Apple Takes Top Spot in FutureBrand’s Ranking of World’s Favorite Companies

FutureBrand recently released the results of a survey that questioned 3,000 consumers about the 100 biggest companies in the world, asking them to score each company on 18 different factors like trust, innovation, individuality, and price premium. The 2016 results crowned Apple as the top company in the world, “in terms of perception strength, rather than financial strength” (via CNET).

Some of the highest marks Apple received this year surrounded its individuality, authenticity, and purpose, while it scored less well in resource management, wellbeing, and respect among the consumers surveyed. Compared to the second-place entry in the Top 100 listing, Microsoft, Apple edges out ever so slightly in personality and consistency, while customers questioned believed Microsoft to be more innovative than Apple.

Technology companies occupy the top two spots in this year’s rankings and enjoy strong perceptions across our measures. Six of the twenty four ‘future brands’ are in the technology sector – one fewer than in 2015.

A ‘future brand’ is a brand that is more likely to succeed in the future, not just one that is strong now. This is because it perfectly balances strong perceptions of its purpose in the world with the experience it delivers.

Apple’s 2016 win comes after it lost the top spot to Google last year, but a bit of behind-the-scenes reorganization seems to be the reason for the search engine company’s egress from FutureBrand’s list this year. Since Google is considered wholly part of parent company Alphabet, only the latter could appear as a contender for Apple’s first place spot. But consumer knowledge — or lack thereof — surrounding Alphabet and its relationship with Google most likely led to Alphabet’s 21st place ranking.

The rest of the top spots are rounded out by companies like Disney, Amazon, Samsung, Toyota, and Facebook. Specifically in the Technology Sector, Apple’s numbers rise even higher. The Cupertino company is 36 percent above the sector average when it comes to thought leadership, and 33 percent above the average in terms of consistency in producing high quality products. Similarly, many survey respondents confirmed they would like to work for Apple (37 percent above sector average), and that they would buy its products (39 percent above sector average).

You can look over FutureBrand’s 2016 rankings here.

Tag: FutureBrand
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Apple iPhone 7 Plus vs iPhone 6S Plus vs iPhone 6 Plus: What’s the rumoured difference?

Apple’s new iPhones – the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus – are due to launch in the next few months, with most placing their bets on a September announcement.

Rumours of the two devices, as well as a third, have been circulating around the rumour mill for several months now though, giving us a few clues as to what we might be able to expect.

We’ve compared the rumoured standard iPhone 7 to the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6 already, but this feature focuses on the iPhone 7 Plus against the iPhone 6S Plus and the iPhone 6 Plus. Read on to find out what differences and similarities there might be, based on the speculation.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus vs iPhone 6S Plus vs iPhone 6 Plus: Design

The Apple iPhone 6S Plus measures 158.1 x 77.9 x 7.3mm and weighs 192g, while the iPhone 6 Plus measures 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm and is 20g lighter at 172g. Both offer a metal build that’s identical in appearance, though the iPhone 6S Plus is made from a different grade of aluminium.

The two current devices have Touch ID built into the Home button at the front, although the 6S Plus features the second generation of the fingerprint sensor, which is faster and more responsive than the original.

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus is rumoured to be coming with a very similar design to the iPhone 6S Plus, but with a couple of differences. It is thought Apple will move the antenna bands across the rear to just the top and bottom for a cleaner look, as well as ditch the headphone jack, but the thickness of the new device is reported to remain at 7.3mm.

Other rumours have claimed the iPhone 7 Plus will feature water and dustproofing, a dual-SIM tray and it is claimed the Home button will be replaced with a Force Touch capacitive component.

The iPhone 6S Plus comes in silver, space grey, gold and rose gold colour options, while the iPhone 6 Plus is only available in silver and space grey now. It isn’t clear what the iPhone 7 Plus will arrive in but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the same four options as the iPhone 6S Plus.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus vs iPhone 6S Plus vs iPhone 6 Plus: Display

The Apple iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone 6 Plus both feature 5.5-inch displays with Full HD resolutions that put their pixel densities at 401ppi.

They are both IPS LCD displays with LED-backlights, but the iPhone 6S Plus also features Apple’s pressure sensitive technology called 3D Touch that allows users to do more depending on the force with which they press.

The Apple iPhone 7 Plus is also rumoured to be coming with a 5.5-inch display, but reports have suggested Apple may change the display technology to AMOLED for the new device. It has also been claimed the resolution will increase to 2560 x 1440 pixels, which would mean a slightly sharper screen than its predecessors with a pixel density of 534ppi.

We would expect 3D Touch to make an appearance again on the iPhone 7 Plus, but rumours suggest it could evolve to multi-force touch.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus vs iPhone 6S Plus vs iPhone 6 Plus: Camera

The Apple iPhone 6S Plus features a 12-megapixel rear camera coupled with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, both of which feature an aperture of f/2.2. The front facing camera features a Retina Flash and the rear camera is capable of 4K video recording.

The Apple iPhone 6 Plus has an 8-megapixel camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, both of which again have an aperture of f/2.2. There is no front flash on the iPhone 6 Plus and the rear camera is only capable of Full HD video recording.

Both the iPhone 6S Plus and the iPhone 6 Plus have optical image stabilisation on board, but the iPhone 6S Plus also features OIS for video recording too, which the 6 Plus doesn’t.

The iPhone 7 Plus has been rumoured to be coming with a dual-camera setup, but this claim has also been associated with the iPhone 7 Pro. There haven’t been any suggestions as to what resolution or aperture to expect, but we are not expecting a different sensor resolution to the iPhone 6S Plus, unless the dual-camera theory is adopted.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus vs iPhone 6S Plus vs iPhone 6 Plus: Hardware

The Apple iPhone 6S Plus features the A9 processor with an embedded M9 motion coprocessor. It offers 2GB of RAM, is available in storage options of 16GB, 64GB and 128GB and its battery capacity is thought to be 2750mAh.

The iPhone 6 Plus has the A8 processor with a separate M8 motion coprocessor. There is 1GB of RAM on board, it is now available in 16GB and 64GB storage options, and its battery capacity is said to be 2915mAh.

The iPhone 7 Plus is expected to arrive with the A10 processor and it is rumoured to upping the RAM to 3GB. It has also been claimed that Apple will ditch the 16GB storage option, starting at 32GB instead, and there has been talk of a 256GB model too. The battery capacity for the new device is also reported to see an increase to 3100mAh.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus vs iPhone 6S Plus vs iPhone 6 Plus: Software

The Apple iPhone 6S Plus and the iPhone 6 Plus both currently run on iOS 9 but they will both get an update to iOS 10 when it launches later this year on the new iPhones.

There are a couple of software features the iPhone 6S Plus is capable of over the iPhone 6 Plus, such as Live Photos and 3D Touch functions, but the software experience is mainly the same. 

The iPhone 7 Plus will launch on iOS 10 as we mentioned, bringing the new features and functions directly to the new device, all of which you can read about in our separate feature. As the iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone 6 Plus will both be updated though, again the software experience should be very familiar, bar perhaps a couple of extra features.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus vs iPhone 6S Plus vs iPhone 6 Plus: Conclusion

Based on the current rumours, it looks like the Apple iPhone 7 Plus will be very similar to the iPhone 6S Plus in terms of appearance, with a few changes here and there.

As with every succeeding device, we will no doubt see improvements in hardware but the software experience will remain familiar across these three devices being compared, aside from the odd extra function.

Everything is speculation at the moment though. For all the rumours surrounding the iPhone 7 Plus, you can read our separate feature.

• Apple iPhone 7 Pro: Will it happen and what’s the story so far?
• Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6S vs iPhone 6: What’s the rumoured difference?
• Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus rumours, release date and everything you need to know

A baby planet created one of the moon’s largest impact basins

Scientists have known for a long time that the Imbrium Basin, one of the largest impact craters on the moon, was the result of an asteroid colliding with our planet’s natural satellite. Thanks to a new study led by Brown University professor Pete Schultz, we now know that that asteroid could have been so big, it could be classified as a protoplanet. Previously, computer models estimated the extraterrestrial rock to be around 50 miles in diameter. But according to the results of Schultz’s experiments, it’s actually around 150 miles across, or (as Space puts it) about the length of New Jersey.

You might be more familiar with the Imbrium Basin than you think. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you probably see the famous Man in the Moon (pictured above) quite often. The face’s right eye is actually known as the Mare Imbrium, a dark lava plain within the Imbrium Basin.

Schultz based his study on the markings, which are pronounced enough to be visible from Earth even if you’re only using a small telescope, found inside the impact crater. One set of markings that radiate out from the center can be easily explained: that’s the protoplanet’s point of initial contact. There’s another set of markings with a different angle (see below), however, that has always been a source of mystery.

To uncover the truth behind those mysterious grooves, Schultz performed a series of impact experiments using the Vertical Gun Range (PDF) at the NASA Ames Research Center. Scientists can simulate high-speed celestial body impacts within the facility, which boasts a 14-foot cannon that can fire projectiles at up to 16,000 miles per hour. During his tests, he noticed that small pieces would break off the projectile and hit the surface of the object representing the moon at high speed. Those pieces formed marks consistent with the second set of markings in the Imbrium Basin.

After Schultz and his team figured out how those markings or grooves formed, they were able to calculate the size of the asteroid. Their 150-mile estimate is on the lower end, though, and the rock could have actually been larger than 186 miles across. This new estimate and the presence of impact basins even larger than Imbrium could mean that there was an abundance of protoplanets in our solar system 3.8 to 4 billion years ago. As Schultz said, “The large basins we see on the moon and elsewhere are the record of lost giants.”

[Image credit: NASA/Northeast Planetary Data Center/Brown University]

Via: Space

Source: Brown University

ICYMI: Homeless robots, modern brain maps and giant vortex cannons

Today on In Case You Missed It: A French artist created a remote-controlled robot disguised as a homeless man. It’s name is Dirk. Additionally, a team of neuroscientists from Oxford University scanned the brains of 400 volunteers to create the most detailed map of the human cortex we’ve ever seen.

We’ve also got a man with a GoPro and a plan. He filmed himself building a gigantic vortex cannon then filled the machine with propane and let it rip. The results were *puts on sunglasses* explosive. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.

Apple Posts Job Listings for First Retail Store in Taiwan

Apple has posted a series of job listings for its first retail store in Taiwan. The company is looking to fill Genius, Expert, Manager, Store Leader, and Business Leader positions, among others, while applications for the Apple Store Leader Program are open ahead of a September 2016 start date.

Apple confirmed to Reuters that it will open its first retail store in Taiwan, but it did not disclose a specific location. The company operates over 40 retail stores in the Greater China region, which encompasses Taiwan, including 41 in mainland China and five in Hong Kong. Many stores are located in Galaxy or MixC shopping malls.

The news comes just one day after Apple announced its first retail store in Brooklyn will open on Saturday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Apple has eight other stores within New York City limits, including six in Manhattan, one in Queens, and one on Staten Island. Another store will open at the World Trade Center later this year.

Apple has aggressively expanded its retail footprint in the Greater China region, including China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, over the past few years. The company recently achieved CEO Tim Cook’s goal of reaching 40 stores in the region ahead of schedule, while in the U.S. it has focused on renovating existing stores with new designs.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores
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Samsung sues Huawei in China over patent infringement

Samsung has sued Huawei for allegedly infringing on six of its patents, seeking damages of ¥161 million ($24.1 million) and pushing for Huawei to end production and sales of the Mate 8 and select Honor phones. The lawsuit is the latest in an ongoing battle between the two companies in China.

In May, Huawei filed a lawsuit against Samsung in which it said that the South Korean manufacturer used its 4G communications, operating systems, and user interface software patents without a prior license. At the time, Samsung said that it would “take appropriate action to defend its business interests,” including launching a counter-suit against Huawei.

Earlier this month, Huawei responded once again with a new lawsuit to the tune of $12 million, claiming that Samsung infringed on its patents on recent devices like the Galaxy S7 edge.

It looks like today’s litigation from Samsung is its way of countering Huawei’s claims from earlier this month. In a statement to Reuters, a Samsung spokesperson said:

Despite our best efforts to resolve this matter amicably, it has regrettably become necessary to take legal action in order to defend our intellectual property.

WIth both brands ready to tussle it out, it looks like this is the beginning of yet another lengthy patent litigation in the smartphone segment.

Razer’s new location-based platform lets you chat with other Pokémon Go trainers

There’s no chat system in Pokémon Go and while many would consider that a blessing, there are times when you simply wish to see who’s out and about to pool resources or to inform others of a rare find nearby. Cue Razer. The company has unveiled a new web-based chat platform with iOS and Android apps set to be released soon.

The web version of this messaging system — aptly named RazerGo — utilizes your location so filters can then be set in the form of a distance radius. Don’t wish to talk to folk from around the world? Restrict the platform to only show messages from those 5km or so away from you. The company has taken full advantage of the already released and robust Razer chat infrastructure.

As well as public chat, there is also support for private and group channels too, enabling friends and fellow trainers to band together and take down those tough gym strongholds. You can try out RazerGo on the web as of now, but we’ll be sure to alert you all once the iOS and Android apps have been released to respective stores.

• Try RazerGo on the web

Dots & Co brings more companions and challenges to the mental oasis

Dots, the developer behind Dots and TwoDots, has just released a new mobile title called Dots & Co. This latest instalment in the series is now available for iOS and Android, adding an enhanced visual palette, more companions with new powers, all bringing additional layers to the original and much-loved gameplay.

Just like its predecessors, Dots & Co tasks players with matching dots with various mechanics that switch out and merge as progress is made. 155 new stages are available to offer some additional challenge backed by an original music score. The development team also plans to add additional puzzles in future updates that will be released for free.

You can download Dots & Co from the Play Store today.

HTC Marlin spotted in real life, teasing next Nexus specs

Discussion surrounding the next Nexus devices has been rife, with rumours of two HTC handsets known as Marlin and Sailfish.

The first claimed real world photo of the HTC Marlin isn’t going to be a huge design reveal, however, as all we can see if the display – if, of course, this is legitimately what we’re looking at. 

The source of the information, TechDroider, claims that this is the HTC Marlin, thought to be the larger of the two handsets that will be released by Google later in the year.

TechDroider

The only real details we can discern from this image is the N Android version and the Marlin name, with the website claiming that the handset is in a case to disguise the design. This is common practice in pre-release devices. 

However, the website goes on to say that it is a full-metal device with no camera bump at the back and that it looks a bit like the HTC 10, but with a fingerprint scanner on the rear. Such things are easily guessed at, but that generally follows the line of thinking we’ve seen previously on Marlin.

• Next Nexus 2016: What’s the story so far?
• Nexus Marlin vs Nexus Sailfish: What’s the rumoured difference?
• HTC Marlin completely revealed in major spec leak
• Is this what HTC’s Marlin and Sailfish Nexus phones will look like?

There’s mention of this being a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution device, that it will have a 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera, possibly the same as the Nexus 6P. It’s also claimed to be offering 128GB of internal storage.

There’s still a lot that’s not known about the future Nexus handsets, with the biggest question being whether these are conventional Nexus devices as we’ve seen before, or if Google is moving to take closer ownership of them, branding them with a Google G logo instead.

This is a limited leak, but you can follow all the action around the new Nexus devices right here on Pocket-lint.com.