Google is firing out last minute I/O 2016 invitations

Google is sending out last minute I/O 2016 invitations, meaning should you be among those who have been unable to purchase one thus far for this year’s big event, you potentially have another opportunity to get your name down. It’s strongly recommended you check your emails if you haven’t yet got an invite as you could be one of the lucky ones this time around.

Should you finally have an invitation from Google, you’ll need to part with $900 required for a general admission ticket, or $300 for an academic pass. Those of you who have managed to jot your name down and purchase your entry passes, check out the official Google I/O 2016 app. We’ll also be attending I/O this year so be sure to remain tuned to our feeds for the latest from the conference.

Google I/O 2016 will take place on May 18-20.

Samsung Galaxy Note 6 Lite not tight on specs: 5.8-inch screen, 4G RAM and more

The Samsung Galaxy Note 6 may not arrive alone but as part of a trio, including an affordable Lite model.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 6 Lite should accompany the main handset and potentially a curved variant too. That Lite name usually means a smaller screen and far weaker specs but in this case it appears pretty decent.

The Galaxy Note 6 Lite, according to a Weibo leak, lists a handset the same size as the main smartphone at 5.8-inches but with a lower resolution 1080p display, rather than QHD. Also taking a hit is the processor which should be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 rather than the main phone’s 823. This will be backed by 4GB of RAM rather than the reported 6GB that the lead Note 6 should feature. There is also thought to be a 4000mAh battery onboard.

While these are indeed Lite name worthy specs, when compared with the lead Galaxy Note 6 expectations, they’re not bad. That’s still a large and decent screen with lots of RAM and a fast processor. If Samsung can manage to offer a great build quality, include an S Pen and all its productivity smarts, while keeping the price low, it could be a very appealing handset indeed.

Of course all of this is still rumour and we’ll have to wait until the expected unveil in August or September to find out what Samsung really has planned for the next step for phablets.

READ: Samsung Galaxy Note 6: What’s the story so far?

Adhesive ‘patch’ monitors blood glucose without needles

Researchers from Cardiff University’s School of Engineering have developed a glucose monitor that doesn’t require you to prick your finger. It doesn’t even need blood after the initial calibration, because it uses microwave to keep track of your glucose levels. The device then sends the data it gathers to an accompanying app. Professor Adrian Porch, one of its creators, told the BBC that its microwave levels are very low and nowhere near what’s used for cooking. “Think about a mobile phone,” he said, “we’re about a thousand times less than that level.”

The device sticks to your skin with an adhesive and has a longer shelf life, since it doesn’t use chemicals. For diabetics who hate having to draw blood frequently — type 1 diabetics have to prick their fingers up to six times a day, for instance — this non-invasive monitor could be a godsend. However, it’ll take at least five more years of testing before it becomes widely available. Thus far, it’s been tested on at least 50 patients at the Swansea University College of Medicine, with more tests to follow this summer.

Source: BBC, Wales Online

Backers of cancelled e-ink watch won’t get their money back

If you were wowed by the CST-01 e-ink watch back when it appeared in early 2013 and threw down some of your hard-earned cash for it, we got some bad new for you: you’re probably never getting your money back.

The watch was shelved in the summer of 2015. Central Standard Timing, the team behind the doomed timepiece was hoping to sell off its assets after cancelling the timepiece which might have meant backers would get some of their money back. But, according to SlashGear, bankruptcy papers posted to the Kickstarter page indicate that its highly unlikely that backers will ever see their cash.

The vaporware bracelet was a hit when it appeared on the scene. In fact, Central Standard Timing was able to raise $1,026,293 during its Kickstarter campaign. But, according to the legal papers posted to the backer page, its assets currently only total $30,000. So nearly a million dollars have vanished since the end of the campaign and now.

The legal papers are only visible to the poor souls that gave the company money with no update or statement from the now defunct company or its founders. It’s a sad reminder that crowdfunding campaigns don’t always pay off and sometimes its better to wait and see if a product actually comes to market before buying it.

Source: SlashGear

Apple VP of Online Retail Resigns From Company

Bob Kupbens, Apple’s Vice President of Online Retail, has resigned from the company, reports 9to5Mac.

The former Delta Airlines VP was hired by Apple in March 2014 shortly after Angela Ahrendts was confirmed the company’s next senior VP. The hires came as Apple sought to beef up its retail division following two years without a retail leader since John Browett’s dismissal in 2012.

Kupbens took over from Apple VP Jennifer Bailey – now in charge of Apple Pay – and was directly responsible for all online retail initiatives, such as Apple’s recently redesigned online store and its online iPhone upgrade program.

Apple’s retail leadership has had a relatively high staff turnover in recent years compared to other divisions in the company. In January 2013, VP Jerry McDougal left Cupertino after playing a key role in the company’s retail development for 12 years. Ahrendts’ division shake-up later made way for the 2015 retirement of Bob Bridger, the last Apple retail executive of the Steve Jobs and Ron Johnson era.

A former CEO of Burberry, Ahrendts famously revamped the company’s entire shopping experience. Apple has aggressively expanded in China under Ahrendts’ retail leadership, with stores opening last year in Chongqing, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing and Tianjin, and several more on the way throughout 2016.

Tag: Apple retail
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Apple Introduces Apple Music Student Membership Option With 50% Discount at $4.99 per Month

Apple will today introduce an Apple Music student plan that discounts the streaming service by 50 percent for those who are enrolled in an eligible college or university (via TechCrunch).

The new plan means any academic student in the United States can now pick up an individual Apple Music membership for $4.99 a month, rather than pay the standard $9.99 subscription rate.

U.S. students won’t be the only ones to benefit though, as the plan is also open to students in the U.K., Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. The actual cost is expected to vary slightly from country to country, but all markets will see 50 percent off the standard subscription rate.

The student discount is offered for up to four continuous or non-continuous years after sign-up, so students are able to take gap years or breaks between semesters and still sign up again when they return to study. Additionally, the plan is open to all students of all ages, regardless of degree.

The membership tier will be available starting today to both new and existing subscribers. Students can sign up or change their membership online, or go through the Apple Music mobile app. Apple is using student verification technology provider, UNiDAY, to ensure that those who are signing up as students are actually enrolled at a supported institution.

News of the student plan comes two days after it was reported that Apple is planning to overhaul its year-old music streaming service to make it more intuitive. The company is set to redesign the user interface, which will be “bolder, yet simpler”, with an emphasis on black and white backgrounds and text as well as more of a focus on album art.

Additionally, the “New” tab in Apple Music is being replaced with a “Browse” option with better organizational tools for finding new content, and Apple will encourage users to use a simplified “For You” section. The new Apple Music app will reportedly debut at WWDC in iOS 10 and will be introduced through an iTunes update on the Mac.

Tag: Apple Music
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TSMC Reportedly Completing Designs for 10-nm A11 Chip With Early 2017 Availability

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has begun to “tape out” the design for Apple’s A11 processor built on a 10nm FinFET process, according to industry sources (via DigiTimes). Taping out refers to the initial design of the chip having been completed for creation of the masks that will be used to print the actual chips, although further tweaks are likely as test production is carried out.

Following the final result of the design cycle for the A11, TSMC is expected to achieve certification on its 10nm manufacturing process in the fourth quarter of 2016, and deliver product samples to Apple for validation in the first quarter of 2017. TSMC is expected to obtain about two-thirds of its overall A11 chip orders directly from Cupertino.

The same sources indicate that TSMC could begin small-volume production for Apple’s A11 chips as early as the second quarter of 2017, which would generate revenue for the company in the following quarter.

Apple currently operates a two-year upgrade cycle for its smartphones. All things remaining the same, that would mean the A11 would be headed for the “iPhone 7s”, the likely successor to the next-generation iPhone 7 which is slated to launch this fall. However, last month Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz speculated Apple will skip its traditional “S” upgrade cycle next year altogether.

Citing industry sources, Moskowitz said the Cupertino company won’t debut a spec-bumped, internally upgraded “iPhone 7s” in 2017, but a completely overhauled “iPhone 8” with “major design changes” and new, next-generation features like wireless charging. Either way, the A11-powered iPhone models would therefore be expected to launch in the second half of 2017.

In February, TSMC reached a deal with Apple to be the sole manufacturer for the A10, which is expected to be the processor included in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The deal was thought to have been motivated by TSMC’s advanced device packaging techniques capable of higher-width memory buses and lower-power operation, which for consumers means better performance and efficiency.

Tags: TSMC, iPhone 7s, A11 chip
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Pre-ordered the HTC 10? You’ll receive a ‘small token of appreciation’ from HTC shortly

HTC is sending out emails to customers that have pre-ordered the HTC 10, stating that they will receive a “small token of appreciation” from the company for purchasing the handset.

From the Reddit thread:

There’s no mention as to what the surpise gift may be, but it could turn out to be an accessory like the Ice View case, or the HTC Active Earphones. It could even be the Hi-Res Audio Earphones, which aren’t bundled in the U.S. edition of the phone.

What are you guys hoping the mystery gift will be?

Thanks Steven!

Google: Android One program now a part of Rick Osterloh’s hardware division

Google has failed to make strides with the Android One platform in India, but the search giant isn’t giving up on the initiative. The program is now “a part of the broader hardware strategy” and will be under the control of Rick Osterloh, who recently returned to Google to lead its hardware efforts.

In an interview with Economic Times, Mike Hayes, director of business development for Android and Chrome partnerships said:

Android One has become a part of the broader hardware strategy, under which Motorola’s Rick Osterloh has joined Google recently. Google is taking a broader view of its hardware business. So you should expect to see a position around what we are doing on low-end devices all the way through.

We still continue to support a number of OEMs (original equipment makers) that partnered with us on the programme. However, speeds at which the devices are coming to the market are completely dependent upon the OEMs.

We still have interest from a number of OEMs wanting to work with us on programmes like the Android One. The program is about mass market low-end devices, more affordability and to drive services into the market, and the premium things that we are working on with a number of OEMs.

Hayes confirmed that new Android One handsets will launch in due course of time, and that Google will continue to partner with local vendors Micromax, Karbonn, and Spice.

The executive also talked about carrier billing, which was enabled for Idea Cellular subscribers earlier this week. Google is currently in talks with other carriers to bring the feature to more customers in the country:

We are actively engaging with other major carriers. I can’t give a specific date but we expect that in the short term, there will be several announcements that we would announcing with them. We have learnt a lot and are able to talk intelligibly what those opportunities are with the carriers.

We’ll likely hear more about what’s planned for Android One at I/O 2016, which starts on May 18.