have. And with the addition of AirPlay it’s only getting better.
HTC’s ‘Ice View’ case replaces the lower-res Dot View
A major new phone means a new kind of case — and the HTC 10 Ice View case is an intriguing way to protect (and still use) your phone.
With the announcement of the new HTC 10, we also have a new kind of case to go along with it. HTC’s old Dot View cases were fun, but pretty limited, sort of an 8-bit peek at the screen. With the HTC 10, we now have the Ice View case.
Instead of using low-resolution text and images on the the screen to peek through a perforated case, Ice View instead has a nearly opaque front flap. A double-tap brings up the clock and date and notifications, done up in a distinctly Miami Vice color scheme. A swipe up from there allows you to call back the most recent caller without opening the case.
More exciting, however, is that this translucent setup lets you use the camera without having to let the front cover hang open — that’s never been a very good option. Because the display is so close to the cover you can see a rough preview of what you’re shooting, as well as the camera controls. It’s blurry, but it works in a pinch. You’re not going to be doing much adjusting on the fly, but it’s good for a quick shot.
And you’ve got a new gesture for launching the camera — both with the Ice View case on the phone, as well as without it. To quickly launch the camera on the HTC 10 you take one finger and swipe down on the screen twice.
The Ice Vice case itself is the sort of TPU rubber that you’ve seen before. It’s a bit of a fingerprint magnet after even just a few seconds, but it keeps the phone protected. There are cutouts for the rear cameras and microphone, and you can easily get to the 3.5mm headphone jack up top. The front earpiece looks like it doesn’t quite line up correctly, but that’s because there are sensors above it that the case has to account for. (They’re visible on models of the HTC 10 that sport a white face.) There’s an HTC logo in the bottom left of the front flap that also serves as a magnetic trigger, so the phone knows when the case is affixed.
All in all, an interesting solution to an old problem — how do you protect your phone without making it useless in the process.
HTC 10
- HTC 10 preview
- HTC 10 hands-on: a Canadian perspective
- HTC 10 specs
- These are the HTC 10 colors
- BoomSound goes Hi-Fi
- Meet the Ice View case
- Join our HTC 10 forums
HTC
HTC is working on USB-C-powered noise-canceling headphones with JBL
If you’re in the market for a pair of premium earbuds to use while you run or work out, HTC and JBL are bringing a pair to market that you might be interested in. In conjunction with the HTC 10 launch, the Reflect Aware C headphones are targeted directly at smartphone users who want a little more.
It’s not just the design and construction. The headphones come with three different sizes of both standard tips and sport tips, are to be “sweat proof” and have a reflective surface on the tangle-free cord. Anyone doing a little jogging or otherwise exercising appreciates that. The Reflect Aware C set also has active-noise canceling with adaptive noise control. This combo should allow for the fine-tuning to hear things like a car horn or siren (important while running!) while still keeping background noise to a minimum. And because the USB Type-C connection can pass both audio and power, there’s no need for batteries.
HTC also promises the “JBL signature sound” and we expect good things when paired with the new BoomSound HiFi powered HTC 10.
We’ll take a good look at these and have all the information about pricing and availability soon.
HTC 10
- HTC 10 preview
- HTC 10 hands-on: a Canadian perspective
- HTC 10 specs
- These are the HTC 10 colors
- BoomSound goes Hi-Fi
- Meet the Ice View case
- Join our HTC 10 forums
HTC
From HTC One M7 to HTC 10 — a specs showdown
The road leading to the HTC 10 is long. And full of metal. And codenames. From the HTC One M7 in 2013 all the way to today’s HTC 10, you can easily see the growth in design, and overall look and feel. And along with those more organic differences, you also can see how the basic specs have increased in three or four years. A lot has changed, for sure.
So let’s take a look at how the specs stand up between the HTC 10, HTC One M9, HTC One M8, and the HTC One M7.
| Operating System | Android 6.0.1 | Android 5.1 (with update) | Android 5.0 (with update) | Android 5.0 (with update) |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8202×1.6GHz + 2×2.1GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8104x2GHz + 4×1.5GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8014×2.3GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6004×1.7GHz |
| RAM | 4GB | 3GB | 2GB | 2GB |
| Display | 5.2-inch QHD Super LCD 5 | 5-inch 1080p LCD | 5-inch 1080p LCD | 4.7-inch 1080p LCD |
| Rear Camera | 12MP Ultrapixel + OIS, f/1.8 lens | 20MP, f/2.0 lens | 4MP Ultrapixel, f/2.0 lens | 4MP Ultrapixel + OIS, f/2.0 lens |
| Front Camera | 5MP Ultrapixel + OIS | 4MP Ultrapixel | 5MP | 2.1MP |
| Storage | 32GB + SD | 32GB + SD | 16GB/32GB + SD | 32/64GB |
| Qualcomm QuickCharge | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 |
| Battery | 3,000mAh | 2,840mAh | 2,600mAh | 2,300mAh |
| SIM | nanoSIM | nanoSIM | nanoSIM | microSIM |
| Audio | HTC BoomSound Hi-Fi Edition | HTC BoomSound (headphones + front speakers) | HTC BoomSound (headphones + front speakers) | Beats Audio (headphones + front speakers) |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.1 Gen. 1 | microUSB | microUSB | microUSB |
| IR Blaster | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Size (mm) | 145.9×71.9×9.0 | 144.6×69.7×9.61 | 146.36×70.6×9.35 | 37.4×68.2×9.3 |
| Weight | 161g | 157g | 160g | 143g |
HTC 10
- HTC 10 preview
- HTC 10 hands-on: a Canadian perspective
- HTC 10 specs
- These are the HTC 10 colors
- BoomSound goes Hi-Fi
- Meet the Ice View case
- Join our HTC 10 forums
HTC
Spec showdown: HTC 10 vs. Galaxy S7 vs. LG G5 vs. Nexus 6P vs. iPhone 6s Plus
How does HTC’s latest stack up against the leading competition?
The HTC 10 is launching a tad later in the year than the competition, and that means we have a great slate of phones to compare it to directly. The Galaxy S7 is already out in the wild, the LG G5 has been on sale for a bit, and of course we have the Nexus 6P and iPhone 6s Plus still making waves from the end of last year.
Though there’s a ton to look into when it comes to actually using these phones and comparing them, we can at least start with a look at the specs. We do that right here.
| Operating System | Android 6.0 | Android 6.0 | Android 6.0 | Android 6.0 | iOS 9.3 |
| Display | 5.2-inch2560x1440Super LCD 5 | 5.1-inch2560x1440Super AMOLED | 5.3-inch2560x1440IPS LCD | 5.7-inch2560x1440AMOLED | 5.5-inch1920x1080LCD |
| Processor | Quad-core Snapdragon 820 | Quad-core Snapdragon 820or Octa-core Samsung Exynos | Quad-core Snapdragon 820 | Octa-core Snapdragon 810 | Apple A9 |
| Storage | 32GB | 32GB | 32GB | 32/64/128GB | 32/64/128GB |
| Expandable | microSD | microSD | microSD | No | No |
| RAM | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 3GB | 2GB |
| Rear Camera | 12MP f/1.81.55-micron pixelsOIS | 12MP f/1.71.4-micron pixelsOIS | 16MP f/1.8OIS8MP wide-angle secondary | 12.3MP f/2.01.55-micron pixels | 12MP f/2.2OIS |
| Front Camera | 5MP UltrapixelOIS | 5MP f/1.7 | 8MP | 8MP f/2.4 | 5MP f/2.2 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11acBluetooth v4.2 LEUSB 3.1, NFC | Wi-Fi 802.11acBluetooth v4.2 LEANT+, USB 2.0, NFC | Wi-Fi 802.11acBluetooth v4.2 LEUSB-C, NFC | Wi-Fi 802.11acBluetooth v4.2 LEUSB-C, NFC | Wi-Fi 802.11acBluetooth v4.2 |
| Charging | USB-CQuick Charge 3.0 | micro-USBFast chargingQi wirelessPowermat wireless | USB-CQuick Charge 3.0 | USB-CRapid charging | Lightning port |
| Battery | 3000 mAh | 3000 mAh | 2800 mAh | 3450 mAh | 2750 mAh |
| Water resistance | No | IP68 rating | No | No | No |
| Security | One-touch fingerprint sensor | One-touch fingerprint sensorSamsung KNOX | One-touch fingerprint sensor | One-touch fingerprint sensor | One-touch fingerprint sensor |
| Dimensions | 145.9 x 71.9 x 9 mm | 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm | 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm | 159.3 x 77.8 x 7.3 mm | 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3 mm |
| Weight | 161g | 152g | 159g | 178g | 192g |
HTC 10
- HTC 10 preview
- HTC 10 hands-on: a Canadian perspective
- HTC 10 specs
- These are the HTC 10 colors
- BoomSound goes Hi-Fi
- Meet the Ice View case
- Join our HTC 10 forums
HTC
Opera Max now lets you enjoy even more video on tablets thanks to data savings
Opera has released an update for its Max app that implements support for tablets. Now those with larger screens will be able to enjoy similar benefits to smartphone owners and save on data usage when enjoying videos on the go. The company states that tablet users will be able to save up to 60% on Netflix and 50% on YouTube streaming. Those are some favorable figures, especially when one considers just how little data some plans have.
If you’ve yet to use Opera Max, the app essentially optimizes everything sent to and from your phone (and now tablet). The app automatically works with various apps like Chrome, YouTube, Netflix, Flipboard, Instagram, Pandora, and more. But tablet support isn’t the only major addition in this release of Opera Max. This latest version also includes support for right-to-left languages, including Arabic, Urdu, Persian and Hebrew, bringing the total number of languages up to 63.
Ready to try Opera Max and save some data? Download the app for free from the Play Store.
AIVAnet 