Instagram tests a monochromatic redesign

For all the changes that Instagram has seen in its short history, there have been certain mainstays: you could always count on a sea of blue, for one thing. However, you might have to get used to a different look before long. Anton Abramov has shown The Verge an in-testing redesign that would be considerably more subtle. It’d be dominated by black and white, with simpler icons. The finished product isn’t quite as iconic, but also has virtually nothing to distract you from the photography — pictures stick out like sore thumbs.

Instagram has confirmed that this is real, but it maintains that this is only a “design test” that only a small number of people can see. You might not ever see this look on your phone, and it could change significantly even if it does get the green light. Nonetheless, this shows that Instagram is determined to shake things up despite its rapid growth.

Source: The Verge

Land Rover puts Tile’s stuff-finding Bluetooth tech in an SUV

Tile’s Bluetooth-connected trackers are made to keep you from misplacing all kinds of stuff — keys, bags, phones, laptops, whatever. Now Land Rover is building the tech into a vehicle that makes it pretty much impossible to leave your important items behind. In the 2017 Discovery Sport Tile will be a part of its InControl apps setup, ready to alert the driver if tagged items aren’t in the car. Maybe you’ve never shown up to the airport one bag short, but for the rest of us, it’s one way to avoid an awkward situation.

It’s also able to find items that are inside the car, by locating them and activating a 90db alert sound. The 2017 edition of the SUV has the option of a 10.2-inch touchscreen with a 21:9 aspect ratio (and no hard buttons whatsoever) to control the apps including Tile, and a higher-resolution screen allowing dual-screen use by driver and passenger without reducing the quality.

Source: Jaguar Land Rover

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited adds content for tweens

Amazon FreeTime Unlimited launched back in 2012 as a monthly subscription service for kid-friendly content. Today, they’re adding 3,000 items to FreeTime’s library, bringing the total to 13,000 books, apps and games.

The service’s initial chunk of content was appropriate for children aged 3-8, but this additional block brings multimedia for 9-to-12-year-olds, including shows like Legend of Korra and iCarly as well as books like Harry Potter. There’s also a slew of new games, crucially stripped of in-app purchases so kids won’t run up a huge appstore bill, which had resulted in lawsuits for Google and Apple.

FreeTime’s content filters are also getting a boost with Smart Filters, that let parents set parameters for what content each kid can access. The service’s proprietary web browser won’t be receiving any updates, but still allows 40,000 hand-picked websites and YouTube videos appropriate for kids to enjoy.

The added content is more of the same multimedia blend expanded to reach slightly older kids, but that’s a good thing. Amazon has worked hard to build a content library parents trust, which could be jeopardized by more mature or challenging stuff.

Source: BusinessWire

Apple Pay is ‘Growing at a Tremendous Rate’ With 5X More Transaction Volume Than Last Year

During today’s second quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook spent some time talking about the success of Apple Pay, which he says is “growing at a tremendous rate.” According to Cook, Apple Pay transaction volume is up 5X compared to a year ago and Apple Pay is gaining 1 million new users per week.

Across all of the countries where Apple Pay is available — the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, China, and Singapore — Apple Pay is now available at more than 10 million contactless locations, including 2.5 million in the United States.

Despite its growth, Apple Pay does not provide a significant amount of revenue for Apple, but Apple CFO Luca Maestri says the company is interested to see how Apple Pay progresses in the future.

During the call, Cook said Apple Pay would expand to additional locations “soon,” in line with rumors and evidence suggesting Apple Pay will soon be available in Spain, Hong Kong, Brazil, Japan, and France. For Spain and Hong Kong, Apple Pay will be introduced through a partnership with American Express in 2016, and a leaked MasterCard document points towards MasterCard support in Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore.

In addition to expanding Apple Pay’s availability, Apple is also rumored to be working on several new features to increase its appeal, including the ability to make purchases from websites and the ability to make person to person payments as is possible with services like Square Cash and Venmo.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
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HTC 10 battery life review

To say that Taiwanese manufacturer HTC has had a tough couple of years would be an understatement as the once-titan of Android has failed to capture the heights of old with its last few attempts at a flagship. That being said, every company deserves a second chance and after a year on the sidelines, HTC has made a big return with the HTC 10.

In our HTC 10 review, Josh said that “it might not be a perfect 10, but the HTC 10 just might be the comeback we’ve been waiting for from HTC” and with a premium flagship specs list that includes a 3000 mAh battery, the HTC 10 could be the handset that helps address HTC’s decline.

• HTC 10 Review
• HTC 10 Ice View case & Hi-Res earphones review
• An evening out with the HTC 10: camera impressions
• HTC 10 vs One M9 hands-on

Josh found that the HTC 10 battery offers 3 to 4 hours of screen on time on average but what do the numbers say? And how does HTC’s flagship stack up to the flagships of Google, Samsung and LG? Let’s find out in this HTC 10 battery life review.

In the review below, we’ve compared the data from our HTC 10 testing versus the Galaxy S7 and four rival flagships: Google’s Nexus 6P; the Exynos versions of Samsung’s Galaxy S7 / Galaxy S7 Edge; and LG’s G5 to see how HTC’s flagship stacks up to the competition.

Wi-Fi browsing test

To kick off our testing, we charged each smartphone to full, removed the charger and ran our custom WiFi browsing test tool at full brightness until the battery drained to 0. We then recharged the phone, and recorded the screen-on time recorded by the Android OS. During the testing, each handset was placed 3 meters from the WiFi router it was connected to and syncing of accounts and data had been switched off.

In this test, the HTC 10 scores a rather modest average battery life of 6 hours and 46 minutes, which is on par with the Exynos-powered Galaxy S7 (6 hours and 48 minutes) and slightly higher than the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S7 (6 hours and 30 minutes). It’s considerably better than the 5 hours and 34 minutes offered by the LG G5’s slightly smaller battery but does pale in comparison to the larger battery of the Galaxy S7 Edge, which lasts 8 hours and 13 minutes on average.

Video playback test

From Wi-Fi browsing to video playback and again, we tested from full to empty. Looping the same 5-minute video over and over on each of these handsets, we ran the test at 50% brightness and then recharged the phone to get the screen on time listed by the Android OS. During the test, each device was put in airplane mode to prevent any syncing or connections preventing the video from playing.

In this test, the HTC 10 proves to be somewhat disappointing with an average battery life of 9 hours and 47 minutes. This is better than the Nexus 6P, which scores a lowly 6 hours and 57 minutes despite having a larger battery but is lower than the LG G5 (10 hours and 2 minutes), Galaxy S7 (15 hours and 11 minutes) and the Galaxy S7 Edge (17 hours and 42 minutes). Interestingly, it’s also lower than the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S7, which ranks highest of the Snapdragon 820 phones, with a score of 11 hours and 52 minutes.

Standby test

Our third and final test involves testing the longevity of each handset, as an indicator of the maximum standby life. Each smartphone was charged to full and Wi-Fi was turned on with the same set of apps syncing data and notifications (11 apps in total). After exactly 24 hours, the remaining battery life was measured and this data used to extrapolate the total potential battery life.

The HTC 10 was actually quite disappointing here, as we honestly expected a longer standby time from HTC’s flagship. Its score of 7 days 18 hours ranks lower than all the other phones, with the Nexus 6P scoring 9 days and 2 hours; the LG G5 reaching 9 days and 4 hours; and Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge scoring 10 days 2 hours and 11 days 6 hours respectively.

My personal experiences

Testing under these conditions isn’t always indicative of day-to-day usage, where variables such as network coverage, usage of other apps and more, can all impact the actual battery life offered by a smartphone. To this effect, does the actual battery life live up to its billing above or does it fall short?

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  HTC 10 Accessories Review!

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  HTC 10 Review

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  HTC 10 vs Apple iPhone 6s/Pl…

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  HTC 10 vs Google Nexus 6P qu…

As Josh discovered in our HTC 10 review, the battery offers 4-5 hours of screen-on time on average and in my personal usage, I would say it’s around this figure. Actual battery life does vary wildly and sometimes HTC’s own additions can hinder the battery life: an example of why the video playback time may be lower than other devices is that BoomSound kicks in when playing media in any app and this – naturally – does have an effect on battery life.

That being said, the HTC 10 battery life is definitely better than HTC’s recent flagships and for most people, you’ll get through a full day’s usage. If you’re a heavy user and spend a lot of time on the move, you might want to carry a portable charger, but otherwise, the battery should see you through the day.

Wrap up

There’s no doubt that HTC have struggled in previous years but this struggle may have actually come at the perfect time for the company; rather than introduce new phones that repeat old mistakes, the HTC 10 offers the company the opportunity to start again from the ground up and for the most part, they’ve certainly done this with the battery life.

It’s not as good as the battery on some of the competition but definitely up there with what you could realistically expect from a modern day flagship. With software optimisations, the battery life could yet improve and as the youngest device out of all the ones featured, there’s plenty of time for HTC to deliver further improvements.

Do you have a HTC 10 and if so, what do you think of the battery life? How long does it last for you? Let us know your views in the comments below guys!

Apple posts a decline in revenue after only selling 51 million iPhones in Q2

For the first time in 13 years, Apple didn’t grow.

The company has posted its Q2 2016 results. It brought in $50.6 billion in revenue and $10.5 billion in profits during the period that ended 31 March. In the year-ago quarter, it had $58 billion in revenue and $13.6 billion in profits. It therefore saw a 13 per cent year-over-year dip in revenue.

In terms of sales, Apple sold 51.1 million iPhones, 10.2 million iPads, and 4 million iMacs. That’s an 18 per cent year-over-year drop for iPhones, and a 19 per cent drop for iPads. In the same period last year, Apple sold 61.1 million iPhones, 12.6 million iPads, and 4.5 million Macs.

This doesn’t mean Apple is hurting. It simply failed to encourage growth, as product sales have slowed all over the globe, and it’s struggling to introduce a new product that will make up the difference. The Apple Watch, for instance, which might be a $6 billion business, isn’t as successful as iPhone.

Sales for the watch are hidden in “other products”, along with Apple TV, Beats headphones, etc. That category only managed to bring in $2.2 billion for the quarter (still up 29 per cent year over year), while the services category, which includes iCloud and App Stores, grew from $5 billion to $6 billion.

Keep in mind the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPhone SE both launched at the end of this quarter, so it’ll be another three months before we know whether they helped grow Apple’s business.

Tune into Apple’s conference call at 5 pm EST to hear from Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, and other executives.

Google sister company wants to build smart city districts

Forget just providing internet access on city streets — Google’s sister firm Sidewalk Labs wants to create whole smart neighborhoods. Wall Street Journal sources hear that Sidewalk is about to propose that it design whole city districts with technology in mind. It wants to revamp existing areas (likely in declining regions) with everything from higher-tech electrical grids to self-driving cars. It’s even hoping to get waivers from city regulations so that it can experiment with elements as basic as street design.

Alphabet would have to approve the deal in the “coming weeks,” and there’s no guarantee that it’ll work even if it gets the all-clear. City development frequently involves billions of dollars. Sidewalk would likely have to ask cities (if not larger governments) to chip in, and that’s assuming that they’re willing to put the fate of a district in the hands of a private company. If the firm can persuade everyone to give it a shot, though, you might see how smart cities work in practice without waiting decades for all the technology to fall into place.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Apple Forecasts Another Revenue Decline Next Quarter

Apple today reported its first year-over-year decline in quarterly revenue since 2003, and its guidance for the third quarter of the 2016 fiscal year suggests that the downward trend is likely to continue.

Apple expects third quarter revenue of between $41 billion and $43 billion, which would be up to 18 percent lower than the $49.6 billion in revenue it posted in the year-ago quarter.

The company also expects a gross margin between 37.5 percent and 38 percent, operating expenses between $6 billion and $6.1 billion, other income/expenses of $300 million, and a tax rate of 25.5 percent.

Apple’s first revenue decline in thirteen years is largely attributable to the first ever year-over-year decline in iPhone sales, which dropped to 51.2 million from nearly 61.2 million in the year-ago quarter.

iPad and Mac sales also declined to 10.25 million and 4.03 million respectively in the March quarter, compared to 12.62 million and 4.56 million respectively a year ago.

Meanwhile, Apple experienced growth in both its Services and Other Products categories, the latter of which totaled $2.19 billion and includes sales of iPods, Apple TVs, Beats Electronics, and Apple-branded and third-party accessories.

Quarterly revenue from the iTunes Store, App Store, Mac App Store, iBooks Store, AppleCare, Apple Pay, licensing, and other services amounted to nearly $6 billion, up from $5 billion in the year-ago quarter.

The Americas remain Apple’s largest market with $19.1 billion in revenue, followed by China where revenue fell rather sharply to $12.5 billion compared to $16.8 billion in the previous March quarter.

Tags: earnings, Apple, AAPL
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Demand for iPhone SE is ‘Very Strong,’ Exceeds Available Supply

Apple hasn’t divulged sales numbers for the recently released iPhone SE, but during today’s second quarter earnings call, company executives said that demand for the device was “very strong” and higher than expected.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the iPhone SE puts Apple in a strategic plan to attract new customers with its affordable price point and powerful internal specifications. Cook says Apple is working hard to meet demand and improve shipping times for the device.

Since its release, the iPhone SE has been in short supply despite reports of lackluster sales. For the past several weeks, new iPhone SE orders have listed expected delivery times of two to three weeks, suggesting Apple has not yet been able to meet demand for the device.

Priced attractively at $399 for the entry-level 16GB model, the iPhone SE adopted the external design of the iPhone 5s with parts sourced from later iPhone models like the iPhone 6 and the 6s. The result is a 4-inch iPhone that is on par performance wise with Apple’s current flagship devices.

Positive news about the iPhone SE comes as Apple is reporting its first ever decline in iPhone sales and its first year-over-year decline in revenue in 13 years. During the quarter, Apple sold 51 million iPhones, down from 61 million in Q2 2015. Revenue was at $50.6 billion, down from $58 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Apple’s guidance for Q3 2016 suggests it expects the downward trend to continue, with the company forecasting expected revenue of $41-43 billion. In Q3 2015, Apple posted revenue of $49.6 billion.
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Apple Music Now Has 13 Million Paying Subscribers

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple Music now has 13 million paying subscribers, up from 11 million users just two months ago. In a February interview, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi said Apple Music had 11 million subscribers, suggesting impressive growth over the past 10 weeks.

Apple Music launched in more than 100 countries on June 30, 2015 and will see its first anniversary in two months. At its current growth rate, Apple Music is on track to have somewhere around 15 million subscribers, gaining significant ground on Spotify, which reported more than 20 million paying subscribers and 75 million active users in the weeks ahead of Apple Music’s debut.

Since its launch, Apple has heavily promoted Apple Music with exclusive releases and videos from artists like Taylor Swift and Drake and dynamic content on its free Beats 1 radio service. Apple plans to continue on with its Apple Music advertising and in the future, will debut a television show starring Dr. Dre.

Apple Music is priced at $9.99 per month for individual users and $14.99 per month for a family of up to six users, which can be paid for using an iTunes account. Apple has seen success with Apple Music in part due to the large number of credit cards already attached to iTunes accounts, making it easy for customers to subscribe to Apple services and purchase Apple content.
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