Samsung’s Note 7 crisis will cost at least $2.34 billion
Do you know what’s really bad for your business? Selling a smartphone with a tendency to explode in your customer’s pockets. That’s why Samsung has revised its quarterly profit guidance, suggesting that it’ll lose out on $2.34 billion in the current three-month period. That loss is all down to the Note 7 and its propensity for self-immolation that has so baffled the company’s engineers.
It’s worth pointing out that this is a profit forecast for the quarter, and so that figure won’t be the real, total cost of boomgate. For a start, the company will have spent millions on developing, manufacturing and marketing a device that it can’t now sell. Then there’s the potential financial fallout from any sort of fines or lawsuits that arise in the wake of the product’s cancellation. Not to mention the angered carriers who will have been looking to sell this device and will now have to deal with customers.
It’s also a worry for Samsung’s brand itself, since it’ll need to run a highly-visible recall to prevent any further injuries. For the average consumer, that means that Samsung may quickly come to mean fire-prone in popular consciousness. Don’t forget it only took a few months for self-balancing skateboards to go from the hip toy of the year to a fire hazard that Amazon refused to sell. Then again, market researcher Ban Bajarin believes that the damage to Samsung’s reputation is “not as bad as you may think.”
Early indication from our fall smartphone sentiment study (US and UK markets) is brand fallout for Samsung not as bad as you may think.
— Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) October 11, 2016
It may be several years before we know the true cost of boomgate to Samsung’s business, but at least we’ve got a figure that’ll do for the next few months.
Source: Bloomberg
RED’s latest modular cameras pack 8K ‘Helium’ sensors
RED’s new 8K Weapon and Epic-W cameras with the new “Helium” sensors are now shipping, giving cinematographers up to 35-megapixel RAW images at 60 frames per second. The $49,500 and $29,500 cinema cameras (respectively) aren’t exactly consumer products, but they do represent the state of the art in digital video. Now that they’re available, you can expect to see slightly sharper images in upcoming films by directors like Michael Bay, who received his own unit ahead of the release.
Unlike the 8K Weapon, which has a huge, “Vista-Vision” sized sensor, the new cameras use a smaller Super-35mm chip, meaning they’re compatible with standard cinema lenses. President Jarred Land says that going from 6K to 8K was “exponentially more difficult” than the 2K resolution jump would suggest, thanks to the extra processing horsepower required. Full-frame 8K RAW video, despite being compressed 5:1 (12:1 at 60fps), requires sustained data rates around 300 MB/s, pushing the limits of even the latest SSD hard drive tech.
Cinematographer Mark Toia says the camera has better detail in low light and overexposure conditions than previous models, thanks in part to the extra resolution (see the video below). The 8K sensor has 17 times the resolution of 1080p video, giving directors more framing options when shooting Full HD or 4K. RED cameras have also proved popular with high-end still photographers, who can shoot high RAW frame rates and extract the best images — a feature that Panasonic, Sony and other companies are now touting.
Red says that the first batch of 8K Helium Weapon models has already sold out, but they’re building new ones every day. As mentioned, you’ll need $49,500 for the Weapon Helium, which shoots 60fps 8K, or $29,500 for the 30fps Epic-W (less if you’re upgrading from a 6K Weapon or Epic-X). That’s just for the brain, though — a package with batteries, media and other necessary bits (excluding any lenses) will run you $60,000 or more. RED says that new firmware and software updates are coming soon for Helium, giving users updated color science and a new image-processing pipeline.
UK calls for a taskforce to keep AI and robots in check
While artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are starting to play a more valuable role in people’s lives, a new report states that the UK is ill-prepared for an inevitable autonomous future. The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee said today that the UK government “does not yet have a strategy” for fostering AI and robotics or properly considered the “social and ethical dilemmas” they may pose.
Ministers found that while such systems are still in their infancy, AI is already starting to have “transformational impacts” on society, suggesting now is the time to evaluate possible the potential ramifications of its growth. The report touches on the development of driverless cars and emergence of supercomputers that can beat world champions at an ancient Chinese board game and questions whether the government has a plan for when “algorithms” go wrong (we all know how Ex Machina played out).
“Artificial intelligence has some way to go before we see systems and robots as portrayed in the creative arts such as Star Wars,” says Dr Tania Mathias, interim Chair of the Committee. “At present, ‘AI machines’ have narrow and specific roles, such as in voice-recognition or playing the board game ‘Go’. But science fiction is slowly becoming science fact, and robotics and AI look destined to play an increasing role in our lives over the coming decades.”
The Committee calls upon the government to set up a “Commission on Artificial Intelligence” that can be housed at the Alan Turing Institute. It would be tasked with monitoring the developments in AI systems and would set standards to ensure they’re “socially beneficial.” The group highlighted Google’s Photos app, which was reported to have labelled black people as gorillas, as a situation where AI may have been fed “subconscious cultural biases.” While it could be put down to the training data the Photos algorithms were fed, the Committee says more work must be done to stop accidental discrimination.
AI and robots, of course, offer a very credible threat to jobs (a robot wrote a post for Engadget, after all). Ministers are aware that systems will “reshape fundamentally” how we live and work and that the potential loss of established roles “will be challenging,” but there’s no clear answer as to how technology will shape the future workforce.
The Committee notes that the UK must “respond with a readiness to re-skill, and up-skill, on a continuing basis” but is quick to lambast the government for its lack of leadership in developing education and training systems in this area. “It is disappointing that the Government has still not published its Digital Strategy and set out its plans for equipping the future workforce with the digital skills it needs to thrive,” the report concludes.
With products like the Amazon Echo and Google’s Assistant AI making their way to more Britons, consumers are becoming accustomed to early-stage AI. We’re not yet at the point where we’re putting our lives in the hands of artificial intelligence, but machines are already using deep-learning techniques to make it easier for us to go about our day.
The UK has helped drive innovations in the space — thanks to companies like DeepMind (now owned by Google), Magic Pony (now owned by Twitter) and Swiftkey (now owned by Microsoft) — but it’s up to the government to ensure that AI systems, no matter how small, are created with a social framework that doesn’t negatively affect the people they’re are supposed to benefit.
Source: Parliament.uk
Tesla Roadster prototype up for auction starting at $1 million
Tesla’s Roadster is a seminal electric car, but it’s not exactly a vintage model — it first went on sale in 2008. So how does user “Jester944” justify the $1 million minimum bid for a Roadster prototype in his eBay auction? “A million dollar Tesla may be crazy today but … imagine what the first Ferrari prototype models would go for. Take that 30 years into the future when most cars are electric and they’ll be able to trace their history back to Tesla,” he says.
That’s an interesting sales pitch, but the car (which cost over $100,000 new) does seem like a nice specimen. It’s the 32nd prototype out of 33 made, has just 18,000 miles and was never originally sold to the public. The sporty EV comes with a 240V wall charger along with the hard and soft tops, and can still go about 160 miles on a charge, compared to 245 miles when it was brand new. (For $29,000, you can update it to a 70kWh battery with 400 miles of range.)
No one has anted up so far, but there are still five days left — all Jester944 needs is someone rich and crazy enough to make the first bid. It could pay off, though, if EVs take off like Elon Musk and others expect. In the meantime, here’s a video of Musk plunking down $1 million himself for a brand new McLaren F1 back in 1999.
Western Digital Announces Redesigned My Passport Portable Hard Drives
Western Digital yesterday refreshed its popular portable and desktop hard drive range with a more colorful line-up and increased capacities.
As part of a “reimagined” design that WD says better reflects how data is now “much more of a personal commodity”, the company’s portable USB 2.0/3.0 My Passport drives are available in six vivid colors – Black, Yellow, Red, White, Orange and Blue. The Black color is available pre-formatted for Mac systems, while all the others need reformatting to HFS + Journaled Mac to work with Apple hardware.
The My Passport drives can be had in 1TB ($79.99), 2TB ($94.99), 3TB ($129.99), and 4TB ($139.99) storage capacities.
Meanwhile, the company’s redesigned My Book USB 3.0 desktop storage solution will soon be available in 3TB ($129.99), 4TB ($129.99?), 6TB ($199.99), and 8TB ($249.99) capacities, and is compatible with Mac and Windows systems out of the box.
All the WD drives come with an Auto backup schedule feature as part of the Time Machine-compatible WD Backup software, as well as password protection, 256-bit AES hardware encryption tools, and a two-year warranty.
In conjunction with the new HD drives, for the first time Western Digital also announced a range of internal SSD drives for desktop and laptop PC computers.
Tag: Western Digital
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HP Envy All-In-One 27 (late 2016) Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
HP
The new HP Envy All-in-One 27 is packed with notable features by way of a complete re-design over last year’s model. The most significant upgrade is the new hardware configuration that builds the computer into the pedestal with only the monitor resting on top. This two-volume design allowed the company to reduce the size of the 27-inch QHD monitor to just 15mm thick.
The edge-to-edge display has also been reduced to 9.5mm on the sides and top, and this is also the first AIO design to include HP’s low blue-light mode. Studies have shown that the blue light emitted from monitors and fluorescent lamps can disrupt your body’s natural ability to produce the sleep hormone melatonin. HP’s low blue-light mode protects your precious sleep and helps to prevents eye strain at night.
The monitor includes a webcam that pops up via a spring mechanism on the back when you want to video chat, but it can also be disabled along with the microphone as a privacy safeguard.
Other features of the HP Envy All-in-One 27 include:
- Intel Core i5 or i7 processor
- Optional discrete Nvidia GTX 950M graphics card with 2GB GDDR5
- Hybrid storage with up to 256GB SSD and 2TB HDD
- Four front-firing speakers with Bang & Olufsen speakers
- One USB Type-C port, four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI
HP also announced the HP Envy Display, a breakout monitor with a thin aluminum stand, and a 27-inch 4K IPS panel with a thin bezel. Connectivity options include DisplayPort, HDMI and USB-C.
The HP Envy All-in-One 27 will go on sale in October starting at $1,300 (roughly £1,075 or AU$1,725, converted), and the Envy 27 Display hits stores on December 4 for $500 (£415, AU$665).
HP Spectre x360 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
The HP Spectre x360 updates the premium series laptop with four speakers, a reduced footprint and 15 hours of reported battery life.
HP
There are plenty of reasons to love the current HP Spectre x360: the company borrowed the x360 brand name from its previous fold-back hybrids and added premium features like interlocking hinges for a sturdier design, snappy performance thanks to an Intel Core i5 processor, and 10 hours of battery life.
The combination of style and speed put the Spectre x360 at the top of our list of all-around laptops this year, but HP couldn’t wait until next year to outdo itself with a complete redesign.
Starting at $1,050 (£860 or AU$1,400, converted), the new 13-inch HP Spectre x360 laptop ups the display to a 13.3-inch FHD IPS edge-to-edge touchscreen that twists back into a tablet configuration. The PC is also thinner with a reduced bezel, but the company managed to cram in two extra Bang & Olufsen speakers (four total) so you can get the full stereo experience while it’s in tablet mode.
The new HP Spectre x360 adds two extra Bang & Olufsen speakers for a full multimedia experience.
HP
The new models all come standard with solid-state drives in either 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB capacity — solid-state drives are definitely a must-have for multitasking and the ability to quickly wake the machine.
The chassis also has has all the ports you need to turn it into a desktop workstation: two USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, HDM, and a USB Type-A 3.0 port for older peripherals.
But the real star of the show is the improved battery life. The new Spectre x360 continues the company’s goal to maximize battery gains without sacrificing performance, and this time HP somehow fit a larger-capacity battery into the thinner design for 15-plus hours of juice — that’s a 25 percent improvement over the last model.
And if you’ve ever had to sit around waiting for your laptop to charge so you can use it on the go, you’ll appreciate the laptop’s Fast Charge feature that recharges the batteries to 90 percent capacity in just 90 minutes.
The new Spectre x360 goes on sale October 12 in the United States.
HP Envy 13
The new HP Envy notebook has a 13-inch display with the option to upgrade to an edge-to-edge glass display, a full HD panel or a touchscreen QHD.
HP
The company also released the Envy 13 laptop for buyers that want to cherry-pick the features they want in a PC. Compared to the x360, this model is also a 13.3-inch design but notably lacks the ability to backflip into tablet mode. Instead, buyers can choose to add an optional edge-to-edge glass display, a full HD panel or a touchscreen QHD.
The primary weakness of last year’s Envy model was the battery life, which we measured to be just over seven hours in our standard battery drain test. Anecdotally, it was worse at only slightly more than four hours in day-to-day use.
This time around, HP packs in 4 more hours of battery life and tells us it can reach up to 14 hours compared to last year’s model, but we’ll run it through our tests for the actual review.
Other features on the HP Envy 13 include:
- Two USB 3.0 ports and one USB Type-C port
- Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor
- Up to 16GB RAM
- 13.3-inch display
- Two Bang & Olufsen speakers
- Dual-band wireless with Bluetooth
- Glass touchpad and backlit keyboard with 1.3mm key travel
- All-metal casing finished in aluminum and magnesium
The HP Envy 13 laptop will go on sale October 26 with prices starting at $849 (£700 or AU$1,130 converted).
Blackberry DTEK60 all but confirmed with leaked pre-order page
Blackberry’s 2016 flagship phone the DTEK60, codenamed Argon has fallen foul to yet another leak, this time courtesy of US retailer B&H Photo. The DTEK60 was listed as a pre-order on the retailer’s site for $499.99, before being taken down, although there wasn’t an expected shipping date.
- Blackberry DTEK60: What’s the story so far?
B&H Photo also published the full list of specs on the page and they match up with the list that Blackberry itself published last month.
The DTEK60 will sport a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1550 Quad HD touchscreen display with 534ppi and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM. It will pack in 32GB of internal storage but can be expanded up to 2TB and will run on Android, although as for which version it will have out-the-box is unclear.
There will also be a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera which can record 4K and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with 84 degree wide angle lens.
But even though Blackberry published the specs and B&H Photo leaked a pre-order page, Blackberry has yet to officially announce the phone’s existence.
- Blackberry publishes full Argon specs online
- Blackberry DTEK60 passes through FCC, renders appear online
Rumours pointed to two possible release dates: October 11 and October 17, considering we’re already on the 12th and there’s been no official announcement, we’ll wait until the 17th to see if Blackberry says anything. B&H Photo posted a list price of $499.99 for an unlocked, SIM-free version which marries up with previous rumours. We’re expecting it to cost between £500-£600 when it’s released in the UK.
Amazon Music Unlimited Launches With $3.99 Echo-Only Subscription Option
Amazon today launched Amazon Music Unlimited, its new, standalone, on-demand streaming service.
Amazon Music Unlimited is distinct from the company’s Prime-only limited music library, in that it promises access to “tens of millions” of songs from all the major labels. Prices start at $7.99 per month for Prime members and $9.99 per month for non-members, the latter of which puts it in the same cost bracket as Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play Music, and Tidal’s standard price plans. A similar free 30-day trial is also being offered.
In addition, Amazon is offering a separate $3.99 subscription plan for owners of connected speakers from the company’s popular Echo range. The plan lets them stream music to Amazon’s devices, but only those devices. A $14.99 per month (or $149 per year) family subscription plan for up to six people is currently in the works, and should become live later this year.
Amazon says its library includes music from Sony, Universal, and Warner, as well as thousands of indie labels, with thousands of curated playlists and personalized stations also included. However, the service enters a crowded market already commanding millions of subscribers, which makes it increasingly difficult for newcomers to differentiate their service. In this respect, Amazon is likely betting on its Echo-only option, which could prove popular with an existing user base already familiar with the company’s eco-system.
For example, the Echo-based service plan integrates with the speakers’ intelligent assistant Alexa, meaning voice commands can be used to play particular songs and/or playlists based on specific criteria – to play songs from a particular decade, or to match a mood, say. Indeed, Echo owners can sign up for Amazon Music Unlimited simply by asking Alexa to start their free trial.
Amazon is estimated to have sold over 4 million smart speakers so far, and is hoping to sell 10 million by the end of 2017, which could put it on course for a subscription coup. Amazon Music Unlimited goes live in the U.S. today and is set to debut in the U.K., Germany and Austria later this year.
Tags: Amazon, Amazon Echo, Amazon Music Unlimited
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Amazon Music Unlimited launches, prices start at $3.99 for Echo-only subscription
Amazon Music Unlimited, Amazon’s first fully-fledged music streaming service, has launched in the US, with several different subscriptions available.
- Amazon will properly join the music streaming market with Music Unlimited
Music Unlimited will be more of a rival to the streaming giants such as Spotify and Apple Music, as it has a much larger catalogue of “tens of millions” of songs from the major labels, compared to the company’s Prime-only streaming service; Prime Music.
Amazon hasn’t confirmed the bit-rate of its catalogue, but we’ll take a guess and say it will be 320kbps, just like Spotify’s Extreme tier.
Music Unlimited has launched for $9.99/month for non-Prime members and $7.99/month or $79/year ($6.58/month) for those with a Prime subscription, making it less than its main two rivals.
It was also always rumoured that the company would offer an Echo-only subscription and those rumours have come true. Amazon will offer you access to the same catalogue of music for $3.99/month, but you can only listen to it through its Echo devices: Echo, Echo Dot and Amazon Tap.
By being made available on Echo devices, you can naturally use your voice to play music. But rather than just say “Alexa, play some Steely Dan” everytime, Alexa will learn your music preferences so you’ll eventually be able to just say “Play some music” and it will play personalised tracks.
If you don’t know the name of a song, or who recorded it, you can also give Alexa some of the lyrics, it will work out what the song is and play it for you.
A third subscription option will be a Family Plan, which will let up to six users use the same Music Unlimited account for $14.99/month or $149/year ($12.40/month). The Family Plan isn’t available yet, but will go live “soon”.
- Amazon Prime Music: What is it and why should Apple and Spotify be worried?
- Apple Music explained: What is it and how does it work?
- Which is the best music streaming service in the UK?: Apple Music vs Spotify vs Tidal and more
To go with the launch of the new service, Amazon has given its Music app a bit of a makeover, putting more emphasis on album art and music discovery. There’s a Home section that has updates from Amazon’s music editors with songs and albums that are trending, the Recommended section has personalised playlists and Now Playing comes with synchronised lyrics.
While Amazon Music Unlimited has initially launched in the US, it’s been confirmed it will be made available in the UK, Germany and Austria later this year.
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