Amazon Prime Video Now Offered as Standalone $8.99 Monthly Service

Amazon has repositioned its Prime Video service as a standalone .99 monthly subscription deal with the option to cancel at any time.

Prior to Sunday night, Amazon’s video streaming service was only available to U.S. customers as part of the annual Amazon Prime bundle, which qualified subscribers for free shipping from the company’s online retail store, unlimited music streaming, and access to its library of original TV shows and movies.

The differentiation of Prime Video appears to be a renewed bid to take on Netflix, which has increased the price of its streaming service to new users from .99 to .99. Longtime subscribers to Netflix’s standard plan who were paying .99 a month were also recently informed that they would start paying .99 a month from May. The company is due to report its first quarter earnings this afternoon.

In addition to Prime Video, Amazon has also introduced a .99 per month option for its full Amazon Prime service.

The Amazon Prime annual subscription still works out cheaper than the .99 monthly subscription over 12 months, while the Prime Video per month fee comes to 7.88 per annum, nevertheless customers are likely to be attracted to the offer after becoming accustomed to the monthly payment model established by the likes of Netflix and Hulu.

A tvOS app for Prime Video remains unavailable, despite November rumors that Amazon was actively working on an Apple TV app for release before the end of 2015. In October of last year, Amazon removed all Apple TV product listings from its website because the devices do not offer its Prime Video streaming service, which the online retailer said may cause confusion for customers.

Amazon Video for iOS is free on the App Store and accessible by Amazon Prime members. The service is also available on Android, Fire OS, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, Wii U, the web and select TV and Blu-ray players from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Vizio.

Tag: Amazon Prime Video
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Apple Reportedly Running Secret Car Lab in German Capital

Apple is operating a secret vehicle research and development lab in the heart of Berlin, claims a report published in a German news outlet this morning.

According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (also known as F.A.Z.), Apple’s clandestine facility employs between 15 and 20 “top class” men and women from the German automotive industry, with backgrounds in engineering, software, hardware, and sales.

The workers at the car lab are described as “progressive thinkers” in their respective fields who agreed to work with Apple after their ideas for innovation were stifled by the more conservative outlooks of their previous employers.

The article goes on to repeat previous speculation surrounding Apple’s rumored vehicle research, noting that the company’s first car will be electric, but also ventures to claim that it will lack self-driving capabilities because the required technology is still in development.

Additionally, the report alleges that Apple is investigating a vehicle-sharing model similar to BMW’s Drive-Now and European car rental service Sixt, owing to the company’s lack of a nationwide distribution network. Similar to previous rumors, Austrian contract manufacturer of high-end cars Magna Steyr is also cited as a partner for vehicle creation once the R&D stage is complete.

Apple Car rumors have gained momentum since early 2015, when The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has hundreds of employees working to develop an electric vehicle under the codename “Project Titan.” The bulk of research and development is thought to be taking place in an Apple-leased Sunnyvale campus in California, where loud “motor noises” were heard, sparking speculation that the building is a secret car testing facility for Apple’s automotive project.

Tim Cook teased about the possibility of an Apple Car in February by saying “it’s going to be Christmas Eve for a while,” suggesting the much-rumored project will not be publicly revealed for some time.

Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tag: Project Titan
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Xiaomi Max with 6.4-inch display surfaces

It looks like Xiaomi is all set to launch a phablet with a 6.4-inch display, dubbed Max. A leaked image of the phone’s display panel shows off capacitive buttons at the bottom of the screen and narrow bezels.

The lack of a home button at the front suggests that the Xiaomi Max will feature a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, similar to what we’ve seen with the Redmi Note 3. According to MyDrivers, the phone will feature a metal body and Snapdragon 820 SoC.

There’s no official confirmation from Xiaomi, but the latest rumors suggest that we’ll see the phablet make its debut next month. In the meantime, what do you guys think of a Xiaomi handset with a 6.4-inch display?

The Panono 360 degree camera isn’t for everyone, but it’s super impressive

While LG and Samsung attack the mass consumer market, Panono is more prosumer.

It’s not a brand new product, but this week’s IFA Global Press Conference in Hong Kong has presented our first opportunity to get up close with it. Borne from crowdfunding, as so many start-up projects now are, the Panono 360 degree camera is a high-end, stills only shooter that boasts of taking pictures with five times the resolution of any alternative currently on the market.

It’s also pricey. $1499 pricey. But, it’s not trying to compete with what Samsung or LG has to offer. In fact, Panono says that the recent product launches from these two Korean giants is actually helping its own business. The market is more aware of 360 degree cameras as a result, and they’re discovering Panono in turn.

What it is, is a ball that contains 36 individual, fixed-focus cameras that total 108MP. It only takes still photos, and for good reason. Panono wanted to make the best quality 360 degree photos on the market, while still keeping the product portable, and somewhat affordable. They say adding video to the current setup would increase its size and dramatically increase the cost.

It’s smartphone connectable, with apps for iOS currently available, with an Android version currently in beta, but it’s not your phone that processes the images. The app allows you to control basic camera functions such as acting as a remote shutter, setting exposure, shutter speed and ISO, and it does allow you to preview a much scaled down version of the photo. The stitching of the images is done by Panono in the cloud, a process facilitated by the phone but one that allows their technology to work out of sight and letting you carry on taking pictures.

The app also helps you share your creations with the world, with Facebook specifically mentioned. The camera has 16GB of onboard storage which should be good for 600 360 degree images, or 200 if you turn on HDR. It’s charged over USB and you can attach it to a tripod and if you’re feeling particularly brave you can even throw it up in the air. Panono will automatically shoot as it reaches the top of the throw, but you have to make sure you catch it. Because it’s not going to survive hitting the ground in its current state.

The market for this kind of product is still taking off. While the Panono has a very specific target audience, it’s also important that it exists. Cheaper, more consumer friendly products are most welcome, but the high-end crowd also needs looking after. And it’s there than Panono is finding a home.

If you want to check out some sample images taken with Panono, and you have a Google Cardboard, check out the app linked below. For more on the camera, check out Panono’s own store.

Download Panono Cardboard from Google Play.

See at Panono

T-Mobile Galaxy Note 5 finally starts receiving Marshmallow update

T-Mobile is finally rolling out the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update to the Galaxy Note 5. The OTA comes in at 1.4GB, bumps the firmware version to N920TUVV2DPD1, and includes April’s security patches.

The carrier’s software tracker still lists the update as being under “Manufacturer Development,” but the update is rolling out. If you’re rocking the Galaxy Note 5 on T-Mobile, head into your device’s settings to manually download the Marshmallow update.

Already received Android 6.0.1 on your T-Mobile Galaxy Note 5? How are you liking the changes?

Thanks Brian Kim for the tip!

Phillips Health Watch to finally arrive at IFA 2016, costing around €250

Philips has revealed the suite of health products it announced at IFA 2015 are now available, with the Health Watch to follow at this year’s IFA, costing around €250.

The products include the watch, scales and blood pressure monitor, as well as a thermometer, all of which connect to the Philips HealthSuite app. Some of the products are already available through Philips directly but we will have to wait a few more months for the Health Watch.

The Health Watch was first seen in September last year, featuring an E Ink display for a four-day battery life, along with waterproofing and a small, simple and lightweight design. The circular display is unlocked by tapping the face three times, while a small circular symbol at the top brings you back to the clock face from wherever you are.

The device and suite aim at the health market, like Withings, rather than just fitness like Fitbit. The Health Watch tracks steps, measures calories burned and tracks sleep like most fitness trackers, but it offers continuous optical heart rate tracking using Philips technology, which sits on the underside of the watch face.

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A swipe right to left on the display will pull up your real-time heart rate, followed by the other metrics with consequent swipes. As you would expect, the watch links to the Philips HealthSuite app, enabling users to see all their heart rate data on their smartphone and monitor it over time, as well as any other information from the other products within the health suite, whether that be the scales or blood pressure monitor.

There is no GPS or anything too fancy built into the Health Watch, but Philips has said the device is more about monitoring your health rather than acting as a replacement running watch. Smartphone notifications may come in the future but the Health Watch won’t offer this from launch, said Philips. It will however, allow you to input nutritional information in the form of how many calories they have consumed at various points in the day.

Philips is currently waiting for medical certification, hence the long wait between its first debut and its launch. It hopes this will not only enable the company to make a difference in this field but also allow for the information collected by the various health devices to link to doctors and hospitals for a better all-round understanding.

The Philips Health Watch will go on sale in September 2016 with a price point around €250.

Passenger plane hits alleged drone at landing, police on the hunt for pilot

The Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that the Metropolitan Police are investigating a possible incident with a drone at Heathrow airport. This follows reports that a drone smashed into a passenger plane.

The A320 aircraft was landing at Heathrow when it collided with a flying object thought to be a drone. It is illegal to fly drones within the flight space of an airport without permission.

Commercial aircraft collide with birds often with them being destroying on impact. But the metallic drones could pose more of a threat to the aircraft.

This is not the first time drones have been sighted buzzing around airports. An A380 spotted a drone near Heathrow last October while another plane spotted a drone near London City airport.

Drone manufacturer DJI introduced a geofencing system last year which stops its devices from straying into registered airspace. This information can be continually updated to avoid collisions like this from happening.

Brendan Schulman, DJI’s vice president of policy and legal affairs said: “Our years of actual user experience have shown that in most instances, strict geofencing is the wrong approach for this technology, and instead we are helping operators make informed, accountable decisions.”

READ: Drone aerial photography explained: Here’s what it is and how to do it

Monthly Amazon Prime subscription now available in US, coming to UK?

Amazon has finally added a separate payment option for its Prime membership other than having to pay for the whole shebang in one yearly lump. In the US, subscribers can now choose to pay monthly for the service too.

Hopefully, a similar scheme will also be introduced to the UK.

US Amazon Prime members can now opt to pay $10.99 a month for the service. Previously, the only choice was to pay $100 annually.

Naturally, paying monthly will be more than $32 a year extra, but it enables members to spread the cost. What’s more, they can cancel at any time, so aren’t committed to a 12-month contract.

You can cancel at any time with the annual subscription, but you will still have paid for the entire year up front.

Prime membership in the UK costs £79 with no monthly option currently.

READ: Can I get Amazon Prime Now one-hour deliveries in my area?

Also added in the US is the ability to pay for Prime Video separately, if you don’t want the other benefits of Amazon Prime. For $8.99 a month, US subscribers get access to unlimited movies and TV shows on the service, including Ultra HD video with HDR.

The UK has always offered a separate Prime Video subscription option, at £5.99 a month.

As well as Amazon Prime Video, full Amazon Prime membership includes free shipping, unlimited music streaming, free eBooks to “borrow”, early access to Lightning deals, free same-day delivery in eligible areas.

In the UK, you also get unlimited photo storage.

Australia tests mail delivery drones

If you needed any further proof that drones can be mail couriers, you just got it. Australia Post has successfully field-tested a drone system that would deliver small packages, particularly time-sensitive goods like medication. It was only a closed test this time around, but the move clears a path for trial deliveries to real customers later in the year — this isn’t just a preview of long-term plans, like you’ve seen with other services.

The initiative should take delivery drones one step closer to legitimacy, but it’ll also underscore the limits of current technology. Australia’s vast size makes it unlikely that drones will provide anything approaching coast-to-coast coverage. They just don’t have the range to deliver to a village hundreds of miles away from the nearest large town, unfortunately. Even if drone service takes off, rural dwellers will likely have to make do with old-school airmail and delivery trucks.

Via: Reuters

Source: Australia Post

‘Drone’ hits British Airways plane at Heathrow Airport

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it is investigating an incident at Heathrow Airport after British Airways plane was hit by what is believed to be a drone. BBC News reports that the pilot of aircraft BA727, which was approaching Heathrow after flying from Geneva with 132 passengers on board, contacted police shortly after the collision at 12:50PM. The Met has yet to confirm specifics, but if it is proven to have been a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), it will likely be the first recorded incident where a drone has struck a plane.

A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that the aircraft “landed safely” and after careful examination was “cleared to operate its next flight.” Drones and other aerial vehicles are banned around airports, but there have been a number of near misses in the past year. In September, a drone helicopter and quadcopter narrowly missed planes in separate incidents at Heathrow and there have been similar incidents at City Airport, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester.

Drones now ship with positioning systems that restrict their operation at airports and restricted airspaces but the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also explicitly states that they should not be flown above 400 feet and pilots should never lose sight of their vehicle. Another rule bans them from flying within 50 metres of another person, vehicle or structure (that includes prisons and football stadia) that are not under the pilot’s control. Drone pilots are ignoring this safety advice, leading calls for tougher rules and sentences to be put in place.

Source: BBC News